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September 19, 2009
Ignoring the Lesson Plan
One of the topics that came up on last night's Violent Roundtable was the failure of mainstream commentators to leaven their mockery of conservative concern about President Obama's in-school presentation with an acknowledgment of the objectionable suggested lesson plan that stoked the ire in the first place. Host Matt Allen suggested that bias leads such commentators to accept administration assurances that they've taken care of that aspect and then — poof — forget about it altogether. That's certainly plausible, given the likelihood that many MSMers didn't even know about the dispute until alternative-media heat and constituent reaction had brought the story to a head.
Particularly disappointing was the Providence Journal editorial on the matter (no longer online), published well after the event in question. Space is understandably short in such pieces, but by any journalistic standard with even mild pretensions to critical objectivity, the lesson plan should have been included in the summary of the controversy. Consequently, the reader can't help but feel that the editors' parting line is less a conclusion than a purpose:
The flap over the president's speech diminished his critics, while enhancing his own status as a role model.
An editorial, whether right or wrong in its expressed opinion, should represent the collected wisdom of the newspaper in which it appears — or at least of the guardians of its opinion pages. That it couldn't accurately summarize the sides in a national story like this suggests that it is content to enhance the status of a preferred politician at the expense of its own.
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Justin I believe you miss the greater point. The greater point being that what was once the mainstream media no longer is. That old media has been in bed with Obama, coddling him, glorifying him, marginalizing his critics, blindly promoting his policies as they ignore stories that stain him.
Posted by: Tim at September 19, 2009 3:01 PMYet Obama's support among the American people is steadily dropping across the board.
"Yesteday's mainstream media" simply doesn't matter anymore. The news consumer doesn't believe the legitimacy of their product. The examples you cite in your narrative are just some of the many reasons why that is.
For those who disagree just ask Van Jones and ACORN. Both stories were ignored by yesterday's mainstream/today's fringe media.
Fox news, talk radio and the blogosphere, i.e. "today's mainstream media" is what brought the fire down on them and with dramatic results.
Why do you think Obama has been kissing ass with Chavez?He sees the Chavez approach to the control of criticism in the media and probably fantasizes about how he could introduce it here.
Posted by: joe bernstein at September 19, 2009 3:49 PMThe "fairness doctrine"[ORWELL ALERT!!]is a first step,or more accurately the move for its reintroduction is.
Absolutely right Joe. Leftists cannot win in the marketplace of ideas with actual facts so they must control the discussion. This is why they played the race card as Obama's lack of fact based truthfullness regarding his agenda was being exposed. They are losing in the marketplace of ideas so they seek to silence through smear and intimidation.
Posted by: Tim at September 19, 2009 4:27 PMProblem for them is their old tired tactics don't work anymore so they're looking for news ways.
No question if Obama could mandate government control over all media he would do so in a second. This man embraces very few American ideals. What we're seeing now is just the very beginning of severe buyers remorse on the part of the American people.
I said it months ago and I'll say it again, Barack Obama will go down in history as possessing the most damaging Presidency to this nation, in the history of this nation. The weight of his genuine Marxist ideology is only outflanked by his genuine incompetence and immaturity.
Immaturity is something I haven't heard,but it fits.
Posted by: joe bernstein at September 19, 2009 6:52 PMI don't think Obama has ever been told "no" in his life.
i don't think he's ever had his ass kicked or beaten the crap out of somebody who screwed with him.
Both are necessary parts of growing up for a young male,feminists be damned.
He's had a pretty smooth ride-not like he was Kennedy-rich or anything,but he was well cossetted.
The Kennedys for what it's worth weere no shrinking violets by any stretch of the imagination.
His arrogance is born of thinking that no one can really be serious about not being awestruck by his magnetism and charisma.
Well,the first time I saw or heard of him was that speech in 2004 and I thought "this guy could make a living giving graduation addresses".President?Ohmigod-about like me starting for the Celtics.
He's never faced real adversity-illness,serious injury,etc.Okay,his father booked early-not good,but he was too young to be traumatized by it.
His mother was a dissolute perpetual student bohemian type with a romanticized view of third world men and their values.
She however,certainly didn't abuse him.
He is surrounded by overconfident Marxist worms who see the US as a cheese to be devoured.
Now,maybe this is hard to believe,but i am not totally against a public option for laid off or low wage WORKING people,or people with pre-existing conditions.Doesn't make me a Marxist or even a liberal.
But I knew this scheme to cover illegal aliens(just legalize them) was coming.So in fact Obama is a lying sack of sh**t.It just took him awhile to get around to revealing it.
I'd love to see the public debate on amnesty.It ain't gonna be pretty.
I am done trying to make any sense to the leftists on RIFuture and Kmareka-they just have their heads way up in colonoscopy territory.
"the lesson plan should have been included in the summary of the controversy."
Any news story or editorial which left out that item was flatly, deliberately dishonest. Period.
What the professional news media has forgotten to a shocking degree over the course of the last year is that the likeability of a politician does not change the obligation on their part to report professionally (i.e., with some degree of completeness and diligence) about that person.
Posted by: Monique at September 19, 2009 7:13 PM