Jeff Cohen, Ex-Senior Producer "Donahue" Re: 2004 Election & Media Slant..

[BlueCaliDem]

For those DUers who still can't understand that it's no unsubstantiated credo from the left that Bush's win is a result of Republican owned-and operated broadcast media, here an article to help us understand just why the Brits have asked "How can 59 million Americans Be So DUMB?".

This article is by an insider, and all you have to do is watch any of the stations to realize, we all, including those poor ill-informed Bush supporters, are being brainwashed by right-wingers.

When we look at the media's role in the 2004 election, we make a mistake to focus on election coverage per se. The basis for Bush's victory was in place way before 2004. At the end of last year, a huge study done by the University of Maryland's PIPA, the Program on International Policy Attitudes, found that most of those who got their news from the commercial TV networks held at least 1 of 3 fundamental "misperceptions" about the war in Iraq (and some held 2 or 3 of them):

-- that Iraq had been directly linked to 9/11
-- that WMDs had been found in Iraq
-- that world opinion supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Viewers of Fox News, where I worked for years, were the most misled. But strong majorities of CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN viewers were also confused on at least one of these points. Among those informed on all 3 questions, only 23 percent supported Bush's war.

How can you have a meaningful election in a country where, according to polls, half or more of the American people don't know who attacked us on 9/11? They think Saddam Hussein was involved.

http://www.ilcaonline.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1041&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

[dennis4868]

1. Yep.....

This election was about: = facts being irrelevant (thanks media) = uninformed electorate (thanks media) = BUSH WIN :-(

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Here's the latest PIPA study, fascinating reading.

Anyone remember dem_strategist's comment that we are not fighting Bush or the Republicans, we're fighting the MEDIA????

http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Pres_Election_04/html/new_10_21_04.html

[pretzel4gore]

8. the men who control the media

those criminal bastards are quick to hide behind the 'free press' whenever anyone attacks the media....back in 60's when the term 'media' became popular, several long running debates about how to separate the individuals who decided how to play a story, which all news is, from the institution, or the press, itself, and as you can see it's very easy to throw out the baby (news reportage) with the bathwater, the mediawhores (like les 'wolfie' blitzer of cnn, or brite hum of foxnews, or rush limble of the kakaka, who're always pushing the idea 'greedy bullies are angels of heaven' etc...)

[dogtag]

3. It might have been helpful if the media, in particular the networks,

had pointed out that both Cheney and Bush kept saying that there was a link between Saddam and 9/11 long after evidence to the contrary had been published widely. They should have shouted out that they were LYING!!!! It was their duty, but they aired the sound bites without commentary. If mainstream media had done their job, it would at least have been a counter to the right wing gang.

The repukes found out in the 2004 election, if they didn't already know in 2000, that the mainstream media won't challenge outright lies as long as they come out of Republican mouths.

[anamandujano]

4. They still lost,

but they had the machines as backup.

The repukes own the media and the voting machines. They like to have all their bases covered.

[intelle]

5. This is so true

And, it isn't just ill-informed, unintelligent Americans who believed this garbage.

I spoke to several people at work about how ludicrous the Iraq war was (and is), and, one co-worker in particular, highly intelligent and seemingly informed, stated unequivocally that there was a connection between Hussein and Al Qaeda. He said that "you can't really expect me to believe the left-leaning media, now can you?".

Huh?

You can't even argue with people like that because they have an answer for every argument.

I live for the day when all is exposed, and those of us who know the truth are vindicated.

[greenman3610]

6. the answer is

that the President, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, and Condi Rice
have also been completely clear that there is no known connection.

Tell your intelligent friend to do his reading or shut the fuck up.

[pacalo]

7. I am seriously, seriously done with network news, cable news...

except for Keith Olbermann...& I'm going to continue getting my news from independent news sources on the internet.

One exception: PBS. I watched "NOW" last night about Condi Rice, the American Indian casino scandal (they were taken advantage of mafia-strongarm-style by a lobbyist connected to Tom DeLay), & appropriately ending with a segment about Tom DeLay. The information was relayed to the viewer as if the viewer had no prior information about the subject, easy for an elementary student to follow. I haven't been a regular viewer of NOW before last night, but I plan to watch from now on.

And I'll continue to read my FAIR mailings, as Jeff Cohen recommended. He seems to think the progressives are making some headway into preventing the corporate media's disinformation campaign.