Skipping Conservative Protests: Bad News, or Bad Newsmen?

To hear the establishment media tell it, the American public is unanimously against U.S. troops being in Iraq and the war against terror. We hear about every ragtag, fly-by-night anti-war group’s activities, no matter how small the turnout or ineffectual the impact.

Conversely, three Conservative activist groups unite to announce that they’ll converge on Washington, D.C., Sept. 22-23 to show their support for the war in Iraq and the soldiers fighting it, and it’s virtually impossible to find media coverage of the event.

A Nexis search shows not even one news item citing the groups’ "Support the Troops and their Mission Weekend,” and a Google news search yields only one listing, an article posted on CNSNews.com.

The weekend events begin one day after – and at the same location where – Cindy Sheehan’s anti-war protesters conclude a 17-day protest at the base of the Washington Monument called "Camp Democracy."

Naturally, Nexis and Google news searches provide more than 300 news items hyping Sheehan’s event - which drew fewer than 50 people to its opening ceremonies.

If this is typical of the establishment media’s determination to report only bad news, are they still in the business of reporting public opinion – or, are they now blatantly trying to shape it?