For WashPost, right-wing protesters are Page One news; in 2002 liberal war protesters were not

[babylonsister]

http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909130006


For WashPost, right-wing protesters are Page One news; in 2002 liberal war protesters were not

September 13, 2009 11:04 am ET by Eric Boehlert


Behold the media's glaring double standard. Today, the Post puts the "tens of thousands" of Obama-hating tea bagger protesters on A1; makes it the lead story as a matter of fact.

Back in 2002, when more than 100,000 anti-war protesters gathered in the nation's capitol to protest the Bush administration, the same WashPost did its best to ignore them:

The Washington Post put the story not on the front page, but in the Metro section with, as the paper's ombudsman later lamented, "a couple of ho-hum photographs that captured the protest's fringe elements."

This simply proves again that when right-wing (and mostly white) conservatives get angry, it's big news. When liberals get angry, it's just annoying.

UPDATED: Credit goes to the NYT for being consistent. In 2002, the newspaper kept its article about the massive anti-war rally off Page One. Today, it kept its article about the much smaller 9/12 rally off Page One.

[stray cat]

1. I wonder if liberals are too much like the boy who cried wolf

we always are angry and protesting

[babylonsister]

2. Iraq? We had good reason to protest. These clowns don't. nt

[Centrist_Bob]

3. I attended rallies for both

The 2nd Gulf War, and yesterday for 9/12. At the time, I saw a huge amount of coverage about anti-war protesters, and actually very little about the events yesterday, and saw THEM characterized as "the fringe".

[babylonsister]

5. Then you must have gotten your info from sources other than what

I'm familiar with. I went to one of those DC protests, and hardly anyone covered it.

Hope you had fun yesterday.

[prolesunited]

6. You are the FRINGE!

Deal with it.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Were you attending a rally in support of invading Iraq by chance?

I am guessing Porta-Potty patrol?

Don

[maryellen99]

9. you need to go back to Free Republic nt

[Overseas]

4. K&R

More proof of the success of the hard right in pushing our national dialogue to the right and dominating our mass media.

Details on many of the techniques used to move our country to the right can be found in "What Liberal Media?" by Eric Alterman www.whatliberalmedia.com

The fact that the summer of 09 town hall storming was widely reported as "genuine grass roots" sentiment instead of airing more in-depth investigations of how much of that sentiment was ginned up with the support of corporate cash funneled through right wing PR firms is still more evidence of right wing dominance of our broadcast media.

Continuing to give serious news chat time to GOP leaders determined to obstruct any real healthcare reform as a political tactic to undermine the Democratic President, without regard for the millions suffering without insurance and the millions more who have gone bankrupt paying for medical bills, is still more evidence of that move to the right.

[krister]

7. The WaPo's liberal bias forced them to bury that news because the rabid anti-war protesters

embarrassed the other liberals. You know, they were just trying to save face for their own good.

[n2doc]

10. And this surprises you?

The WaPO is a RW rag. It has proved it time and again. It really isn't much different that a Murdoch, rag, or Politico, and one step removed from Drudge or Faux.

[grok]

11. liberal/progressive demonstrations/protests are a dime a dozen

Far from meaningless, but the media/public have gotten used to it since there have been so many. Perhaps part of the normal political background noise the public can easily learn to ignore?

This is NEW coming from the right, ergo "newsworthy".

Does size matter? of course it does. It is correct to point out that our protests are generally larger. MUCH in fact. It also matters how you use it and when.

Will they be encouraged to be with people that think the same? will they no longer feel alone in the wilderness? will they connect/pool together their resources and do better next time? Will they learn from their experiences and ours(which are heavily documented on the net)? Will REAL leadership emerge?

Will there be synergy?


Remember, this is a the mere genesis of a movement started in august/july. To quickly go from a few people at a couple townhall protests to this is nothing to be sneezed at.

[UpInArms]

12. Whoreshington Post didn't put any of these on the front page

Over 200,000 protesters marched in San Francisco on Sunday, February 16, 2003


Tens of thousands of flag-waving, whistle-blowing protesters march through the streets of Florence, November 9, 2002 to denounce a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq. More than half a million anti-war protesters from across Europe marched through this Italian Renaissance city in a loud and colorful demonstration denouncing any possible U.S. attack on Iraq. (Andrea Comas/Reuters)


An estimated crowd of 500,000 marched in Washington DC on January 18, 2003 (ANSWER photo).


NYC Police Attack Anti-War Protestors. 311 Arrested, Many Hospitalized, 2/15/03

[fasttense]

13. I went to 3 protests during the bush regime.

None of them had more than 3 minute coverage on TV. And none had write ups in the newspapers not even the one in DC.

No, the right wing media controls all of the major outlets and though the majority of Americans are in favor of most progressive policies, we have a very small voice in the current American corporate media monopoly.

[Mari333]

14. ditto same here