media bias – Page 2 – charles' log

In an earlier post, I referenced the Sinclair Lewis novel: “It Can’t Happen Here”, – see wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Can%27t_Happen_Here.

In 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004, the persons who became President had the interests of the wealthiest Americans – not the majority – as an agenda, supported by three major theories: the anti-middle class supply side economics; the anti-welfare system illegitmacy epidemic; and the anti-public education suppossed crisis in public education – all have turned out to have been hoaxes . (“Up From Conservatism”, by Michael Lind). It should be emphasized that during the brief respite of the Clinton administration – in which taxes were raised slightly on the highest incomes, and 21 million new jobs were created – those positive results were not in the headlines.

1980 might be excused, as it was not then completely clear what the agenda would be, but the rest cannot . As to the issue of the honesty of the 2000 and 2004 elections, at least 53-57% of voters should have rejected the Republican candidate, which would have made the election very difficult to steal.

The untruths propogated by the Bush 43 administration to justify the invasion of Iraq are another example of mass deception, as was the attempt to destroy Social Security, which failed, and the near criminalization of popular issues, such as access to safe, legal abortions.

How have the wealthiest several percent succeeded in controlling the vast majority?

o By clever framing of the issues, e.g. ‘pro-life’, ‘war on terror’

o By the creation of an enemy – ‘terrorists’

o By getting out their voters with wedge issues (abortion, race)

o With the help of a supportive corporate media

How did we turn the tide in 2008?

o The neocons helped us by hurting the economy and the infrastructue, and their pursuit of the troubled adventure in Iraq

o We choose a charismatic, intelligent, empathetic candidate with wide appeal, who overcame a non-traditional background to get more votes than any other candidate in US history.

o We identified concerns of the majority, and got them out to vote

How can we avoid future disasters?

o Remain vigilant

o Reveal history

o Resolve the problems which are the most important to the greatest number of people

o Reject the false messages of biased media sources.

From Huffpost (thanks to Jeff Coryell)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/24/self-censoring-journalist_n_169643.html

“The three major broadcast networks favored Republicans in elections from 1992 to 2004, according to a study that analyzed presidential campaign coverage.

That effect was largely due to journalists censoring their own reporting out of frustration at being accused of a liberal bias, according to Maria Elizabath Grabe, associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications at Indiana University College Of Arts and Sciences, who co-authored “Image Bite Politics: News And The Visual Framing Of Elections” (Oxford University Press) with fellow academic Erik Bucy.

Grabe and Bucy examined 62 hours of network news coverage – 178 newscasts – between Labor Day and Election Day over four elections and examined the visual coverage, including such package techniques as the “lip-flap shot – when a reporter’s voice is heard over video of the candidate, which tends to be unflattering for that candidate.

They also examined the “Goldilocks effect” – which party gets the last say in a piece and is better remembered by viewers.

According to their research, Democrats were more likely to be the subject of the unflattering “lip-flap” effect while GOP candidates had the last say in every election but 2004. In 1996, Republicans got the final say eight times as many times as Democrats.”

In my words: what we felt was indeed, what was happening.

Tag: media bias

It Has happened here…

GOP Bias in the Three Major Networks 1992-2004