Posted on 04/10/2010 6:26:25 AM PDT by Kaslin
While many Americans believe the national press is biased toward the left, a more damning charge is now being debated: Are U.S. media outlets actually corrupt? Those who believe they are point to the cheerleading of Barack Obama's presidential campaign and to the recent reportage on the Tea Party movement.
As you may know, the Tea Party people have been branded in some media quarters as a bunch of racist, far-right loons. TV commentators on MSNBC and CNN have actually called the Tea Party folks dirty names on the air -- all in an attempt to diminish the growing influence of the movement.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the gutter. Regular Americans have apparently opted to decide for themselves about the Tea Party, and the polling is interesting. Despite all the rhetorical madness on TV, a new Gallup poll says 28 percent of Americans support the movement, 26 percent oppose it and 38 percent have not yet formed an opinion about support or opposition. Thus, there is a persuadable factor in play, and that is what the liberal media fear the most.
This time last year, there was no Tea Party. Now, it is perhaps the most vibrant political force in the country. If millions more Americans sign on, liberalism will take a huge hit. By the way, Gallup also reports that the Tea Party movement breaks down this way: 49 percent Republican, 43 percent Independent and 8 percent Democratic. The issue that binds the Tea Party folks together is fear of big government.
When the Founding Fathers granted the press privileges beyond those of everyday citizens, they did so with some trepidation. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, opposites in political thinking, both loathed the early press in America because it often operated irresponsibly; that is, it was not unusual for money to change hands in the production of a news story.
But Jefferson, Adams and their peers understood that the people needed information in order to make informed decisions at the voting booth. Therefore, the greater good was served by allowing a free press in the hope that the honest journalists would outnumber the dishonest ones.
Today, we have a problem in America. Entire news operations are devoting themselves not to reporting events honestly, but to promoting a certain ideology or party. The Fox News Channel, where I work, has been accused of this. But a study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs found that FNC's coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign was tough on both candidates, while most other news networks blatantly favored Obama.
Now we have a systematic media campaign to demean the Tea Party movement. At first, organizations like The New York Times ignored the movement. Then they mocked it. Neither worked. As the rallies grew larger, the liberal press got meaner. There was little reporting being done -- it was all about bashing.
This isn't bias; it's corruption. News organizations are supposed to be watchdogs, not attack dogs. The Tea Party should be scrutinized like every other political movement. But that's not what's going on here. A large part of the national media is out to destroy these folks. And that's flat-out wrong.
Even Bernie Goldberg now believes they are corrupt. This is not what he believed when he wrote the book Bias. At that time he thought they were just an echo chamber, surrounded by like-minded people to the point they couldn’t be objective.
"Fear of" for some, "staunch resistence to" for others.
Absolutely!!!!
Corrupt usually means to forgo your principles for financial gain. Our media does just the opposite. They are willing to teeter on the edge of insolvency in order to push their leftist agenda.
I thought it was a Hobby Horse but I like your description better.
Yes Unwatchable, yes unlistenable, yes unreadable, yes untruthful, yes unapologetic, yes unethical.
Huh? Aren’t you confused? Don’t you mean does a bear sh^t in the woods?
I think you mean "Is a bear Catholic?" This stuff isn't rocket surgery.
“After we get done with the lawyers, we are coming for the reporters.”
Find out where the corrupt media live - not work, live. Easy to do, and do it for the entire organization, from the board and major stockholders to the mail clerks.
Stage peaceful, legal protests out in front of their homes, one after the other and repeatedly. Document everything on video in case they try the usual false charges.
Does Barney Frank take it in the ***?
does Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle?(sorry Geico)
Why wouldn’t he? If you have ever watched him then you would know he hates the Lame Stream Media (LSM) Or MSM as much as we all do
Well, he was quoting a Gallup poll
He is talking about the First Amendment, which is: Freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, to assemble, and to petition
This is what is known as propaganda. If it weren't also corrupt, the US government should refuse to guarantee student loans to journalism majors until they change it to propaganda major. At least it'd be accurate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.