John Hinderaker at Powerline has an item about how CNBC and MSNBC are refusing to sell ad time to a group called Freedom Watch which is supportive of winning the war in Iraq:
We wrote here about the television commercials that Freedom's Watch has produced, featuring veterans and their families, that urge Congress and the public to continue supporting the Iraq war. The commercials are well done, and convey the simple message that the Iraq war is important and winnable, and that we should allow our troops to see the mission through. The ads are appearing in the context of a blizzard of anti-war ads by left-wing groups, intended to pressure Senators and Congressmen into pulling the plug on the Iraq effort.
Freedom's Watch has placed its ads on Fox and CNN, but CNBC and MSNBC have refused to run the ads. Ari Fleischer wrote this morning on behalf of Freedom's Watch to let us know that CNBC and MSNBC have stubbornly refused to air the pro-war ads, even though they have run issue ads on other controversial topics. Freedom's Watch has written to CNBC and MSNBC to protest their decision; here is the text of that letter...
You can see one of the Freedom's Watch ads at the bottom of this post.
Running issue ads should be a no-brainer for news channels, whose obsessive viewers include policy makers, politicians, and politically active news junkies. Plus no one should reasonably expect that selling the ad time necessarily communicates a bias on an issue in news coverage one way or the other.
We'll keep an eye out for how this matter evolves.
Check out Hinderaker's August 28 post for the text of the letter.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Makes one wonder if back
August 28, 2007 - 17:10 ET by BDMakes one wonder if back during WWII they also would have turned down "Victory at Sea", "Why We Fight" or even the classic John Huston documentary "The Battle for San Pietro."
I am sure they would have run the various Leni Reifenstahl films running down the US, but John Huston? No way....
B-O-Y-C-O-T-T. If that's the
August 28, 2007 - 20:24 ET by Senior ChiefB-O-Y-C-O-T-T. If that's the way they do business, Fine. NBC, CNBC & MSNBC channels are no longer welcome at our household. Good for them...and for my family!
Wow, that add hits home.
August 28, 2007 - 20:33 ET by USA4freedomWow, that add hits home. Good job.
And God bless the soldier.
I’m with you Chief, my only problem is I hardly ever watch
those POS channels.
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagan- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
Fox News runs the ads
August 28, 2007 - 21:21 ET by ThisnThatI say one of the ads on Fox News 10 minutes ago. Then I saw this NB post. Good for Fox News. Once again, showing leadership and gaining audience.
And I tell you what, folks -- I wasn't offended at all by the ad. I didn't call for a fatwa. I didn't try to behead anyone tonight. I didn't feel the need to complain to CAIR. And I certainly didn't call anyone and claim that I was a victim. I know, I know, I should feel ashamed, since I'm not acting like the typical American that MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, and others portrays and tries to control.
___________________________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
CNN scores points
August 28, 2007 - 21:40 ET by HeikiAs much as it pains me to say it, it is laudable that CNN actually aired them, per Ken's comments above.
Suppress Speech
August 28, 2007 - 22:43 ET by PawpawNPosted this earlier on OPEN THREAD:
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS/SUPPRESSED SPEECHAugust 28, 2007 - 19:11 ET — PawpawN
Seems MSM wants to suppress FREE SPEECH. Seems very double standard here!! What gives!! Everyone needs to write (PS)MSNBC & (D)CNBC about this! http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2007/08/018302.php
Faulty link
August 29, 2007 - 01:03 ET by nofatePpN: The link, FREEDOM OF THE PRESS/SUPPRESSED SPEECH, was not working when I tried it. FYI.
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
Just more reasons why I
August 29, 2007 - 01:06 ET by nofateJust more reasons why I rarely watch those channels. My time is better spent on Fox where I can see both sides of a debate with true partisan democrats participating, not tokens, even though the dems usually make me so mad I could throw things if I weren't a rational, thinking individual :-).
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
So true about Fox
August 29, 2007 - 06:38 ET by Heikinofate:
That's what never ceases to blow my mind about the balance to be found at FNC. The liberals that visit aren't a bunch of Kos-type nutjobs, by and large. They (FNC) consistently host liberals of the most (for their side) cogent, thoughtful type on their programs and let things shake out as they will. The fact that the Left has a tendency to appear weaker and in most exchanges the losers says more about the weakness of liberal ideology than it does about any of the Left's perceived leanings on the part of Fox. Yeah, sure; FNC has been tending more toward more tabloid-like content in their broadcasts of late, but I still trust them more than any other large-audience newscast to present both sides of an argument, when hot topics of a political bent are aired. ''We report, you decide.'' Spot-On slogan.
"We report, you decide."
August 29, 2007 - 11:13 ET by nofateHeiki: absolutely. My wife is a true Fox fan, but at times they drive me nuts, i.e. Greta, Geraldo the illegal immigration+Clinton advocate, and their tenacity in grinding every media story into the ground until the next one comes along. Arrggh!! And O'Reilly, who makes libs bats, does the same with me on some of the positions he takes. He lost me when he had that interview with Michael Moore at the dem convention several years ago, and his resignation that the recent stealth immigration bill was a "done deal", just solidified my "caution" impression of him. But there is certainly no shortage of liberals there. I think that what drives the libs so crazy that the nutroots can force their political candidates off of already scheduled debates(!), is that Fox, unlike any other visual medium, offers the conservative point of view!! And that, to them is blasphemy, as that is out of the mainstream, bigoted, homophobic, etc. For example the total lack of acknowledgement of the illegal status of people who come over the border illegally! Amazing; what is it about the word "illegal" that ya'll don't understand? If you go to CNN, etc., you do not get the constant prsentation of the opposing opinion; as a matter of fact, all I've ever heard is how "objective" they are(!), an illusion they still seem to actually believe. That is how you get Bill Moyers and Dan Rather, etc. meltdowns, with their compadres then rushing to their defense.
Yokohama, huh? Fox is there? Having never been out of the U.S., I find that impressive(whereas you prbably find it mundane).
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
a fine example of nonbias fair & balanced reporting
August 29, 2007 - 07:58 ET by lunaticcringeradioremember it's a template the news follows, only air material supportive of liberals and damaging to conservatives. the last thing they want to do is broadcast anything that might not fall in lock step with the liberal agenda. god forbid they would offer an openminded and tollerant to different views piece.
remember a liberal is the first one to tell you how tollerant, understanding, caring, and openminded they are..............until you disagree with one of them.
Nobody watches your stupid
August 29, 2007 - 08:24 ET by fosstenNobody watches your stupid channels anyway. No big deal.
Definition of a bigot: Anyone who disagrees with a liberal.
War ads just seem so wrong.
August 29, 2007 - 20:01 ET by Night WatchmanWar ads just seem so wrong.
You're right, NW
August 29, 2007 - 20:06 ET by RJIsn't it a shame that the media and the Democrats have campaigned so endlessly for the U.S. to fail in Iraq that it has resulted in the need to balance their lies and misinformation with "war ads?"