Clinton and Media Bias

“Liberal Media Monopoly Is Histoire

May 2, 2003


Do you remember the name Peter Collins? He's the journalist who told how CNN forced him to tone down his stories in Iraq to keep favor with Saddam, and handed him Iraqi Information Ministry faxes to read as objective reporting. A BBC reporter ripped his own network on the air for doing this sort of thing .
Now Collins writes about Peter Jennings costing him his job at ABC, and forcing him to soften a piece on Nicaragua's brutal Sandinistas. CNSNews quotes Collins: "[I]n 1989 Jennings 'took a piece that I had written about the 10th anniversary of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and first asked his producer to correct it for me, and then he himself called me up in Managua and essentially dictated to me what I should say. Basically what Mr. Jennings wanted was for me to make a favorable pronouncement about the 10 years of the Sandinista revolution, and he called me up, and massaged my script in a way that I no longer recognized it.'"


We've all known about this bias for decades. (Bernie Goldberg started this current trend of whistleblowers.) What's noteworthy is that now we're hearing about it. The liberal press has lost its monopolistic control over information. There are wire services, websites, newspapers TV networks and radio shows willing to put out another point of view and challenge all the conventional wisdom. Collins sums it up best: "If it were not for Rush Limbaugh, the Washington Times and Fox News - those organizations, entities, have finally managed to break the dam. Ph.D. pieces could be written about this subject, dozens of them."


http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=\Nation\archive\200305\NAT20030501c.html



http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20030415-91009640.htm”

“Ha!”

“Yep, a couple of Dem's in training for sure! ;)”

“Or Independants, ;)”

“was that a political comment there SS?”

“The devil made me do it! ;)”

“::gasp:: and now a religious one!”

“Jeeze - maybe ped really is my troll.”

“I think I'll start a 'Dogs in the Backcountry' thread next. ;)”

“How about Dogs Between The Hedges?”

“I'm still laughing about how Fox tried to sue and attack Al Franken for hurting Bill ("Spin Free Zone") O'Reilly's feelings and exposing what a liar he was. Funny also how O'Reilly tried to spin it, and that since they couldn't risk calling Franken a liar in court (imagine the egg on their face if he won on the basis that he was telling the truth) they sued him for using their slogan.”

“Oh'Really helped him sell another million copies.”

“Rush was smart enought to ignore AF's earlier book.”

“I'm sure you saw clips of O'Reilly telling Franken to 'shut-up' at the the booksellers meeting back in May or June. They replayed the entire segment on C-SPAN the other day.

Amazing bit of television.”

“graham crackers”

“Ped, you idiot. The Fox suit was about copyright infringement. Not content.”

“Bacpac - the Fox suit legally hinged on copyright infringement, saying that Franken shouldn't have used the phrase "fair and balanced."

But can you honestly look at the complaint or Fox's action and say that it was really about people at Fox throwing a hissy fit over the content? If you've been paying attention, you'd have noticed what it was really all about.”

“If I were a conspiracy theorist I might draw that conclusion.

You are blinded by your own agenda.”

“Bacpac: Have you read any of the text of the suit? Do you know what it is?”

“From what I've seen and read, the suit doesn't stand a snowball's chance it was just a pacifier to throw to O'Reilly cuzz his feelings were hurt.

Ain't no big conspiracy theory here.

And by the way, I get paid to consult to lawyers about people's psychological reasons for suing. There are lots of people who file suit because someone pisses them off. Sometimes they just get mad and ask the lawyer to figure out if there is anything they can sue for.

Anyway - no powerful conspiracy here. I think Ailes and O'Reilly screwed up and are looking kind of pathetic for all who have eyes to see.”

“"Of course, it is ironic that a media company that should be fighting for the First Amendment is trying to undermine it."
-- Judge Denny Chin, moments before throwing out FOX News' laughable suit against Al Franken, Aug. 22, 2003”

“"In their suit, Fox’s lawyers describe Al Franken as shrill and unstable, a C-level commentator. "Moreover," they continue, "since [Al] Franken’s reputation as a political commentator is not of the same caliber as the stellar reputations of FNC’s on-air talent."

http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/03/52/books-schoenkopf.php”

“Anyhow - Fox dropped the suit after the judge said it as ""wholly without merit, both factually and legally."

So - they file a suit that is quickly dismissed and dropped as having no legitimate basis and you think they were acting just to defend a copyright? You really think I am an idiot and a conspiracy nut for suggesting that it had to do with feelings being hurt? People not liking to be called on their lies.

For an apolitical take on this see:

http://e3.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,12381,00.html”

“Ah, Yes! It would be The Very Same conservative standard bearers who incessantly complain about how Evil Trial Lawyers "increase the cost of business with nuisance suits". It was most entertaining to watch them get their ears pinned back in that fashion.”

“Al Franken is a funny guy. Normally comedians and actors in general turn me off with their feelings of expertise in political matters. In this case though, I find both Al Franken and Dennis Miller to be well read and funny at the same time.”

“Only an idiot could think that FAUX had somehow endorsed this book:


”

“That is the funniest book title, bar none. However, if Franken had worked the word "lie" into the title one more time, it would have really been classic.”

“Franken says that after the judge dismissed the lawsuit as "wholly without merit", maybe Fox should change their slogan to "wholly without merit"”

“Shouldn't FOX be prosecuted for misleading advertising by adopting "Fair and Balanced" as their slogan?

Where is the outrage?”

“Damn Ped, outstanding argument!”

“Thanks Geo!

Bacpac was quick to call me an idiot, twice, but has much slower to respond when I backed up what I said. (maybe he's had to send for a new pair of agenda blinders - so that he won't see my point).”

“Wynona's got herself a big brown beaver
and she shows it off to all her friends.
One day, you know, that beaver tried to leave her,
So she caged him up with cyclone fence.
Along came Lou with the old baboon
And said Recognize that smell?
Smells like seven layers,
That beaver eats Taco Bell.
Now Rex he was a Texan out of New Orleans
And he travelled with the carnival shows.
He ran bumper cars, sucked cheap cigars
And he candied up his nose.
He got wind of the big brown beaver
So he though he'd take himself a peek,
But the beaver was quick
And grabbed him by the kiwis.
Now he ain't pissed for a week.
(And a half!)
Now Wynona took her big brown beaver,
And she stuck him up in the air.
Said I sure do love this big brown beaver
And I wish I did have a pair.
Now the beaver onces slept for seven days
And it gave us all an awful fright.
So I tickled his chin and I gave him a pinch
And the bastard tried to bite me.
Wynona loved her big brown beaver
And she stroked him all the time.
She pricked her finger one day and it
Occurred to her she might have a porcupine.”

“Is Bacpac gonna dew a stratdood?


(errr... fascinating point Nigal)”

“Careful, Ped, he'll put you on ignore like he has me. Apparently, when his agenda is not sufficient to blind him from what you have to say, you get ignored.”

“PRIMUS! I hadn't noticed that, nigal. Cool stuff.”

“Yep.... Bacpac pulled a Stratdewd!”

“screw you ped....some of us have lives and don't check your liberal montra every 5 minutes....

al franken is not a satirist, which was his defence. i think fox's suit was stupid too . franken is nothing more than a democratic hack. what is truely noteworthy about all this is how the leftmedia cooed frankin and eagerly led him through his anti-conservative ramblings....i saw matt lower interview him and matt was drueling all over himself the whole time.


americans are idiots....jsut where the left wants them....”

“screw you ped....some of us have lives and don't check your liberal montra every 5 minutes....

al franken is not a satirist, which was his defence. i think fox's suit was stupid too . franken is nothing more than a democratic hack. what is truely noteworthy about all this is how the leftmedia cooed frankin and eagerly led him through his anti-conservative ramblings....i saw matt lower interview him and matt was drueling all over himself the whole time.


americans are idiots....just where the left wants them....”

“Strat: it took him minutes to come back and call me an idiot again - but when confronted with evidence he disappears.

You keep posting on the same thread, but ignore it when you are proven wrong.

You keep saying people who disagree with you are too emotional - but you have a hard time with facts, and find insults and cursing comes easy.”

“Alright - I have to admit, his failure to respond could mean he has only had time to look at a few threads. But, I think its within my perogative to keep floating this thread upward with the suggestion that he respond.

With you Strat there has been a huge pattern of butchering facts and then not retracting or backing your version up. With Bacpac I haven't seen such a pattern - so he does deserve the benefit of the doubt.”

“ped, like i said...i have a real life to live. if i don't post, it's not because you have proven me wrong(not that that's ever happened). it's because i'm at football practice or at work or jamming at blues night or any number of other things. i've wasted far too much time arguing with people on here who will never see things my way. don't make the mistake that i'm chicken to debate you or anybody about anything. i don't have time to check every thread. there's so many cotton picken JIHAD BUSH threads it's impossible to remember which ones i've posted on. perhaps, if i was like you and others and stayed on here all day and constantly checked all the threads i've posted on, it would please you more. it's not easy being the "token consrevative" here.

as far as hurling insults at you, i don't recall ever doing that. the only thing that hacks me off is misrepresenting me.....like calling me a racist or insinuating that you have proven me wrong and i ran away because of it. don't flatter yourself peddy.


now, if you care to comment on my observations about al frankin, perhaps we can have a real discussion......as long as my personal life doesn't interfear, of course”

“What you said about Franken is opinon and interpretation... so I can't say you are wrong.

When I get bugged by your mistating facts and then disappearing is when you post things that are flat out verifiably wrong and seem to ignore the evidence to the contrary while continuing in other arguments:

For example:

1) Spocks son committed suicide.
2) There was no budget surplus under Clinton.
3) WMD XYZ was found and confirmed in Iraq after the US went in.
4) Michigan University counted race more than academics.
5) The Wall Street journal led vote recount in Florida showed Bush got more votes than Gore.

All those things (and too many more to remember or recount) were just simply, verfiably wrong. The opinions these "facts" supported were interpretations and you are entitled to them. It's the falshoods that annoy me.”

“"americans are idiots....just where the left wants them...."

I don't know if I agree with all of that, but yes, most Americans are idiots IHMO, when it comes to understanding political issues and cultures outside of the US especially. A sheltered country we are... :-(”

“Sierra, I'd agree with that wholeheartedly. One really doesn't know anything about the world until he or she has been out of cocoon of American culture for a time.”

“Ah Phaedrus...we may disagree with many things on this board; but you saying that makes me tingle with happiness knowing that you understand and agree with probably THE most important cultural and political issue I occupy my thoughts with. I applaud you for NOT being one of the stubborn, sheltered "idiots".
Good on ya.”

“It is true that American's are often shockingly sheltered and provincial compared to other people with comparable education and literacy outside the US.

Nonetheless, I have also been astonished at how narrow the world view of educated people from other countries can be. Staying within a reality coccoon that validates your own perceptions isn't uniquely American - its human.

Of course - that doesn't excuse us from working to expand our perspective. (we should not let the motes in the eyes of others make us complacement about the beams in our own)”

“No doubt pedxing. Individuals from any country or culture are vulnerable as well, and they can be accused almost as easily as us of sheltered minded world views depending on the topic. I was simply stating that Americans as a whole tend to be more sheltered than most others in the world. As the number one world power I would venture to say that as Americans that tends to be a much more dangerous trait for us than for peoples of less powerful or influential countries. We are in the position where we should be more careful in what we do, say or think than any other country in the world.”

“You may be right that the most powerful and influential should be more careful. Sadly, it seems that people and nations always watch the more powerful with greater care.

In a wealthy house, the servants always seem to know more about the "masters" than the other way around.”

“OK back to Strat:

It's silly to say that Franken is not a satirist. He is a satirist. First time I ever saw him was on Saturday Night Live. He did lots of satirical skits in the 70s - for example, when he talked about the "Al Franken decade" (his take on the "me decade").

You may say he is a highly politicized and polemical satirist - but he is a satirist. He has been doing satire for decades. You can say he is a satirist and a democratic hack. But unless you have some special definition of a satirist, you are denying reality if you say he is not a satirist.

Secondly, its amazing that in his book which calls people liars, names names and lists the lies - that he got sued only for his copyright infringement. It just kinda cries out to me that no one could show he was wrong on the facts - that these folks were liars. Since they couldn't sue him for defemation without risking having a judge rule that Franken told the truth - they trumped up some other BS.”