My wife Richelle was keeping a watch on the news while I was at Temple University today, to see how things would be reported. She wrote an email to me summarizing her frustration. I told her I wanted to post it to my site, I think it’s a great piece of media criticism. So… after a few additions she wanted to make, here it goes:
John Kerry spoke in Philadelphia today and the only channels that showed it at all were CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNBC. You would think that kerry coming to Philadelphia would be news worthy to the local stations. No! Why is that? When the president is giving a speech it seems to be on all the stations.
CNN talked over the first 5-10 minutes of Kerry?s speech, about his speech, while he was giving his speech. The post commentary made sure to praise and endorse Bush and negatively criticize Kerry. The Fox News Channel (FNC) started showing it late. They then stopped showing it after a half hour to discuss Bush’s whereabouts. Then they showed a poll on who americans trust when it comes to terrorism. Two people then debated and discussed the speech, as if it was over. After the speech was really over they cut to “The War on Terror”. After that they showed another clip and an overview of the speech. They said “Kerry criticized the president”, “he was too negative”, and ?he was becoming
the gloom and doom candidate”. They went on to say “Kerry was trying to create sound bites” that he cannot backup. They created a few “sound bites” of their own. I?m sure we’ll be hearing them a lot the next couple weeks.MSNBC is the only station that showed the full speech from beginning to end. The post commentary was for Bush against Kerry. They said “Kerry’s words were a contradiction of his actions”.
CNBC only showed a clip of Kerry giving the speech while they read points from his speech then quickly moved on. They showed another clip again after speech. All their comments were negative and pro Bush.
Overall the four least reliable news sources today were the only ones who showed the speech. Then they all had negative post commentary. It seems to me they only ran the speech in the first place to be able to put a negative spin on it. Not one of them reported the speech or John Kerry’s views in an objective news worthy manor. They are all pro Bush. I am disgusted! I don’t understand why it is okay to put down Kerry’s views and not put down Bush’s actions. If they were equal in their negative criticism then it would be fair. I do realize if they did criticize Bush then there would be no news stations reporting on the election at all. Bush would have been impeached several times over for his horrendous actions as president.
After the speech they all reported that “The War on Terror is becoming a key issue in the election”. Also, that Bush will speak later today about the “tax cut”, “a victory for the bush administration”. What a bunch of crap. It is all a distraction from the reality of the Bush administration. It?s a smoke screen dummies!
There was a time when journalism had integrity and reported only the facts. Then you could make you own decision based solely on the facts. Today, they tell you what to think and believe. It must be true, it?s on television. They are the borg, resistance is futile. Bush supporters talk out the butts. They have no real evidence to back up anything good about Bush. They have plenty of evidence of his mistakes. But, we can?t talk about that. He is the president after all. Guess what?! This is America and questioning the president?s actions is our God given right and responsibility as Americans.
Just because we are at war while Bush is in the white house does not mean he should be reelected. His actions concerning and surrounding the war and everything that goes with it is why he should not be reelected. Do you know what is terrifying? Bush getting reelected!!!
Read a newspaper. It seems to be the only place left where there is still some journalistic integrity. Register to vote. Everyone has something to say but only half of them show up to back up their words in a voting booth. Get off the couch and turn off the dummy box.
My dear Karl, still amazed at the world of media after all these years?
There is a new and very powerful button on most television remotes. It’s called the mute button.
Watching CNN, MSNBC, FOXNEWS, CSPAN, and the like, is equivalent to watching “Clockwork Orange.”
All we need is someone to come sing: “Singing in the rain.” As we all slowly get kicked about the head and body.
TV is the fastest means of brainwashing. If you?re expecting fair and honest journalism, read a history book, oh wait that?s right, history is written by the winner.
The coverage of this election has become sickening at the least. The facts that aren’t being covered concern us all. Not just the 2% of the rich.
Every four years we hear the same bullshit. Usually in this order:
War on Peace
Health Care & Prescription Drugs
Tax Cuts/Jobs
Military Service (of ether person running)
911 (recent addition, used quite skillfully)
Social Security
(There are a few more but I’ll trumpcate for now)
Now, every 4 years, these few items get thrown around, and everyone gets excited thinking that xyz candidate will be the hero that saves us on all these issues.
The bottom line is that once they get in. The promises aren’t for you or I, or the many Americans that deserve better quality health care, or better schools for our children. The promises made to big business are the only priority.
Obviously you didn’t read the email I sent to you about the 2 draft bills that aren’t being talked about. That’s one of the dirty little secrets that is going to hit young people upside their heads like Mike Tyson. People 18-26 years of age are about to receive a brutal wake up call in short order.
The news when Bush comes to PA is all over. His recent visit was the 33rd. Do you know that each time he visits our state, our tax dollars are footing the bill?
If they want to talk about campaign finance reform, lets start right there and have anyone who is running for office pay for the security, and police overtime out of their own pockets, instead of out of our states budget.
If they want to talk about healthcare and medicine, ask the 44 million Americans without it how they feel.
If they want to talk about peace, then maybe we should get the hell out of everyone’s business and deal with our problems at home first.
While we spent 200+ BILLION (BN) over in Iraq, we have homeless people starving in our own country that should be taken care of first. We have neighborhoods that are falling down, parents with no food in their fridge to feed their children dinner. Homes where one or more of the family actually skips a meal so that someone else in his or her family can eat.
We have seniors that take a bus to Canada to get their prescriptions because they cost too much in America. And now that the government knows this is happening, it wants to make that illegal.
But wait, we must all talk about the spin on CNN, MSNBC, and the rest of them.
That is the head game. Keep people like you and the rest of us talking about how negative ads are being used. How Vietnam is almost as important an issue that our current war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Remember Karl, a lie told often enough becomes truth.
Hi, I didn’t see your email. Can you resend? I want to check that out.
BTW – the above posting text is Richelle’s. She’s spot on too.
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Bill: S89
S. 89
To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.
Bill: HR163
H. R. 163
To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes