You Read It Here, First: Noteworthy Media Coverage of NewsBusters’ Item on Wisconsin Coverage Double Standard
Tuesday’s NewsBusters’ piece documenting the broadcast networks’ incredible double standard on protests — how reporters zeroed in on inflammatory signs to try and discredit the Tea Party while ignoring similar or worse signs at the left-wing union protests in Wisconsin — garnered national media attention.
On Tuesday evening, nationally-syndicated radio host Mark Levin cited the NewsBusters’ study as proving how the media “are a disgrace, absolute disgrace. You did everything you could to trash the Tea Party movement, and you do everything you can right now to protect the vulgarity and poison of the Left and the thugs in Madison, Wisconsin.” (Full transcript and audio link below.)
On Thursday night, during the “Grapevine” segment of FNC’s Special Report, anchor Bret Baier led off with our study (video and transcript below the fold):
Conservatives are alleging a double standard of media coverage of the labor protests. Signs have shown up in Wisconsin likening Republican Governor Scott Walker to Adolf Hitler and showing a target over his face with the slogan “Don't Retreat, Reload.” The Media Research Center analyzed all news stories on CBS, ABC and NBC from last Thursday to Monday. It found eight of the 53 stories on the Wisconsin protest showed one or more of the questionable signs, but none elicited a remark from network journalists. However, MRC points out, in past months Tea Party signs were repeatedly denounced by the networks as uncivil.
The study was also cited by onetime CBS correspondent Bernard Goldberg (now a frequent media critic) in his latest column, “The Lamestreams Strike Again — This Time in Madison,” and was published on the Wall Street Journal’s OpinionJournal.com page on Friday morning.
Towards the end of the first hour of his Tuesday radio program, Mark Levin used the NewsBusters’ study to tee up a segment on the national media’s “disgusting bias.” The audio is posted on MarkLevinShow.com (starts at 34:20); here’s the relevant transcript:
You know, over at NewsBusters, Rich Noyes points out the incredible media double standard, the incredible media double standard in the treatment of the NEA and the AFSCME and SEIU unions in Wisconsin, and the Tea Party rallies. And it is disgusting.
But it's also useful, because the people have turned on the statist media. That's what I called it in Liberty and Tyranny -- the statist media. The people have turned on them. They rate lower than proctologists -- and I have nothing against proctologists, as long as your hands are small.
But, that said, the bias is just stunning. The media in this country want massive big government. The media in this country want the massive big government to control competitive sources and outlets of information -- the Internet, talk radio, and so forth. The media in this country is part of this crony capitalist notion, where they're taken care of by the likes of John McCain and the late Russ Feingold -- late in terms of politics, of course -- who are just like incumbents -- they're protected, while the rest of us are the subject of endless torment.
The media are not interested, for the most part, in reporting information. Period. And, they get -- do you ever see them on these public television shows, or sometimes on C-SPAN, these old-timers talking about the new media: "There's no governors on them, there's no editors."
Oh, really? Well, you guys are a disgrace, absolute disgrace. You did everything you could to trash the Tea Party movement, and you do everything you can right now to protect the vulgarity and poison of the Left and the thugs in Madison, Wisconsin. How do you explain that?
Well, you don't care. You don't have to explain anything. That's why you're going down, too.
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Comments
Great Article in the WSJ
Submitted by GadsdenRattlers on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 12:52pm.
I made sure to forward the Wall Street Journal story to everyone I know on Facebook and Twitter.
Conservatives need to use these Social Networking outlets more to spread the messages that the Mainstream Media refuse to talk about. Sadly the Liberals are a few steps ahead of us on this.
Bernie Goldberg has been
Submitted by Walker01049 on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 12:55pm.
Bernie Goldberg has been writing and talking about media bias for many years. The media is addicted to their liberal bias and will never admit to it or change their ways to become more fair in their reporting. That's why I only watch FOX news anymore. I'm tired of the MSM lies and the way they cover for the Democrat lies.
Just more proof that the MSM
Submitted by Miss_Me_Yet on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 1:13pm.
Just more proof that the MSM operates, in it's entirety, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Obama regime.
While the president on down the liberal / democrat food chain unfairly distort the facts pertaining to the Governer of Wiscoson, the same way he and they have done in Arizona, for nothing more than political expediency / survival crosses the line of being criminal in my opinion.
What makes this current attack personally orchstrated by the president even more troubling, yet unreported anywhere, is the fact that the the president along with his solid majorities in both houses forced through ObamaCare against the will of the majority of American people, not to mention while totally removing, and lying about doing so, the Republican minority in both houses from any imput in the process what so ever.
Although the president personally lied concerning the Republicans, thereby the American people being deliberately excluded from any and all decisions, these lies where confirmed just recently, as it was revealed that the president refused to meet with minority leader McConnell for more than 18 months, while secretly meeting with General Electric CEO and corrupt union boss Dick Trumpka over 35 times each during this same time period in the Oval Office.
Obama then came before the American people to offer his corrupt two cents, followed by sending out his personal, at the taxpayer expense, goon squad around the country in an attempt to preserve his illegal quid pro quo agreement with the countries unions, of basically, you donate $400 million to my reelection campaign and vote for me in a block and I guarantee you a 5 times return in the form of pay, benefit and pension concessions, all on the backs of the American taxpayer.
Liberals ... we can't live with them, they couldn't survive without us ...
NewsBusters Rocks!
Submitted by Ashrak on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 1:36pm.
Media outlets, which I abso-smurfly consider NewsBusters to be one, are experiencing a tide change. Those who accept and address criticisms straightforwadly by demonstrating how they are correct or admitting how they were wrong, will continue to climb in stature. Those who continue the Old, aloof and elitist attitudes will continue to sink in theirs.
It is still true that folks want to hear what they want to hear. That hasn't changed. What it is they want to hear has changed. Folks are sick to death of being told to beleive things that they themselves can see are not true. Folks are tired of seeing the USA presented as responsible for everything bad in this world. They are fed up with being to told to ignore their lying eyes.
There is one bias most people are demanding from all media outlets today. A bias toward truth, whatever it actually is.
Keep up the good work on that front NewBusters' staff. You are setting the example of leading by example. That is exactly what the journalism profession needs these days and exactly what this country needs.
How about the lobbyists AWAY from the WH?
Submitted by Tomorama on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 1:40pm.
Must have missed that story anywhere else but Fox, meeting with lobbyists over and over in secret places so they don't have too sign into the WH guest book and Carney says that "this is the most transparent WH ever"............
I watch CNN and MessNBC sometimes and it is noticable on their supposed news segments that the slant always begins from the left and stays there.
I was watching at 10:00 this morning (when Fox goes to the business block...) and the usual woman was not on MessNBC but a dull but cute replacement...
She had a Republican from Wisconsin who she was harrasing by repeatedly asking "so there is no compromise o the bill" when he STATED at least three times that the ORIGINAL BILL was compromised on already and they need to come home and vote on it
She is also using the leftist lie that it will take away all barganing rights, and this only removes some and it is in line with what OTHER GOVERNMENT WORKERS GET NOW.
THEY NEED TO PUSH THIS FACT OUT OVER AND OVER on FOX and EVERYWHERE ELSE.
Again the parrot with the pretty smile just didn't get it OR she is just pretty and reading the talking points she was told and when he answers SHE HAD NOTHING ELSE but to rinse, lather and repeat.....
I notice in the old media
Submitted by Joe C Camel on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 5:15pm.
I notice in the old media they may not "lie" persay, but just flat out not tell you the crust of the argument. More times than not, you don't get the facts, just the prescribed talking points. Been going on much too long. That is the reason I don't watch broadcast TV these days, or other outlets other than FOX. From them, at least I hear the items that have been glossed over by others, then, I can go look up the facts for myself.
If it were not for the web, one would never know what is going on in the world, other than the sanitized fluff they want you to know about.
the media has become too subservient
Submitted by hayate1 on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 10:23pm.
to the powers that be. The so called liberal media glosses over things they consider to be concocted propaganda. this surely can be called a lie of omission, but Fox news! They don't even bother with pretense or omission. they just make stuff up. they lie and misrepresent constantly and there are plenty of instances pointed out and memos from top execs telling the 'journalists' how to spin things , what to say, what not to say and what to make up.
"Facts are not decided by how many people believe them. Truth is not determined by how loudly it is shouted."
.......wanna cracker?
Submitted by Miss_Me_Yet on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 10:30pm.
.......wanna cracker?
Liberals ... we can't live with them, they couldn't survive without us ...
Job Well Done
Submitted by brerol on Sat, 02/26/2011 - 5:35pm.
Excellent work by MRC
Wow, that is amazing....
Submitted by bsny on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 1:22am.
that the Mediocre One and Fox News cited Newsbusters. That's almost as noteworthy as Olbermann citing Media Matters. Give yourself a big pat on the back for that coup!
Wow, that is amazing...
Submitted by bretzysdude on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 8:22am.
that you made that comment when no one else was around, shortly after midnight on Sunday. That's about the same thing as someone who has no social life or had to be heavily influenced on drugs. Have someone give you a big kick in the balls for that @sshat comment!
While everyone, hayate, is entitled to---
Submitted by matthewdean on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 8:35pm.
an opinion; you are really, really out there in la-la land with your supposed stream of consciousness revelations.
Since there are, according to you, "Plenty of instances pointed out and memos from top execs telling the 'journalists" how to spin things, what to say, what not to say and what to make up", do you have any specific examples of memos from top execs at FOX telling the "journalists" (quotation marks yours) what to make up?
I thought not.
You are a bold faced, suck wad, liberal troll prevaricator.
Hell, you even make bsny look half-assed normal.
edit to correct typo
Where to start?
Submitted by MacWell on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 10:23am.
The first time I logged onto the W.W.W. in, about 94/95, and saw the potential, I knew that it would change the world forever. It has, of course, changed the world. Just as America loving people can put up sites to extol the virtues of the freedoms we enjoy here, Islamic wackos can, as well. There comes the rub. It's been said that with freedom comes responsibility, and I agree with that. Too many times we see the new generations come up with some rehashed Marxist, Leninist, mantra just in time for them to exorcize their right to vote. Why do you think that is? I believe it starts in our schools. Why do you think that so many college professors promote, or at least entertain the virtues of communism?, could it be that they're paid shills? While I don't believe in censorship, in any form, it would appear that the abject failures of that form of governance aren't stressed. Why are only the virtues of these men touted? Do we really think that our young minds full of mush,(to quote the MAN), would be wearing Che' tee shirts, if they were taught the real history of Che'? Or mao? Or Stalin? Or Fidel? These same kids, are taught that guns are evil, the man is really out to get you, and you should do all you can for, Here it comes, " World Peace". I can't believe that our youth cannot connect the dots. They cannot be fooled that easily. Back to the beginning. These young people, our young patriots, are the ones talking to their counterparts in other countries. I'm sure they're asked to describe everyday life to each other. Now I ask you, do you think our young people are going to decide to stop living as they do and return to life 1500 years ago? I don't think. I do believe the internet, given the chance, will convince many many people the world over, that our form of government, and our freedoms are what they should strive for, not the other way around.