Media Matters

Proof That Media Matters Is Working

Posted by on June 24, 2009 at 10:33 am. 9 Comments :

For an organization that does nothing more than document the words and images disseminated by the press, Media Matters has accumulated some of the most odious critics and criticisms. And they wear it as a badge of honor, and an affirmation of their efforts to expose the dishonesty of the right-wing media.

Who would have thought that just playing back their own words would push these conservative ranters so far over the edge? Despite their complaints, Media Matters is meticulous about providing the full context of the comments featured on the web site.

If the characters featured in the video below object so much to their remarks being recorded and replayed, maybe they shouldn’t say such stupid and repulsive things. As professional communicators, they can hardly argue that they were taken advantage of.

The problem they face is that, prior to Media Matters, they had the luxury of being able to lie, insult, and threaten, their perceived enemies without consequence. Now they are confronted with their own bestial behavior, and they don’t like it much. All that is left for them is to viciously, and without foundation, attack the folks who are merely keeping the records.

Watch and cringe – and donate to help them continue this important work.

[Update:] Media Matters is now reporting that Michael Savage has threatened to retaliate against them by posting personal information, including photos and addresses, and urging his listeners to ….. well, he doesn’t say exactly what.

The Figment Of The Center-Right Imagi-Nation

Posted by on May 27, 2009 at 6:03 pm. 1 Comments :

Throughout much of last year’s presidential campaign, and right on through the first weeks of Barack Obama’s administration, the media has persistently peddled the falsehood that America is a center-right nation, politically and socially. Now Media Matters has published a study (full pdf here) that thoroughly debunks this notion, and they do it by using surveys and facts that realistically portray the ideological character of the country – something the media may want to check in to.

The Media Matters study is a comprehensive look at the American electorate. It covers virtually every one of the most debated subjects of public discourse: Size of government; health care; taxes; abortion; gay rights. It also examines the demographics of age, ethnicity, gender, and geography. And every case the evidence shows that America is a progressive, and yes, a center-left nation.

And nowhere is this more misunderstood than in the media:

  • Tom Brokaw (NBC): “This country, even with the election of Barack Obama last night, remains a very centered country, or maybe even center-right in a lot of places.”
  • Jon Meacham (Newsweek): “…insisted that to govern successfully, Obama had to become a center-right leader in order to match America’s ‘instinctively conservative’ streak.”
  • David Broder (Washington Post): “…warned that too many victorious Democrats in Congress had ‘ideas of their own about what should be done in energy, health care and education.'”
  • Karl Rove (Fox News): “Barack Obama understands this is a center-right country.”
  • Chris Wallace (Fox News): “You could make the argument that this is still a center-right country.”
  • Chris Matthews (MSNBC): “I’ve noted that we’re right of center except when we’re in a crisis, when we’re left of center.”
  • Bob Schieffer (CBS): “These Democrats that were elected last night are conservative Democrats.”

I’m not sure exactly why the press is so brain dead in this regard. It’s not as if the record isn’t crystal clear. Obama was portrayed by Republicans, and most of the press, as a liberal extremist – even as a Socialist, or worse. And yet, Obama won a decisive victory. Democrats have also been winning larger majorities in the Congress with each election cycle. And Obama’s approval rating have maintained stratospheric levels. The public supports the President’s policies even when they are told that it may increase their taxes.

At the other end of the scale, Republicans are descending into historical depths of disrepute. Their de facto leaders are universally despised figures like Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh. Their policies, I’m sure, would be rejected with equal disdain, if they were to articulate any. As it is, they just regurgitate the same old slogans they have been chanting for decades, and those are not particularly well received.

It will be interesting to see what it will take to get the media to recognize what the rest the country already knows. This is a nation that has had its fill of rightist greed and incompetence. We have ousted many of the representatives in public office who led the nation down a path of war and recession. While we can, and did, adjust the make up of our government to more closely reflect our values, it will not be as easy to fix the media. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

Confirmed: Fox News Is The PR Arm Of The Republican Party

Posted by on February 10, 2009 at 9:53 pm. 2 Comments :

As if it weren’t already abundantly clear, Fox News has generously demonstrated just how intertwined they are with the Republican Party. This item from Media Matters about the stimulus bill requires no further commentary from me:

Fox News / Republican PRIn tracking how and when the bill purportedly ‘grew,’ [Fox News host Jon] Scott referenced seven dates, as on-screen graphics cited various news sources from those time periods. However, all of the sources and cost figures Scott cited, as well as the accompanying on-screen text, were also contained in a February 10 press release issued by the Senate Republican Communications Center. One on-screen graphic during the segment even repeated a typo from the GOP document, further confirming that Scott was simply reading from a Republican press release.

Wow!

Update 02/11/09: Jon Scott issued an apology on today’s program. However, he only apologized for the typo. He didn’t say anything about the fact that the whole segment was him reading from a Republican press release and presenting it as if it were independently produced news.

Scott and Fox News actually seem to believe that the problem here is an incorrect date and not that a so-called news enterprise is acting as the broadcast press agency for Republican Party propaganda.

Double Wow!