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Jamie Dupree

Media Bias From Both Sides

By
Jamie Dupree
@ April 18, 2008 12:00 AM
Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)
For most of my career, the main complaints about media bias have come from Republicans, who believe the media is made up of nothing more than a bunch of liberals who plot every single minute throughout the work day to undermine the GOP, the military and God-Fearing Americans in general.

But the internet has opened a window to a new voice that is convinced the Mainstream Media (MSM) is wickedly biased against them, that being Liberal Democrats and especially Barack Obama.

This week's Democratic debate in Philadelphia unleashed a storm of protest and criticism on liberal blogs like dailykos, where Obama supporters joined in denouncing the press in general and especially ABC News.

"Why does ABC hate America?" wrote Elmo, one of many who felt that questions were asked about issues that shouldn't matter - issues like Rev. Wright, the "bitter" episode, Obama's flag pin and more.

"I told them I thought that last night's debate was a new low in journalism," said BonzoDogBand.

"The ghosts of Joe McCarthy were onstage," wrote Ohiodem1.

"Three times in less than a month there have been attempts by our so-called press to smear Barack Obama in a guilt-by-association with others who the right wing have attempted to paint him as an America-hating leftist.'

Several posters called for a boycott of news organizations like ABC that many argue have been unfair to Obama and his presidential campaign.

"The first place where a real boycott would work for the progressive world would be the New York Times," added john from Vermont.

"At the beginning of the next great depression the media decides to quiz people about metal flag pins?" asked Seele.

"Flush ABC down the toilet.  TOTAL BOYCOTT FOREVER."

Under the headline "Ten Million Brains Damaged," TalkingPointsMemo relayed that the ABC "debate was the most watched of the entire campaign."

"ABC is almost as Republican friendly as FOX," complained JohnW1141 on TPM.

"George Stephanopolous is just another of many, many "liberals" in the Chris Matthews tradition, who dutifully do the heavy lifting for the Republican machinery," added Memekiller.

"Yellow Journalism," said workerbee.  "Call it what it is."

Over at firedoglake.com, the anger was just as palpable on media bias against the Democrats.

"I think both of our very good candidates have been treated unfairly by the media," wrote oldgold.  "Up until tonight, Clinton has been treated more harshly. Tonight the opposite was true and, frankly, Obama did not handle it well."

"The debate proves one thing," wrote Duane V at Atrios, "the media has an agenda and it's that of corporate America as a whole, namely, unending war for unending profit."

Team Obama didn't waste much time trying to capitalize on this kind of fervor, sending out a fund raising email from Campaign Manager David Plouffe.

"Did you see the debate last night?  If you did, you saw more gotcha politics and distractions than questions about the pressing issues affecting our country," wrote Plouffe, who charged that Hillary Clinton seemed to like the old style politics.

"You can send a message that politics doesn't have to be played this way."

Like I always say, media bias is in the eye of the beholder.

 

 

 

 



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What others are saying

  • ABC Defeatocrat "Debate"
    Didn't the headline "Ten Million Brains Damaged" have its word order scrambled? It should have read: "Ten Million Damaged Brains" in reference to Defeatocrat viewers.
  • Bias
    Thanks for quoting me. Although I disagree with the central premise here, which is that if both sides see bias, you've got the corner on truth, I wish the media would do more of this. The main reason "liberals" like George try so desperately hard to prove their conservative bonafides is because you are so terrified of being hippies. Trust me, you're not even close. I know a lot of hippies, and they pretty much all despise you people with a passion. Yet, a "liberal" has to prove they are objective by embracing right wing talking points. So, why has the MSM swept the very real disgust of non-Republicans about their reporting under the rug, when they could embrace it to demonstrate they aren't the "liberals" they work so hard to mock and trivialize?

    This desire to suck up to conservatives is so inbred that ABC devoted an entire Democratic Debate, for Democratic voters, with questions that make conservative assumptions, forward conservative concerns and reinforce conservative narratives. This was justified by "liberal" George because the Swiftboat smear job floated during his suck-up appearance on Sean Hannity is the question foremost on Democratic voters minds. If only the Democrats had listened to millionaire Hannity's show, then they would be in touch with their concerns. And, one assumes, they would have known to place flag lapel pins on their list of concerns, rather than the war, economy and environment.

    You can see this phenomenon most clearly in the "liberal" NYT's columnists, who have done more than any other editorial board to undermine progressives. Friedman has done more than anyone to mainstream blind support of Bush's war and sideline critics, Kristof, more than anyone outside of Broder, has worked to silence progressives and make small town folks synonomous with Republicans. The champion of intervening in Darfur has done more than anyone to legitimize torture by calling for calm when Abu Ghraib broke, and to stop a rush to judgement on Rumsfeld. Virtually every triviality used to paint the Democrats as "elitist" have come from Dowd to keep non-Republicans from crashing her country cub.

    So, you may want to simply dismiss all these concerns because Republicans have been playing you like a violin with baseless accusations of bias. Fine. It's better than the upside-down world we live in now, where it's taken for granted that the media who does everything to undermine progressives is liberal. It's progress.
  • Media Bias From Both Sides
    Interesting how the tides have changed. Were the depth of questions asked in the debate necessary? For those who vote according to one political side, no. No questions are ever necessary for those who have made up their mind. But, for those who feel that character and the ability to make good choices play an essential importance in the presidency these questions are necessary. Sure, they seem harsh, even divisive. On the main issues these two candidates hardly differ. You have to ask these questions to show their difference. You don't elect people who have ties to mob bosses or terrorists. Similarly, you don't elect people who have friendly relationships with America haters and those with a background of illegal activity. We tell our kids to make good choices. We tell them to choose their friends wisely. If you go into a corner store with your friend and he steals an item, you will be looked at as a thief, as well or possibly not welcome in the store ever again. Do you elect someone who creates a story for personal gain? What does it say about you when you talk to people and they walk away from it saying 'She may be exaggerating a bit' or 'She's only saying that to get attention'. Character is so important and cannot be overlooked. Hard questions over trivial points of interest are inevitable. If you can't eat the small fry, how are you supposed to handle the whole potato.
  • Media bias
    Just typical of the liberals who hate any kind of criticism
  • Media Bais
    Jaime -- Yes, there is bias on both sides of the spectrum, but on the right we say it's our bias, while the left continues to feign that theirs is strictly "objective" journalism. The debate's questions, however, had nothing to do with bias, they were just questions that Obama supporters don't want asked.
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