Guest guest Posted August 4, 2004 Report Posted August 4, 2004 > Krugman: Reading the Script > http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/opinion/03krug.html > Reading the Script > > *By PAUL KRUGMAN* > > Published: August 3, 2004 > *E-mail:* krugman > > A message to my fellow journalists: check out media > watch sites like > campaigndesk.org <http://campaigndesk.org>, > mediamatters.org > <http://mediamatters.org> and dailyhowler.com > <http://dailyhowler.com>. > It's good to see ourselves as others see us. I've > been finding The Daily > Howler's concept of a media " script, " a story line > that shapes coverage, > often in the teeth of the evidence, particularly > helpful in > understanding cable news. > > For example, last summer, when growth briefly broke > into a gallop, cable > news decided that the economy was booming. The > gallop soon slowed to a > trot, and then to a walk. But judging from the mail > I recently got after > writing about the slowing economy, the script never > changed; many > readers angrily insisted that my numbers disagreed > with everything they > had seen on TV. > > If you really want to see cable news scripts in > action, look at the > coverage of the Democratic convention. > > Commercial broadcast TV covered only one hour a > night. We'll see whether > the Republicans get equal treatment. C-Span, on the > other hand, provided > comprehensive, commentary-free coverage. But many > people watched the > convention on cable news channels - and what they > saw was shaped by a > script portraying Democrats as angry Bush-haters who > disdain the military. > > If that sounds like a script written by the > Republicans, it is. As the > movie " Outfoxed " makes clear, Fox News is for all > practical purposes a > G.O.P. propaganda agency. A now-famous poll showed > that Fox viewers were > more likely than those who get their news elsewhere > to believe that > evidence of Saddam-Qaeda links has been found, that > W.M.D. had been > located and that most of the world supported the > Iraq war. > > CNN used to be different, but Campaign Desk, which > is run by The > Columbia Journalism Review, concluded after > reviewing convention > coverage that CNN " has stooped to slavish imitation > of Fox's most > dubious ploys and policies. " Seconds after John > Kerry's speech, CNN gave > Ed Gillespie, the Republican Party's chairman, the > opportunity to bash > the candidate. Will Terry McAuliffe be given the > same opportunity right > after President Bush speaks? > > Commentators worked hard to spin scenes that didn't > fit the script. Some > simply saw what they wanted to see. On Fox, Michael > Barone asserted that > conventioneers cheered when Mr. Kerry criticized > President Bush but were > silent when he called for military strength. Check > out the video clips > at Media Matters; there was tumultuous cheering when > Mr. Kerry talked > about a strong America. > > Another technique, pervasive on both Fox and CNN, > was to echo Republican > claims of an " extreme makeover " - the assertion that > what viewers were > seeing wasn't the true face of the party. > (Apparently all those > admirals, generals and decorated veterans were > ringers.) > > It will probably be easier to make a comparable case > in New York, where > the Republicans are expected to feature an array of > moderate, pro-choice > speakers and keep Rick Santorum and Tom DeLay under > wraps. But in > Boston, it took creativity to portray the delegates > as being out of the > mainstream. For example, Bill Schneider at CNN > claimed that according to > a New York Times/CBS News poll, 75 percent of the > delegates favor > " abortion on demand " - which exaggerated the poll's > real finding, which > is that 75 percent opposed stricter limits than we > now have. > > But the real power of a script is the way it can > retroactively change > the story about what happened. > > On Thursday night, Mr. Kerry's speech was a palpable > hit. A focus group > organized by Frank Luntz, the Republican pollster, > found it impressive > and persuasive. Even pro-Bush commentators conceded, > at first, that it > had gone over well. > > But a terrorism alert is already blotting out > memories of last week. > Although there is now a long history of alerts with > remarkably > convenient political timing, and Tom Ridge > politicized the announcement > by using the occasion to praise " the president's > leadership in the war > against terror, " this one may be based on real > information. Regardless, > it gives the usual suspects a breathing space; once > calm returns, don't > be surprised if some of those same commentators > begin describing the > ineffective speech they expected (and hoped) to see, > not the one they > actually saw. > > Luckily, in this age of the Internet it's possible > to bypass the filter. > At c-span.org <http://c-span.org>, you can find > transcripts and videos > of all the speeches. I'd urge everyone to watch Mr. > Kerry and others for > yourself, and make your own judgment. > > > Quote
Guest guest Posted August 5, 2004 Report Posted August 5, 2004 D convention...It was rather revealing to sit and watch on c-span and then rapidly flip back and forth between Fox, CNN ,MSNBC, and later the regular CBS, NBC and ABC stations and go back to c-span and see the convention with out commentary!!!! You'd hardlly recognize from the *commentators* the very same thing that you thought you were watching...INSTANT SPIN in action!!! amazing....ng - " Frank " <califpacific <alternative_medicine_forum > Tuesday, August 03, 2004 7:58 PM Krugman: Reading the Script > > Krugman: Reading the Script > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/opinion/03krug.html > Reading the Script > > > > *By PAUL KRUGMAN* > > > > Published: August 3, 2004 > > > *E-mail:* krugman > > > > > A message to my fellow journalists: check out media > > watch sites like > > campaigndesk.org <http://campaigndesk.org>, > > mediamatters.org > > <http://mediamatters.org> and dailyhowler.com > > <http://dailyhowler.com>. > > > It's good to see ourselves as others see us. I've > > been finding The Daily > > Howler's concept of a media " script, " a story line > > that shapes coverage, > > often in the teeth of the evidence, particularly > > helpful in > > understanding cable news. > > > > For example, last summer, when growth briefly broke > > into a gallop, cable > > news decided that the economy was booming. The > > gallop soon slowed to a > > trot, and then to a walk. But judging from the mail > > I recently got after > > writing about the slowing economy, the script never > > changed; many > > readers angrily insisted that my numbers disagreed > > with everything they > > had seen on TV. > > > > If you really want to see cable news scripts in > > action, look at the > > coverage of the Democratic convention. > > > > Commercial broadcast TV covered only one hour a > > night. We'll see whether > > the Republicans get equal treatment. C-Span, on the > > other hand, provided > > comprehensive, commentary-free coverage. But many > > people watched the > > convention on cable news channels - and what they > > saw was shaped by a > > script portraying Democrats as angry Bush-haters who > > disdain the military. > > > > If that sounds like a script written by the > > Republicans, it is. As the > > movie " Outfoxed " makes clear, Fox News is for all > > practical purposes a > > G.O.P. propaganda agency. A now-famous poll showed > > that Fox viewers were > > more likely than those who get their news elsewhere > > to believe that > > evidence of Saddam-Qaeda links has been found, that > > W.M.D. had been > > located and that most of the world supported the > > Iraq war. > > > > CNN used to be different, but Campaign Desk, which > > is run by The > > Columbia Journalism Review, concluded after > > reviewing convention > > coverage that CNN " has stooped to slavish imitation > > of Fox's most > > dubious ploys and policies. " Seconds after John > > Kerry's speech, CNN gave > > Ed Gillespie, the Republican Party's chairman, the > > opportunity to bash > > the candidate. Will Terry McAuliffe be given the > > same opportunity right > > after President Bush speaks? > > > > Commentators worked hard to spin scenes that didn't > > fit the script. Some > > simply saw what they wanted to see. On Fox, Michael > > Barone asserted that > > conventioneers cheered when Mr. Kerry criticized > > President Bush but were > > silent when he called for military strength. Check > > out the video clips > > at Media Matters; there was tumultuous cheering when > > Mr. Kerry talked > > about a strong America. > > > > Another technique, pervasive on both Fox and CNN, > > was to echo Republican > > claims of an " extreme makeover " - the assertion that > > what viewers were > > seeing wasn't the true face of the party. > > (Apparently all those > > admirals, generals and decorated veterans were > > ringers.) > > > > It will probably be easier to make a comparable case > > in New York, where > > the Republicans are expected to feature an array of > > moderate, pro-choice > > speakers and keep Rick Santorum and Tom DeLay under > > wraps. But in > > Boston, it took creativity to portray the delegates > > as being out of the > > mainstream. For example, Bill Schneider at CNN > > claimed that according to > > a New York Times/CBS News poll, 75 percent of the > > delegates favor > > " abortion on demand " - which exaggerated the poll's > > real finding, which > > is that 75 percent opposed stricter limits than we > > now have. > > > > But the real power of a script is the way it can > > retroactively change > > the story about what happened. > > > > On Thursday night, Mr. Kerry's speech was a palpable > > hit. A focus group > > organized by Frank Luntz, the Republican pollster, > > found it impressive > > and persuasive. Even pro-Bush commentators conceded, > > at first, that it > > had gone over well. > > > > But a terrorism alert is already blotting out > > memories of last week. > > Although there is now a long history of alerts with > > remarkably > > convenient political timing, and Tom Ridge > > politicized the announcement > > by using the occasion to praise " the president's > > leadership in the war > > against terror, " this one may be based on real > > information. Regardless, > > it gives the usual suspects a breathing space; once > > calm returns, don't > > be surprised if some of those same commentators > > begin describing the > > ineffective speech they expected (and hoped) to see, > > not the one they > > actually saw. > > > > Luckily, in this age of the Internet it's possible > > to bypass the filter. > > At c-span.org <http://c-span.org>, you can find > > transcripts and videos > > of all the speeches. I'd urge everyone to watch Mr. > > Kerry and others for > > yourself, and make your own judgment. > > Quote
Guest guest Posted August 7, 2004 Report Posted August 7, 2004 I got so annoyed with CNN that I emailed them and said I was going to stay with C-Span. I told CNN that I was intelligent enough to understand what I was seeing and hearing and I didn't need no stinkin' commentator to tell me what I just saw and heard! Of course, they could care less, but I took a stand! Glad to see I'm not alone in my feelings. Leslye Morrow >D convention...It was rather revealing to sit and watch on c-span and then >rapidly flip back and forth between Fox, CNN ,MSNBC, and later the regular >CBS, NBC and ABC stations and go back to c-span and see the convention with >out commentary!!!! You'd hardlly recognize from the *commentators* the >very same thing that you thought you were watching...INSTANT SPIN in >action!!! amazing....ng > Quote
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2004 Report Posted August 11, 2004 Media have become the most dangerous forces against our democracy. They rule, they make and break Presidents. People like R. Murdoch, increasingly, run the world. JP - " Nora Gottlieb " <nwgott Wednesday, August 04, 2004 7:27 PM Re: Krugman: Reading the Script > D convention...It was rather revealing to sit and watch on c-span and then > rapidly flip back and forth between Fox, CNN ,MSNBC, and later the regular > CBS, NBC and ABC stations and go back to c-span and see the convention with > out commentary!!!! You'd hardlly recognize from the *commentators* the > very same thing that you thought you were watching...INSTANT SPIN in > action!!! amazing....ng > > Quote
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