Globe and Mail: "Are the U.S. airwaves about to lean to the left?"

[Newsjock]

Globe and Mail

A good, long overview article that, while not saying anything we here don't already know, ties together a lot of things about what's wrong with U.S. media.

By SIMON HOUPT
From Saturday's Globe and Mail

NEW YORK — Last month, as U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney came under attack from Democrats over his former company Halliburton Co. landing no-bid government contracts to rebuild Iraq, Rupert Murdoch came to his rescue. Well, not Murdoch exactly. Just a few of his loyal employees at the Fox News Channel.

During a report on the controversy, the business correspondent Terry Keenan soothed her viewers by explaining, "Halliburton is getting a bunch of these contracts, probably about $2-billion worth so far in Iraq. But, you know, it is in the oil-services business and that's a big part of what we're doing in rebuilding Iraq, is trying to fix the oil fields and the oil pipelines." The program's anchor John Gibson nodded. "The thing that I don't understand about all the screaming about the Halliburton contract," he replied, picking up her thread, "is my understanding is there really aren't American competitors on Halliburton's level."

There were no discussions about whether Cheney might be profiting in some other way, or how much money Halliburton had contributed to the Bush-Cheney campaign. Like much aired on the Fox News Channel (FNC), the Halliburton segment played like a Platonic dialogue designed to prove the Bush administration may have its flaws, but is essentially beyond reproach.

The big story in the American news industry over the last few years has been the success of FNC, which discovered an audience for television news and opinion delivered from a conservative ideological perspective. The liberal or Democratic side has been all but silent. But now, as anti-Bush books climb the bestseller lists and the president's approval rating slides, new left-wing media ventures are ready to feast off the growing disenchantment with the Republican administration and control of the U.S. Congress.

more

[RuB]

1. Faux is successul because they are the Jerry Springer of the cable media..

CNN on the other hand is, on the political spectrum, beige tv. Democrats have to stop letting the Harald Fords be the spokesman for the Democratic Party. If I hear one more Democrat say, "I would like to tell my dear friend in the Republican party that I disagree with him" I'm going to puke. This is how Democrats should talk to Republicans: (insert Republicans name) you ignorant slut. That stupikd Republican whore Lou Dobs had a show the other day about the economic problems in the country today and who did they have on to talk about the solutions? Republicans!! I sent him an email that started, "Lou, you ignorant slut!" Republicans have been in charge of the purse strings since 94, they created the problems, and now they're trying to take credit for fixing them? Kiss my ass.