How can American’s make an informed decision about the Presidential Race when networks filter their messages?
It was suggested that I repost* this in Politics.
When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was addressing the convention Monday, drawing a contrast between Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly was in a booth far above the delegates interviewing a pollster. O’Reilly waved in the direction of Pelosi on stage with a dismissive hand.
“Now we have Nancy Pelosi bloviating, and I say that in an affectionate way, behind us,” O’Reilly said. “It doesn’t seem like the crowd is on the edge of their seats.”
Fox’s viewers weren’t allowed to judge for themselves. Same thing for CNN at the time, where Wolf Blitzer was holding court as Pelosi talked. Among the cable news networks, only MSNBC gave Pelosi’s speech any real attention.
Three hours later, as CNN analysts were wrapping up the night, several talked about the absence of “red meat” attacks on the Republicans. But Democratic activist Hillary Rosen noted that Pelosi was doing some of that — only CNN wasn’t really listening.
Katie Couric and Jeff Greenfield were talking on CBS when Craig Robinson was onstage talking about his sister, Michelle Obama. During a Jimmy Carter tribute, Fox aired clips of demonstrators outside the convention hall. Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill got little airtime.
“How can you cover a convention when you’re talking while the main speakers are speaking?” asked PBS anchor Jim Lehrer, whose network lingered more on the speakers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080826/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_tv_s_filter
PS - DNC coverage on Comedy Central in 10 minutes… why not? Can’t be any worse than watching FoxNews or CNN on this thing, at least it will be more entertaining no?
*previously posted here… http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080826174338AAMIoQR&r=w
Sorry… left out my opening comment to clarify my question and why I asked it…
Considering how important the race this year has been, how many hundreds of thousands of hours of press it has received, and how America is literally divided on what to do about the next Presidential Race and this year, American feeling more than ever how important it is to choose wisely, and how much we’ve been hearing about the DNC and GOP conventions. That people who are tuning in aren’t getting to hear the main speakers, instead, just being force to hear side news and commentators opinions, than later being told, the night was uninformative and weak.
1) Why is this important event we’ve been waiting all year for being filtered so much?
2) Since it is, how can the broad spectrum of Americans be expected to really learn what the two parties are saying and make a better decision who is better of the TWO?
3) Does anyone believe the same will happen with the next convention?
Thanks
btw, I just found this, this is great… Live Coverage via blog http://blog.indecision2008.com/2008/08/26/liveblog-democratic-national-convention-night-two/