June 30, 2004
GUEST BELI-BLOGGER FORD CHURCH: MEDIA AND SPIN
I try to tune in to the O'Reilly Factor, because I know that is where my parents get a lot of their news from and I want to stay in touch with what millions of Americans hear each week. I recently sent the following email to Bill OíReilly after he was criticizing the New York Times for promoting a liberal agenda. Here is what I had to say:
"The left complains that main stream media, such as the O'Reilly Factor, promotes a conservative agenda, and you complain that media outlets, such as CNN and the New York Times, promote a liberal agenda. See this crazy merry-go-round we are on? Solution: All media outlets should have a duty and a responsibility to be independent, present both sides of an issue, and let their audience exercise critical thinking to form their own views. Criticizing a liberal agenda to promoting a conservative one is exactly why the ëNo Spin Zoneí is just a farce."
I was also concerned about the Fox News claim that the Bush Administration never linked Saddam to Al-quaeda or the September 11th attacks. But this is not true. Bush's letter to Congress on March 18th, 2003 made a link to Iraq and September 11th and Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech stated Iraq was an ally to Al-Quaeda. Check out the following article on Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting.
I know politics is a heated arena, but do you think it is possible for media outlets to truly be independent without promoting their own spin or slant? I don't know.
Posted by Guest Beli-Blogger Ford Church at June 30, 2004 10:20 AM
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Only robots are capable of being truly independent.
I LOVE America! One thing I will tell you right
now...if anyone believes that we went to Afghanistan after 9-11 to build an oil pipeline, as Michael Moore firmly believes and states in his conspiracy movie, than that is scary enough!
Did you know that Michael Moore was and still is ADAMANTLY against the war in Afghanistan? Last I checked, Bin Laden literally declared war on America and Afghanistan was his base of operations under the Taliban. When war is declared on you, you don't take the position on appeasement. Remember a little thing called WWII? Europe's stated policy was that of "appeasement". That worked until Hitler took over England and France...and guess who had to bail them out?
Oil pipeline in Afghanistan? What are you guys, smoking crack? Tell the Afghan girl who is now in school that the war was unjustified. Tell the 9-11 families that the war was unjustified. Tell Hamid Karzai the war was unjustified.
You people need to to step out of Boulder and into something I like to call reality.
Good luck in November! You'll need it!
-The Silent Majority
Umm, Afghanistan? Oil Pipeline? Michael Moore? Unfortunately, you did not address anything I wrote about regarding the roll of media, spin, or the Iraq/Al-Quaeda/911 link.
-The "Silenced" Majority
NO claim was ever made that Iraq and Bin Laden colluded on 9-11. BUT there an undeniable link between the two parties dating back to 1990 when Bin Laden approched Iraq in order to collude against Saudi Arabia.
I challenge you to find a single direct statement from Bush OR the administration which says that Saddam and Bin Laden were partners specifically on 9-11. None exists because that was never stated.
Here's the article, ironically from the NY Times, regarding the link between Iraq and Bin Laden.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/25/politics/25TERR.html?hp
Where there is smoke...
Never mix politics with... anything.
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I think the person who posted as the "Silent" Majority should at least be brave enough to post his/her name. It's easy to make comments and place blame on the "people in Boulder" when you can hide behind anonymity.
Iím with you this is a crazy merry-ground, one side accuses the other side that they have an ěAgendaî but they also have there own agenda. They donít think it is an agenda because it is their own; itís always the other side that has an agenda.
I think that the conservatives are quite liberal with calling all the media liberal. WTIC the local radio station which I listen to at work. It has nine hours of conservative talk programs and three hours of liberal program. But, I constantly hear people calling in and saying that the station is a liberal just because they have one liberal program.
I think the media will go which ever way bring in the most advertising dollars. That they go by which ever market will attract the most revenue dollars
See "Manufacturing Consent" by Noam Chomsky.
No one I know thought Hussein was behind 911. Everyone I know knew Hussein was a threat to support, finance and supply WMD (a Clinton era term) to terrorists. Commission headlines were so blantantly destructive of the Bush administration that even Commission members protested days afterward. I don't particularly like O'Reilly, he's too self promoting and unpolished. But I do get my news from cable and the internet, not the mainstream networks. It will be an important debate in the future how to enjoy free press, but not be subjected to their mass opinion shaping bias. If we continue to sink into a populist tabloid mentality, we might reap what we sow.
I'd like to think it's possible that media can be independent, but then again, I'm often accused of having "Rose Tint" in my glasses.
Hey Brenda, my name is Dave Schwartz and I live in Boulder. The silent majority speaks with our vote, not our name.
Have a nice Independance Day and never forget how you got that independence...The Revolutionary War!
-Dave
An interesting read on the subject.
http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/welcome.asp
I question anyones integrity if and when you immediately start lashing out at towards someones thought as conspiracy. To discredit someones question or thought by labeling it a conspiracy is narrowly slightminded and proves you are unwilling to provide analytical thought of ones own. I am having a difficult time with someones willingness to acknowledge the American Revolution, acknowledge & realize why its so important to our heritage and the integrity of our nation, but yet it has nothing at all to do with the WAR we are currently involved with. However, The Revolution is what gave us the right to question our administration and their so called agendas. the Revolution gave us just what its called the right to revolt, the right to dissent and fortunatley the right to not be judged just because a person may question the norm or the superior masses.
with this siad I leave witha few quotes........
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
-Theodore Roosevelt"
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism
and exposing the country to danger.
It works the same in any country."
Hermann Goering, April 18, 1946
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