Journalism vs Advocacy

[sirs]

Obama's media sycophants
Posted: August 28, 2008

Lawyers call this a "declaration against interest."

Washington Post ombudsperson Deborah Howell wrote a column in her own newspaper comparing the paper's front-page coverage of Democratic nominee Barack Obama with that of Republican nominee John McCain.

Her findings? Examining stories from June 4, when Obama became the presumptive nominee, until Aug. 15, the Post ran 142 political stories about Obama, compared with 96 about McCain. As to front-page stories, Obama was 35 to McCain's 13.

What about photographs? The Post ran, during this time, 143 pics of Obama versus 100 of McCain.

The paper's assistant managing editor for politics explained the discrepancy this way: "We make our own decisions about what we consider newsworthy. We are not garment workers measuring our product every day to fulfill somebody's quota." In other words, Obama makes good copy, and this is, after all, a business. Fair enough. (But what's he got against garment workers?)

But why, then ? when the Post's Howell pointed out the discrepancy in photographs ? did the disparity disappear over the next two weeks? Howell writes that since she first pointed out the lopsided nature of the photo coverage: "Editors have run almost the same number of photos ? 21 of Obama and 22 of McCain ? since they realized the disparity. McCain is almost even with Obama in Page 1 photos ? 10 to 9."

Wait a sec. If the Post assumed that photographs of Obama drive sales, then what happened? The likely explanation is that the Post considers itself a "news" organization, and was embarrassed when one of its own columnists revealed its blatant partisanship.

As for Obama's popularity ? the basis for printing more stories about Obama ? take a look at the recent polls. A Reuters/Zogby poll, for example, gives McCain a 5-point lead among likely voters, with most of the major pollsters considering the race a dead heat. Does this not make McCain and Obama at least equally good copy?

But many of these same people who defend the Post's right to make a profit also demand the reimposition of the so-called Fairness Doctrine ? to force radio station programmers to "balance" popular conservative hosts with liberal ones. But "fairness" proponents show no concern when avowed Bush-haters, such as NBC/MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, put on their "journalist" hats and "cover" primaries, debates and political conventions.

How bad is it?

Take the recent studies by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, a nonpartisan, non-ideological and nonpolitical research organization. PEJ finds that from June 9 through Aug. 17, Obama received significantly more coverage than McCain ? even during Obama's Hawaii vacation. During the not-particularly-memorable week of June 23 to June 29, Obama received more than twice the coverage of McCain ? 82 percent to 40 percent.

And it's not just Obama. Last year, Harvard and PEJ studied presidential campaign stories from January through May in print, TV, radio and Internet outlets. Surprise, surprise, it turns out Democrats got more stories (49 percent) than Republicans (31 percent). Also, the tone of the coverage was more positive for Democrats (35 percent) than for Republicans (26 percent).

"Not only did the Republicans receive less coverage overall," the Harvard study authors say, "the attention they did get tended to be more negative than that of Democrats. And in some specific media genres, the difference is particularly striking." For example, 59 percent of front-page stories about Democrats in 11 newspapers had a "clear, positive message versus 11 percent that carried a negative tone."

Obama's coverage was 70 percent positive and 9 percent negative. Hillary Clinton's was 61 percent positive and 13 percent negative. Yet only 26 percent of the stories on Republican candidates were positive, and 40 percent were negative.

On TV, evening network newscasts gave Democrats 49 percent of their campaign coverage and Republicans 28 percent. As for tone, 39.5 percent of the Democratic coverage was positive and 17.1 percent negative, while 18.6 percent of the Republican coverage was positive versus 37.2 percent negative.

This brings us to one of McCain's follies: McCain-Feingold. The act prohibits so-called soft money donations to national party committees, places restrictions on political ads that specifically name federal candidates 60 days prior to general elections, and prohibits any ads paid for by corporations or nonprofit "issue organizations," such as Right to Life.

Opponents of McCain-Feingold know something that apparently John McCain did not. The Democratic message ? hostility toward "the rich," the supposed "right" to health care, the general disdain toward the Bush administration ? gets an airing in our mainstream media ? for free.

There's a line between journalism and advocacy. "Journalists" crossed it a long time ago.


But there's no media bias......naaaaaa

[Kramer]

Journalism died in 2008

[Brassmask]

*YAWN*

Wah, wah, wah.

Every time I turned on CNN during coverage this week of the convention, I'd hear some idiotic bullshit coming out of Blitzer's mouth.  I'd hear that Lisa Sanchez moron prattling on and on about something of no import.

Larry King ALL THIS WEEK has had nothing but conservative bullshit artists on right after the coverage to tear down the DemocratIC convention.  So you guys keep whining and maintain that crybaby status.

Then sneak off to hear Joe Scarborough run down everybody at the convention and spread lies.

The one thing I can say is that MSNBC has been nothing but a love-fest.  Olbermann, Matthews and Maddow have been all over it.  (Be sure and watch Matthews tonight on there, I'm quite certain he is reaching the breaking point on missing his sleep.)

[Michael Tee]

Let's get one thing straight from the beginning.  Newspapers are businesses.  Their revenue comes from advertisers, who are their real customers.  Readership draws in advertisers, so readership must be maintained as high as possible.  That's the real world.  The owner could be the biggest fucking fascist pig in the whole country, but if his readers buy 1,000 copies when Obama's picture is on the front page and 20 copies when McCain's picture is there instead, this guy is gonna run lots of Obama pictures and hardly any McCain pictures or else he's gonna be explaining to a bankruptcy court judge what happened.

The advertisers are businessmen too, just like the newspaper's owner.  They wanna sell their shit and they don't give a fuck who buys it.  They'd rather make a million in sales to inner-city black drug addicts on welfare than make a hundred selling to rich white racists like themselves living and golfing in La Jolla.

I find it hilarious that people who want the government out of the regulatory business on the grounds that nobody else has the right to dictate to a businessman how he should conduct his business, still want to stick their noses into the editorial operations of a newspaper business and critique the editorial decisions on a partisan political basis.  That's rich.

TV is a little different, since their medium is the public airwaves and so there has to be some balance.  I dunno, I thought there was a whole FCC procedure for registering and adjudicating complaints about all kinds of broadcasting offenses.  Was some network not fined half a million for shocking its viewers into comas by showing them Janet Jackson's nipple?  So if McCain's got a real beef, why does he not take it to the FCC?

[sirs]

1st amendment

[Kramer]

Let's get one thing straight from the beginning.  Newspapers are businesses.  Their revenue comes from advertisers, who are their real customers.  Readership draws in advertisers, so readership must be maintained as high as possible.  That's the real world.  The owner could be the biggest fucking fascist pig in the whole country, but if his readers buy 1,000 copies when Obama's picture is on the front page and 20 copies when McCain's picture is there instead, this guy is gonna run lots of Obama pictures and hardly any McCain pictures or else he's gonna be explaining to a bankruptcy court judge what happened.

The advertisers are businessmen too, just like the newspaper's owner.  They wanna sell their shit and they don't give a fuck who buys it.  They'd rather make a million in sales to inner-city black drug addicts on welfare than make a hundred selling to rich white racists like themselves living and golfing in La Jolla.

I find it hilarious that people who want the government out of the regulatory business on the grounds that nobody else has the right to dictate to a businessman how he should conduct his business, still want to stick their noses into the editorial operations of a newspaper business and critique the editorial decisions on a partisan political basis.  That's rich.

TV is a little different, since their medium is the public airwaves and so there has to be some balance.  I dunno, I thought there was a whole FCC procedure for registering and adjudicating complaints about all kinds of broadcasting offenses.  Was some network not fined half a million for shocking its viewers into comas by showing them Janet Jackson's nipple?  So if McCain's got a real beef, why does he not take it to the FCC?

You have an opinion about everything in America --- do you ever shut up?

[Michael Tee]

<<You have an opinion about everything in America --- do you ever shut up?>>

Is anyone forcing you at gunpoint to read what I write?  Everybody in this fucking NG has an opinion about everything in America, I just feel a duty to correct all the wrong ones.  But I won't feel hurt if you decide to do without the service for awhile.

[Kramer]

<<You have an opinion about everything in America --- do you ever shut up?>>

Is anyone forcing you at gunpoint to read what I write?  Everybody in this fucking NG has an opinion about everything in America, I just feel a duty to correct all the wrong ones.  But I won't feel hurt if you decide to do without the service for awhile.

Have you even been around the know-it-all blowhard person that is oblivious to the fact that they just go on and on and on and on and on about everything?  You are that guy we wonder about.

Is it because you come from a insignificant place that has little positive impact on the world? A follower kind of nation not the leading type...

[Michael Tee]

<<Have you even been around the know-it-all blowhard person that is oblivious to the fact that they just go on and on and on and on and on about everything?  You are that guy we wonder about.>>

Well, after all those thousands of unsolicited opinions, what is there left to wonder about?

<<Is it because you come from a insignificant place that has little positive impact on the world? >>

No, it's because I come from a medium-size, laid-back, contented nation where every citizen's health is looked after as if he or she really counted for something and which doesn't have the blood of millions of innocent Third World citizens on its hands.

<<A follower kind of nation not the leading type...>>

We all gotta follow something.  You guys follow the law of the jungle, the principle of every man for himself and we follow the rule of international law and "I am my brother's keeper."  Basically, you follow the bottom line of the medical profession and the hospital industry and the insurance industry, while we follow a love of our fellow citizen that demands that every citizen have a right to the best available health care regardless of race or income.

You're pissed off, obviously, not only because we are so much better than you are, but that it's become so damned OBVIOUS, and you can't stand it because of all the bullshit you were fed for your whole pathetic lives that you are Number 1.  Tough shit, kid.  Deal with it.

[Kramer]

<<Have you even been around the know-it-all blowhard person that is oblivious to the fact that they just go on and on and on and on and on about everything?  You are that guy we wonder about.>>

Well, after all those thousands of unsolicited opinions, what is there left to wonder about?

<<Is it because you come from a insignificant place that has little positive impact on the world? >>

No, it's because I come from a medium-size, laid-back, contented nation where every citizen's health is looked after as if he or she really counted for something and which doesn't have the blood of millions of innocent Third World citizens on its hands.

<<A follower kind of nation not the leading type...>>

We all gotta follow something.  You guys follow the law of the jungle, the principle of every man for himself and we follow the rule of international law and "I am my brother's keeper."  Basically, you follow the bottom line of the medical profession and the hospital industry and the insurance industry, while we follow a love of our fellow citizen that demands that every citizen have a right to the best available health care regardless of race or income.

You're pissed off, obviously, not only because we are so much better than you are, but that it's become so damned OBVIOUS, and you can't stand it because of all the bullshit you were fed for your whole pathetic lives that you are Number 1.  Tough shit, kid.  Deal with it.

You always come back to America - - - well if not for America and Americans we wouldn't be having this discussion and further the day America stops existing as a free nation you can kiss your ass good-bye.

[Michael Tee]

<<You always come back to America - - - well if not for America and Americans we wouldn't be having this discussion and further the day America stops existing as a free nation you can kiss your ass good-bye.>>

Fuckin bullshit, and you know it.  Or maybe you don't.  But it's bullshit whether you know it or not, and this phony "election" where you get to "choose" between some lying, cheating, philandering, adulterous bastard and phony "torture victim," who wants a hundred more years in Iraq or some "new guy"  with an "old guy" sidekick who just want to move the whole war to Afghanistan and continue blowing your billions and torturing and killing Muslims there, should be the primary proof of just what kinda "free nation" this miserable failure of a country has become.  Ron Paul had it exactly right last night - - he refused to endorse EITHER candidate.

But I know, you probably feel a lot better about yourself for believing all the shit you've been taught, so go right ahead.  There's no fantasy world like Republican fantasy world.

[Kramer]

<<You always come back to America - - - well if not for America and Americans we wouldn't be having this discussion and further the day America stops existing as a free nation you can kiss your ass good-bye.>>

Fuckin bullshit, and you know it.  Or maybe you don't.  But it's bullshit whether you know it or not, and this phony "election" where you get to "choose" between some lying, cheating, philandering, adulterous bastard and phony "torture victim," who wants a hundred more years in Iraq or some "new guy"  with an "old guy" sidekick who just want to move the whole war to Afghanistan and continue blowing your billions and torturing and killing Muslims there, should be the primary proof of just what kinda "free nation" this miserable failure of a country has become.  Ron Paul had it exactly right last night - - he refused to endorse EITHER candidate.

But I know, you probably feel a lot better about yourself for believing all the shit you've been taught, so go right ahead.  There's no fantasy world like Republican fantasy world.

Sorry but I have history on my side to back up my beliefs. History on your beloved USSR and the millions killed by them. History on appeasement, history on what my great nation has done for freedom around the world and improving our world in general. American is where citizens of the world want to live and the ones that don't are jealous of us and the ones that can't hate us and want to take us down. It's scum like you that benefit from American blood, sweat and tears. It's scum like you that try and tear us down because you don't have our freedom and opportunity. One little difference is if you want to go against your medical system you have to come here. Don't sit there and lie to me that Canadians don't come here for medical treatment. Your country has it's share of problems along with France, Germany & the rest of Europe.

[Michael Tee]

<<Sorry but I have history on my side to back up my beliefs. >>

Sorry, you don't have history on your side.  That's part of the problem.  You don't even KNOW history.  You have a bunch of lies and BS that most Americans think is "history" but which in reality is anything else but.


<<History on your beloved USSR and the millions killed by them. >>

Ninety per cent of it anti-Soviet lies by Nazis and anti-Semites.

<<History on appeasement . . . >>

Which you also know jack-shit about.  What you call "appeasement," the British call stalling for time, during which they tried desperately to catch up to Germany's rearmament.  Meantime we took on Hitler two years before you did, and you still didn't have the balls to declare war on Nazi Germany till after Hitler was forced to declare war on you.  Had it not been for Pearl Harbor, your "freedom-loving" nation of fence-sitters would have sat out the whole of WWII, leaving it to the REAL guardians of freedom, the U.S.S.R. and the British Empire, to liquidate the Nazis on their own.

<< history on what my great nation has done for freedom around the world . . . >>

Yeah, more bullshit.  Tell it to the Vietnamese.  Tell it to the Chileans, and the Salavadorans and the Guatemalans and the Indonesians and the Iraqis. 

<< . . .and improving our world in general. >>

Oh, torture chambers are an improvement?  Unprovoked wars of naked aggression are an improvement?  Overthrowing democratically elected governments, as in Guatemala and Iran, is an improvement?  Tell that one to sirs, with his dictionary, you'll probably find yourself validated at last.

<<American is where citizens of the world want to live . . . >>

That's hilarious, you must have mixed up America with France.

<< and the ones that don't are jealous of us >>

They're just a whole helluva lot more realistic than the ones that do.

<<and the ones that can't hate us and want to take us down. >>

Oh, I see, so that's why they hate you.  It's got nothing to do with the two million Vietnamese you massacred or the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, or your torture chambers, or your napalm and white phosphorus, or your overthrow of other country's democratically elected governments, or your support of death squads and torture chambers all over the world, or your economic exploitation of Third World countries.  That's very interesting.  Thank you for a very different and original point of view.  Boy, corresponding with you is SO educational.

<<It's scum like you that benefit from American blood, sweat and tears. >>

Hey fuck you, asshole.  I know who the real scum is around here.

<<It's scum like you that try and tear us down because you don't have our freedom and opportunity.>>

Fuck you too, dipshit.  Your "freedom" is exemplified in your phony "election" where you get to choose between war in Iraq or war in Afghanistan.  Only somebody as terminally STUPID as yourself could even THINK of that as "freedom."

<<One little difference is if you want to go against your medical system you have to come here. >>

The rich could always buy themselves quality medical care anywhere and jump any line they didn't want to wait in.  Thanks for accommodating them.  Their fat asses won't jam up our system and they've got way too much money anyhow, which I'm sure you crooks and thieves will know how to relieve them of.

<<Don't sit there and lie to me that Canadians don't come here for medical treatment. >>

I didn't.  You're welcome to each and every one of them.    While they buy first-class treatment at the head of the line in YOUR country, 47 million of your own citizens can't even get basic health insurance.   And this is something you are BOASTING about?  You are a first-class fucking moron.  I really can't believe the stupidity I am encountering.

<<Your country has it's share of problems along with France, Germany & the rest of Europe.>>

Don't we all?  But I wouldn't trade ONE of our problems for ANY or ALL of yours.  And I don't feel the least bit sorry for you, either.  You dug yourselves into the mess you're in, and you did it by violating every principle of humanity, civilization, decency and basic fairness.  Whatever shit you are in now, you richly deserve.   THAT is where all your fucking hostility comes from - - you can't bear to face the fact that YOUR mess results from YOUR fucking stupidity and immorality and nobody else's.

[Kramer]

<<Sorry but I have history on my side to back up my beliefs. >>

Sorry, you don't have history on your side.  That's part of the problem.  You don't even KNOW history.  You have a bunch of lies and BS that most Americans think is "history" but which in reality is anything else but.


<<History on your beloved USSR and the millions killed by them. >>

Ninety per cent of it anti-Soviet lies by Nazis and anti-Semites.

<<History on appeasement . . . >>

Which you also know jack-shit about.  What you call "appeasement," the British call stalling for time, during which they tried desperately to catch up to Germany's rearmament.  Meantime we took on Hitler two years before you did, and you still didn't have the balls to declare war on Nazi Germany till after Hitler was forced to declare war on you.  Had it not been for Pearl Harbor, your "freedom-loving" nation of fence-sitters would have sat out the whole of WWII, leaving it to the REAL guardians of freedom, the U.S.S.R. and the British Empire, to liquidate the Nazis on their own.

<< history on what my great nation has done for freedom around the world . . . >>

Yeah, more bullshit.  Tell it to the Vietnamese.  Tell it to the Chileans, and the Salavadorans and the Guatemalans and the Indonesians and the Iraqis. 

<< . . .and improving our world in general. >>

Oh, torture chambers are an improvement?  Unprovoked wars of naked aggression are an improvement?  Overthrowing democratically elected governments, as in Guatemala and Iran, is an improvement?  Tell that one to sirs, with his dictionary, you'll probably find yourself validated at last.

<<American is where citizens of the world want to live . . . >>

That's hilarious, you must have mixed up America with France.

<< and the ones that don't are jealous of us >>

They're just a whole helluva lot more realistic than the ones that do.

<<and the ones that can't hate us and want to take us down. >>

Oh, I see, so that's why they hate you.  It's got nothing to do with the two million Vietnamese you massacred or the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, or your torture chambers, or your napalm and white phosphorus, or your overthrow of other country's democratically elected governments, or your support of death squads and torture chambers all over the world, or your economic exploitation of Third World countries.  That's very interesting.  Thank you for a very different and original point of view.  Boy, corresponding with you is SO educational.

<<It's scum like you that benefit from American blood, sweat and tears. >>

Hey fuck you, asshole.  I know who the real scum is around here.

<<It's scum like you that try and tear us down because you don't have our freedom and opportunity.>>

Fuck you too, dipshit.  Your "freedom" is exemplified in your phony "election" where you get to choose between war in Iraq or war in Afghanistan.  Only somebody as terminally STUPID as yourself could even THINK of that as "freedom."

<<One little difference is if you want to go against your medical system you have to come here. >>

The rich could always buy themselves quality medical care anywhere and jump any line they didn't want to wait in.  Thanks for accommodating them.  Their fat asses won't jam up our system and they've got way too much money anyhow, which I'm sure you crooks and thieves will know how to relieve them of.

<<Don't sit there and lie to me that Canadians don't come here for medical treatment. >>

I didn't.  You're welcome to each and every one of them.    While they buy first-class treatment at the head of the line in YOUR country, 47 million of your own citizens can't even get basic health insurance.   And this is something you are BOASTING about?  You are a first-class fucking moron.  I really can't believe the stupidity I am encountering.

<<Your country has it's share of problems along with France, Germany & the rest of Europe.>>

Don't we all?  But I wouldn't trade ONE of our problems for ANY or ALL of yours.  And I don't feel the least bit sorry for you, either.  You dug yourselves into the mess you're in, and you did it by violating every principle of humanity, civilization, decency and basic fairness.  Whatever shit you are in now, you richly deserve.   THAT is where all your fucking hostility comes from - - you can't bear to face the fact that YOUR mess results from YOUR fucking stupidity and immorality and nobody else's.

You might want to get that anger problem looked into.

[Michael Tee]

<<You might want to get that anger problem looked into.>>

LOL.  Look who's talking.  And while you're at it, see if you can fix the stupidity thing as well.