Left-wing media activists often claim that media companies force their employees to tilt coverage rightward. Would such people voice concern when the opposite thing happens? Not likely.
That's why you probably won't see lefty bloggers and activists getting outraged over this Palm Beach Post story which claims that employees of the National Enquirer were instructed not to investigate Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primaries. Why? Because Clinton supporters own the paper's parent company:
Surprised that the Boca-based National Enquirer went all out to nail ex-presidential wannabe John Edwards?
Don't be.
The American Media Inc. tabloid first revealed during October's tough Democratic primary campaign that Edwards had an affair with campaign worker Rielle Hunter. At least two characters close to the company couldn't have been happier that the dirty laundry was being aired.
It so happens that both have ties to Hillary Clinton, who was then emerging as a front-runner, with Edwards close behind.
The first is Roger Altman. He's a New York businessman whose investment firm, Evercore Partners, poured $767 million into AMI in 1999. Until four years earlier, he had been assistant Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton. He also was an economic adviser on Hillary's presidential campaign.
The other: Ron Burkle, a Los Angeles grocery store mogul who's a major fund-raiser for the Clintons. Burkle's main gig last year: Trying to buy AMI.
Said a former Enquirer honcho who keeps in touch with the current staff: "All I know is that the troops at the Enquirer were instructed not to do any anti-Hillary Clinton stories during the campaign."
The tab's editor, David Perel, wouldn't comment on internal edicts and denied that the Enquirer was manipulated.
Hat tip: Jim Romenesko.
—Matthew Sheffield is the creator of NewsBusters and its Executive Editor.
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"Left-wing media activists
August 15, 2008 - 14:38 ET by Chris Norman"Left-wing media activists often claim that media companies force their employees to tilt coverage rightward"
I'm suspicious that any left wing activist actually believes any MSM coverage tilts right. This sounds like a red herring thrown up by them to dilute and obfuscate the conservatives fully justified contention that the MSM is overwhelmingly liberal and their coverage biased.
McNotObama '08
Which supports my theory on
August 15, 2008 - 14:53 ET by dscottWhich supports my theory on what's going on with the Edwards Story. The MSM attempted to foil a Clinton operative's plot to destroy her opponents. By refusing to acknowledge the NE exposing Edwards, the MSM was trying very hard to help Obama by diluting Clinton's strength at the polls and forcing her to waste resources on trying to knock off Edwards and Obama. Regardless if either group believed Edwards supporters would vote for their candidate, both the MSM and the Clintonites were engaged in a very sleazy game of manipulating the information to the public. This is why Bill Press started whining months ago about the MSM being selective in their coverage. It was all a very Machiavellian game.
To Dem and Repub alike: Don't let your decision in any way rest on what the MSM has said or not said, they are in the game of selling something which you should not be buying. Rest your decision on what the record says, it's all there on the internet, by all means go to sites sponsored by Planned Parenthood, NOW, and others. They will certainly be biased to their preferred candidate, however, if you already disagree with those groups, then their strong support of a certain candidate should tell you all you need to know who NOT to vote for.
I strongly recommend anyone who still needs to make up their minds got to sites like these:
http://www.acuratings.org/
http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm
http://www.adaction.org/pages/publications/voting-records.php
Do not allow anything the MSM says or covers up to influence your vote, they only want their candidate to win, not yours.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
Wow - what a day. More Clinton controls the media.
August 15, 2008 - 15:10 ET by Gary HallWow - what a day. More on how the Clinton's control the media - movie business.
The LA Times actually printed a story today on how the Clinton machine stopped "The Path to 9/11" from being released on DVD [to protect the Clinton's effort to get back in the white house.]
Would have been nice to see it on page A-1. (;~/ gary
And who does the LAT
August 15, 2008 - 15:22 ET by dscottAnd who does the LAT support to become POTUS?? And why do you suppose they waited all this time to expose the Clintons for their incompetence which led to 911???
Under whose watch did OBL conceive, plan, finance and train the highjackers for 911??? Did the much beloved by the world Clintons foster this pent up hatred of the US? Who was it who blocked info from ABLE DANGER to warn the US intelligence services? Did the Clintons warn W when he took office in Jan 2001 of the info from ABLE DANGER? What was in Sandy Berger's pants that he smuggled out of the National Archives?
I suggest this is a MSM ploy to derail the Clintons August Surprise at the Dem Convention. If the Clintons are discredited then the way is clear for Obama to get the nomination. This should be a hard choice for Democrats, an empty suit versus a dirty suit.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
Dan.. of course you're correct... and
August 15, 2008 - 15:31 ET by Gary HallDan.. of course you're correct... and they [the LA Times] are more than willing to shift gears and play this game any way it works out best - for them. Imagine, for a moment, that this little effort fails, and HRC somehow manages to get the VP spot on the Obama ticket. Suddenly, the ticket will become the dream team, in the eyes of the LA Times - and the rest of the MSM - and these little pieces of the horror of the Clinton machine will be forever pushed to the darkness of MSM censorshipville. (;~> gary
this is not a new
August 15, 2008 - 17:14 ET by docbgame with the clintons--they worked this with the Arkansas press in ''91/92...then the national through the Lewinsky impeachment and of course nationally during reelection...
There was an attempt to quell Drudge and certainly the WaPo was restricted...
This is the mildest of what they have done to get and maintain power...
WOW.
August 15, 2008 - 15:27 ET by c5thenI'm shocked and stunned.
Flaberghasted. Amazed even.
[the above said in a dead-pan monotone without emotion]
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Clinton Train
August 15, 2008 - 15:33 ET by JDW3 of the 4 convention nights could be dominated by Clinton storylines: A number approaching half of the delegates could cast a ballot for a candidate who isn't Obama
Delegates pledged to Sen Clinton rejoiced across the country
No news media. What will the show look like?
JDW
DAILY WAVE
JDW..it is going to be
August 15, 2008 - 22:11 ET by bigtimerJDW..it is going to be very interesting.
as far as Hill's hold and interest in the NE....heck I remember her meeting with top people who were connected back when Bill was going through his woes....of course when wasn't that...she did the same thing with other publications...I can see the guys face I want to mention, he is big in the business and an occasional talking head on various political shows too...she has worked on control of the msm of all venues for YEARS...
Of course this was way before I had ever heard of George Soros or Media Matters....that because they weren't anything quite yet ....
...nor did I have a PC and the internet wasn't what it is today...even close.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
National Enquirer Instructed
August 15, 2008 - 23:37 ET by BlazerNational Enquirer Instructed Not to Investigate Hillary Clinton?
Thats because Forty Marcy Park is allready full .
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
Hillary Uncensored
August 16, 2008 - 16:08 ET by BarrackDoesn't surprise me a bit..
Media didn't cover this either... Hillary's political future was dead to rights and no major media outlet covered the fact that her hand was caught in the cookie jar...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7007109937779036019
Already over 10 million people have seen that video...
www.benbarrack.com