CBS on the NYC protest. Color me surprised...

[LanternWaste]

Just watched CBS News segement on the NYC protests. Reporter was stressing the peaceful, civilized and positive manner of the protests. Interviews with protestors portrayed them as normal yet concerned American citizens. Reporting just over 100 arrests total. Segment seemed upbeat re: protests.

Camera shots of various locations within the blocks of protestors made it appear as if there was absolutely nothing wrong.

Camera focuses on one middle aged woman (50...55?) who could pass for my Aunt Cis... very low-key and grandmotherly looking standing app. six feet away from a counter-protester (he was a young, white male dressed in American flag T-Shirt). He was enraged and yelling "Four more years! Four more years...!". She simply looks at him and asks in an incredulous voice, "For more years of what...?"

Interviews a 40-ish white male. Clean cut in oxford style shirt. He is asked if the protests will have an affect on the undecided voters (question phrased as to make it sound like protestors are assumed to have a negative affect). He replies (with a smile of hope rather than cynicism), "I certainly hope so!"


HOLY CRAP!!! Another segment re: the candidate ads which showed the frmr. TX Lt. Gv. who assisted in getting * into the National Guard talking about just that! Didn't expect to see that.

[bushalert]

1. Great deal!!!!!

[cornfedyank]

2. ABC had a good piece on cholera in Iraq. 15,000 cases...n/t

[wryter2000]

6. Oh, God! Cholera?

Damn Bush!

[calimary]

3. Great report - about an evidently great report. Thanks!

I love that "four more years of WHAT?"

[salin]

4. CBS has had pretty good coverage for quite some time.

They broke the "Bush Knew" story back in the summer of 2002; In Sept of 2002 - before the IWR vote - 60 minutes ran a story about "selling the war" - debunking some of the claims (esp the aluminum tubes). If I have time to watch network news - CBS is the place I go. ABC can be pretty good - and I have avoided NBC for some time now.

[wildeyed]

5. wow.

So far so good. Hope this keeps up.

I don't trust these media types much anymore. As soon as something happens, they will try to blow it up and sensationalize it to enhance ratings. Here's hoping I am wrong.

[coalition_unwilling]

16. I have an even more cynical take on this

The corporate mass media lives and dies by its access to those in power. Thus, the corporate mass media can't afford to report anti-Bush sentiment accurately because, if Bush is elected\re-selected in Nov., those who have offended (a la Helen Thomas) will find their access curtailed.

Is that too cynical?

By the same token, the large numbers of demonstrators are having an impact, as corporate mass media lives and dies by ad revenue and can't afford to piss off such a demonstrable demographic, e.g., Moore's F9/11 having grossed over $130 million in domestic release so far.

The media, toadies to power that they are, have to tread a fine line, lest they be barred access to whomever gains power in Nov.

[wildeyed]

17. I think that is part of it, too. Boy they are so whipped these days.

They could all rise up together and say we aren't taking it anymore, regain some of their self respect. Seems like that has been happening sporadically already. Also, they must be aware that if Kerry wins, which is a strong possibility, access to the new administartion will be an issue.

People who own the media stand to gain hugely from a Bush win in November. Lots of money to be made by a very few. All they have to do is skew the coverage a la Swift Boat Liars, hand Georgie and Co a win. Makes me furious. The air wave belong to the people, not the corporations, dammit.

[coalition_unwilling]

18. "People who own the media stand to gain hugely from a Bush win"

Hmm, well maybe they gain in the short-term, but if a Bush win results in the continued growth of the anti-war\anti-imperialist movement, hard to see how they gain in the long term.

Helen Thomas, veteran UPI White House correspondent, has already begun the mainstream media revolt, calling Bush "the worst president in U.S. history." For that and similar tough comments, she's been banished to the back row of WH press conferences and had her traditional role of asking the first question summarily cancelled.

[wildeyed]

21. If Bush wins, the media owners will be allowed to continue to

consolidate there holdings within a single market. I don't think the dems will allow that.

If Bush wins and the media continues to be his lap dog, more and more people will do what you and I are doing, turning to the internet and other alternative news sources for info. But aside from that, I am not sure how the growth of the anti-war\anti-imperialist movement will hurt them. Just give them a new group to distort and demonize.

[coalition_unwilling]

23. You raise some good points

One thing I have been mulling is starting to organize boycotts of advertisers on media that are one-sided in favor of BushCo. Assuming the same # of people who have paid to see F9/11 were willing to boycott products of advertisers on Fox News, I could see a hurting being put on that media group's ad revenues, especially if those advertising were told they were now subject to a people's boycott.

However, that strategy right now is only being mulled upon by me, and it rest on some possibly questionable assumptions.

Would you (or anyone reading DU) care to comment? I'd love to hear it as it will help me refine my potential post-Nov strategy\tactics.

On edit: BTW, I work in advertising, so have that sort of mind-set, but am less strong on interaction between politics and advertising.

[wildeyed]

26. I don't know much about boycotts.

If it was well organized and seemed effective, I would take part. There are lots of places I won't shop b/c I dislike their politics.

There are probably many here he could give you better advice on how to get something like that off the ground.

[calimary]

24. I think this is spot-on - they're beginning to realize they better hedge

their bets. NO ONE could help noticing the sheer size of the crowds on 7th Avenue yesterday. NO ONE. That is a HUGE audience of clearly obvious liberals and progressives whose needs are not being met by the media. It's nice that, on the heels of the DU campaign, and others, I'm sure, to call and complain to CNN about its wrong-wing bias now have faces to go along with those complaints. LOTS of faces. LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of faces. Just like it was the pictures that made Abu Ghraib a story. The media has seen with its own eyes that we're not some small, laughable fringies or focus group. A single "line" of us in only one big city stretches from curb to curb, and back for about two miles. That's not penny-ante stuff.

Nor are the radio ratings.

There IS, after all, that story that indicates Clear Channel has been paying attention. They've announced they're CHANGING four of their stations to Air America. Their Portland, Oregon station went from 26th place in that market - to THIRD among the highly desired and lucrative adult 25-64 demo.

It's the NUMBERS, guys. Michael Moore has NUMBERS to show for his efforts. Air America has NUMBERS to show for its efforts. The anti-bush leagues have NUMBERS to show for their efforts. And the big networks and sponsors are starting to realize that they ignore those numbers at their peril. It'll be a difficult habit for them to break. They're SO used to slanting conservative by now, since that's all they've been doing for YEARS now.

[coalition_unwilling]

27. Thank you. I'd be interested in your take on my post #23

About possibilities\pitfalls of boycotts of RW\Repuke-oriented mass media.

[wryter2000]

7. CBS is the best of the big three

Very often worth watching. And think of how much fun 60 Minutes has been for Bush this year.

[bermudat]

12. CBS is the only network news I watch if any.

Get my news from the internet.

[aquart]

8. CBS looked for Republicans in ZABARS????

And noted that they didn't find any. LOL!

[pss]

9. As my friends and I marched...

... We chanted:

"Four more months! Four more months!"

[wryter2000]

14. Welcome to DU

I hope I'm not so late that you don't see this.

And thanks for marching!

[LanternWaste]

10. Forgot to add one more thing...

Forgot to add that the segment also did panning shots of the march and mentioned the amount of ppl (didn't hear figure) and that the march was OVER TWO MILES LONG!!!

Man, what I wouldn't give to be in NYC today....

[loathesomeshrub]

11. NBC too n/t

[lottie244]

13. CBS did the best job. I only watch CBS when I do watch network news.

It is an absolute outrage that FOX (unfair and unbalanced) whouldn't cover the protest.

[Emboldened Chimp]

15. Will there be more protests throughout the week?

[qwlauren35]

19. Here in Greensboro

my local paper gave the protests front page status, but the article didn't portray anyone as a lunatic. They simply reported the sheer size of the crowds.

Not sure how this will be viewed down here, but I sure am glad that the paper considered it newsworthy.

[ellie]

20. I watched the CBS

evening news last week one day and it was decidely pro-Kerry.

[VaYallaDawg]

22. Totally agree

Loved the "four more years" -- "of what" riposte. So glad somebody else caught that lady's quickness of thinking!!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

25. The CBS/NBC/ABC/PBS evening news broadcasts are good.

CBS is the best by far!!!

:kick: for Viacom!!!

[BobbyMiller]

28. Protest Video Online

Hello,

I was at the NYC Protest yesterday (9/29) and got a lot of footage, I put together a cut of the protests here:

http://riggedproductions.com/mov/nyc_protest_roughcut.mov

Please by all means get back to me with any critique on the video at [email protected]. I'll have a polished cut in a few days. A lot of interesting things to see in it. And I wanted to get it online ASAP as I feel the media really hasn't covered how big this thing really was.

Thanks,
Bobby