"Gutless at CBS" - Column by Jonathan Alter

MSNBC.com ^ | 11-4-03 | Jonathan Alter

[Livy]

good theory, but I think the more likely answer is that some of the script got leaked to drudge.

[theDentist]

Poooooooooooooooooooor Jonathan. All his liberal hopes and dreams dashed by conservative values. It's a shame.

[Livy]

"Alter is a pustulating zit in the cancer that infects todays mass media."

awesome quote. That should be attached to everything ever said on FR about Alter from now until forever.

[xzins]

This was not a docudrama.

It was a mockudrama.

A conudrama

a hoaxudrama

a propagandudrama

a spinudrama

[banjo joe]

This just shows what they mean by Freedom of The Press. It means the freedom to lie,manipulate,distort and promote and agenda.

Well said.

Word.

[Congressman Billybob]

Now let's see what we have. Alter attacks CBS for its effort "to keep advetisers happy." Helloooo.

For those with a strong memory, there were once four networks -- ABC, CBS, NBC and Dumont. Yep, there was a major network named Dumont. But it didn't keep its advertisers happy.

Today, ABCCBSNBC are shirking while other outlets grow, especially Fox. It's all a matter of "keeping the advertisers happy." Do we need to go back to basics? This is a free market society. Media outlets sell advertising to survive. Sell a lot and they grow. Sell a little and they shrink, and eventually die.

This is basic stuff. Any child who's ever run a lemonade stand, understands it. Any teenager who's ever played Monopoly, understands it. So, why can't Alter wrap his mind around such a simple and obvious concept? Other than because of hard-wired bias, I mean?

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Open Judicial Mouth, Insert Foot," discussion thread. IF YOU WANT A FREEPER IN CONGRESS, CLICK HERE.

[DustyMoment]

You left off fictionudrama.

Otherwise a great list.

Excellent analysis, Livy. Take two . . . no, THREE stars out of petty cash and enjoy a long lunch, today.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Dittos Livy. The response was completely spontanious. No echo, no organization, no card stacking.

[CT]

Freedom of the Press (as defined by liberals): The ability to distort and create outright lies under the guise of art,or even "news," particularly when it is useful to advancing a left-wing agenda.

See: Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, CNN, MTV, ABC-Disney, PBS, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, and Walter Cronkite.