BRAD BLOG: Conyers at Media Bias Forum: 'Independent Press Under Assault'

[BradBlog]

Conyers at Media Bias Forum: 'Independent Press Under Assault'
Says Mainstream Media Unwilling to Accurately Report on Admin, Scapegoated, Facing Retribution if They Do

Opening Statement cites alt media sources BRAD BLOG, DailyKos, RAW STORY & Air America in 'forefront' of those 'willing to be speak truth to power'.

Details and Complete Opening Statement:
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001414.htm

---
Brad Friedman
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[Nothing Without Hope]

1. Here is the complete CONYERS PREPARED OPENING STATEMENT

It's easier to read it here. I'm looking forward to when CSPAN broadcasts the recording it made of the event. Do you know if there will be a transcript and/or audio file available online?

From BradBlog:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001414.htm

Rep. Conyers Says Independent Press Under Assault

Urges Media To Challenge Authority At Congressional Forum

Washington, DC; Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, delivered the following statement today at a Congressional forum examining media bias and the future of a free press:

"There are few institutions in our nation today that are capable of operating as a check on the abuses of one party rule - one is the filibuster; another is an independent judiciary; a third is a free and unbiased press. All three of these institutions are under assault today.

Last night the Republicans came within an inch of obliterating more than two centuries of precedent supporting the minority's right of debate. The triggering of the 'nuclear option' may have been delayed for the time being; but the message has been clearly delivered by the Majority - in the future, you exercise your rights at your own peril.

Anyone who witnessed the shameful Terri Schiavo debate knows that the Judiciary is under attack in this country. With Tom DeLay threatening to 'hold judges accountable' and Senator Cornyn rationalizing violence against what he calls unaccountable judges, there can be little doubt the Congressional Majority can and will use their authority to discipline judges who stand in the way of their extreme right wing agenda.

As for freedom of the press - the subject of today's forum - all you need to do is turn on the television, open up the paper, or listen to the radio to appreciate the extent our so-called fourth estate has fallen. The vast majority of the mainstream media is not only unwilling to accurately report on the failings of the Administration, but the few who do have fallen victim to scapegoating and retribution.

We have turned from breaking stories like Watergate and the Iran-Contra scandal to celebrity journalism. As the Congressional Research Report I am releasing today proves, major events that shape our democracy and impact our lives routinely receive scant and belated coverage, while the most trivial matters that were once the last stories on Inside Edition or A Current Affair now dominate the airwaves.

In the lead up to the Iraq war, every minor leak supporting the Administration's contention that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction was trumpeted on page one. Stories challenging these assertions and discussing the final reports of weapons inspectors concluding there were no such weapons, however, were banished to a few paragraphs in the middle of dailies. Such incidents have become the rule, not the exception, during the Bush Administration, particularly after 9/11 and in the face of a massive consolidation in media ownership.

Can you imagine the media uproar ten years ago if the Clinton White House had given a fake journalist operating under a fake name unlimited access to the White House? Does anyone think for a minute that the Washington Times would have ignored stories about paid propaganda coming out of the Clinton Education Department, or if a Democratic Secretary of State had turned tens of thousands of Republicans away at the polls in a critical swing state?

Would most of the major papers have buried stories detailing secret agreements to invade Iraq, billions of dollars in missing reconstruction funds, or fantasy war stories spun by the Defense Department if a Democrat were responsible? Consider what Bob Novak or Bill O'Reilly would have said if Mike McCurry had browbeaten them about their use of anonymous sources, or the Secretary of Defense had warned the press to 'be careful what you say' as Donald Rumsfeld had done. You know the answer as well as I do.

There are a few alternative sources willing to speak truth to power. I first learned about the now infamous Downing Street Memo on Daily Kos. Bradblog, Raw Story and Air America have been at the forefront of our ongoing national election scandal. But these voices are too few and too diffuse to overcome the blatant biases of our cable channels and the negligence and neglect of our major newspapers.

Thomas Jefferson wrote 'our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.' Let me remind those in the media, by failing to exercise your rights and duties to challenge authority, you risk losing not only your integrity, but the nation's trust and respect. And to those in the Administration who would blame the press for their misdeeds and the media for their failings, I would ask you to be careful what you say. You cannot preach democracy abroad if you don't respect the constitution and freedom of the press in our own country."

Recommended for Greatest Page

[Nothing Without Hope]

2. Here is the press release for the Conyers Media Bias Forum today:

also from BradBlog:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001406.htm
FROM THE NEWSWEEK CONTROVERSY TO THE DOWNING STREET MEMO, CONYERS HOSTS FORUM: "MEDIA BIAS AND THE FUTURE OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS"

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Tuesday, May 24, at 1 p.m., Rep. John Conyers, Jr. and other Members will host a forum concerning the state of the freedom of the press in this country.

There are few liberties which are more precious to our citizenry or important to our democracy than a free and independent press. Unfortunately, in the present environment, the fourth estate appears reticent to cover numerous issues of genuine public import, and has frequently retreated in the face of criticism and threats from government officials.

For example, the mainstream media has largely ignored the implications of the "Downing Street Memo," which points to a secret agreement between the Bush and Blair Administration to not only go to war, but create the conditions necessary for the war. Similarly, in the wake of the Newsweek "retraction" of the Koran story, the Administration has sought to mandate that the magazine alter its coverage of our involvement in the Middle East.

Tuesday's Forum will provide a timely opportunity to assess the nature of media bias and the extent that press freedoms are at risk in the post-9/11 world.

WHAT: Forum: "Media Bias and the Future of Freedom of the Press"

PANEL:
Al Franken, the Al Franken Show on Air America Radio, author of Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right

David Brock, founder of Media Matters

Randi Rhodes, the Randi Rhodes Show on Air America Radio

Joe Madison, The Black Eagle Radio Show

Justin Webb, Senior Washington Correspondent of BBC News

Eric Alterman, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress

Steve Rendall, media watchdog group FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)

John Aravosis, America Blog

Mark Lloyd, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress

WHEN: Tuesday, May 24, at 1 p.m.

WHERE: 2226 Rayburn House Office Building

[Rainscents]

21. Please give us info when this will be on C-Span.

[Nothing Without Hope]

22. According to dzika, CSPAN has tentatively scheduled it for 8 PM Saturday

dzika said he saw this comment on Conyers' blog site Wednesday. It was accompanied by a caution that the schedule could change and it might be shown earlier. We'll have to watch for it and share info on when it is actually going to show.

But as of now, it's looking most likely for 8 PM Saturday.

[Nothing Without Hope]

23. Self-deleted - I put it in the wrong place.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Status of recordings: CSPAN was there and will broadcast later

at a time to be determined. According to BradBlog, AAR concluded its radio broadcast while the Forum was still going on:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001414.htm
Though John Conyers Forum on "Media Bias and Freedom of the Press" today on Capitol Hill continues, live broadcasting via Air America has concluded for the time being. C-SPAN's cameras were there and will hopefully be broadcasting in full sooner, rather than later. We hope to shout out when a time is scheduled on C-SPAN for the broadcast or when it is made for available for streaming via their website.

I am hoping that transcripts will become available, but have as yet heard nothing about that.

[MelissaB]

4. Conyers leads the call for reform in this country.

I started to say "revolution" instead of reform, but I wasn't certain that would fit. I love this man!

:kick:

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. A bit OT, but related: Who of you are interested in a CONYERS DU GROUP?

It's been discussed a bit elsewhere, but has not yet been done. We would need a good mission statement and 10 donating DU members to make the request. The main purpose would be to have a place to keep track of what Conyers is doing and planning and an easily findable base for planning activism. It would NOT replace threads like this one intended for all of DU to see, which would continue to be important. If you're interested in this idea, please comment here.

[katinmn]

7. I support a Conyers DU group. Long overdue!

:thumbsup:

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. A new thread on forming a Conyers group will be started in the next few

days sometime. I'll PM you and anyone else who indicates interest with a headsup and a link to that thread.

[orleans]

8. i'd like to see a conyers group

so we can comment on what he is up to, keep updated, and post links to audio & video for his forums. also, maybe it would be a way for him to tune in and see what we're proposing him to work on next.

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. I'll PM you sometime in the next few days when a new thread is started

on forming a Conyers group. It's been suggested before, but this time we will DO it.

[Griffy]

6. I WAS THERE.. amazing... they said "so what can we do if the media...

ignores us (house dems)" .. the answer given was.. You get up and take the committee down to the Washington Post office and demand they hear you! (YES!) .. the speaker said, "we are playing touch football, and they are playing tackle... its time to start playing tackle too!"

I was shocked to hear the Congressmen and woman saying "I didn't know that".. to things like lintball says liberals hate America.. and that we want troops to die...

Conyers said we need more of these forums.. and I went up at the end and spoke to him... I told him I went to the Media Reform Conference, he says "how was it"... I told him that there was alot of alternate media struggling to tell the truth, and I told him he needs to contact Bill Moyers and speak to him on this media issue.. he said he would...

I did yell out 1 thing... during some applause, in response to the call that we need to march down to the Post and demand coverage of the truth... I said.. "lets GO NOW!" .. a couple people said "yeah".. or.. "I'm ready" .. but we didn't. Maybe next forum I will make that suggestion before hand, so perhaps we can plan on it!

one other thing that sticks out in my mind.. was the call for the congressmen and women to be the generals.. to LEAD us.. to proactively get the truth to the people... the idea was made clear to them that the corporate media will not do this on their own!


look for the Cspan showing.. some great things happened today, the root of the problem (propaganda) is finally on the radar, bushco is sunk without the lie machines! PLEASE HELP ME FOCUS on the media... all the stories and filibusters and such are great.. but irrelevant till we can get the truth to the people!

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. This is wonderful, Griffy! Thank you for the report. I can hardly wait

for the CSPAN broadcast, and I hope they recorded the whole forum. Did you see whether their crew was there for the entire event?

[grasswire]

35. thanks, thanks, thanks!

Did you write something on DU about your experience at the St. Louis conference? I've been hoping to see a first-person account. DU needs representation at that kind of event, even if it's unofficial.

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. I agree! There is no substitute for an eyewitness account. n/t

[seabeyond]

9. conyers certainly doing his job, media, election fraud, memo.

to bad no one is listening and taking him serious

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. Not "no one" any more - WE take him serioiusly and WE are on the way

to making a difference. He sees it himself - he often comments on the importants of the alternative media. Things are moving.

[seabeyond]

14. yes this si what i have really appreciated about this dude

he sees where his support is and he values and uses it. and yes, we have always been behind him here. he just has been so out there. he is such an articulate man. he is informed and organized, and to not get on msm is something ot me

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. You have to wonder how this guy ever finds time to sleep. He just

does NOT take a pass on any of the horrors the Administration is tryng to deal out. He fights every one of them. He is showing us all what a real hero is, and that we don't have to just give up even if we face an uphill battle.

In the early days of his blog, when he was still replying personally, I was one of about five posters in one thread who said, among other things relating to the main point of the thread, what we thought about what he was doing. He responded. Here is what I said

(snip)...I hope you're not too discomfitted at being seen as a hero by so many people, sir. I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with that.

"Thank you" doesn't begin to express the gratitude I feel for what you and your courageous colleagues have done and are continuing to do. You're not only a leader in the fight for justice, you are showing HOW to fight for justice and infusing hope that it is still possible to win.

And here is his reply:

I am truly gratified to receive all of your comments and reaction to my new interactive web site. As I am sure you realize, being being on the losing side of so many votes so often in Congress can be discouraging, but I gain much comfort from comments like these. It is the essence of democracy and pluralism to interact directly with you as this new and improved blog will allow me to do. Keep submitting comments and letting me know what you think. I welcome your ideas and thoughts.

[orleans]

16. post a comment on conyers blog

http://www.conyersblog.us/default.htm

i posted this on the media bias forum:

Comment #13: orleans said on 5/25/05 @ 12:59am ET...

thanks for doing this forum. i wish cspan had aired it--i would have liked to have seen it. we need some regulations for what is called "news" these days. even the liberals have not heard of the downing street memo! we need a news program to report news other than paris hilton & michael jackson blabla

[Nothing Without Hope]

17. Post-forum blog by Conyers - Video clips will be posted tomorrow

In a part I am not pasting here, he adds that "a capable amateur videographer" recorded some video, that video clips will be posted at his site and elsewhere Wednesday, and that we are free to share them.

Here is what he wrote at his blog site tonight. (I do wonder if he ever sleeps.)

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000104.htm
posted by Rep. Conyers 05.24.05 @ 10:17 PM ET

My forum on media bias today was eye opening to say the least and there was a lot of ground to cover. Perhaps the atmosphere was best summarized by Eric Alterman, who began his remarks by saying, with perfect comic timing, (my recollection, not a quote): "There is so much media bias. I don't even know where to start."

I should start by expressing my gratitude to all of the panelists, but to Air America Radio and the Al Franken Show in particular. Al Franken has often said there are many kinds of media bias, among these biases of ratings and profit. As the host on the anchor show of a fledging and critical progressive talk radio network, Al Franken and Air America are no doubt doing everything they can to ensure that the Al Franken show is successful. There is no doubt that my forum was not the most entertaining programming Air America and Al Franken have carried. It takes guts to devote two hours of your show to a panel such as this. Without a doubt, airing this panel was a public service, not something done with an eye for the bottom line. Simply put, Franken put his money where his mouth is, and I believe that should tell you something about Air America and Al Franken.

Randi Rhodes is part of the Air America family and moved her show to D.C. for the day to participate in the forum. I am very grateful to her. Whenever I hear Randi Rhodes, I am struck by her humble sincerity. Randi laid out specific policy proposals that will, without a doubt, be the foundation of future legislation.

Now, a programming note. C-Span was there and taped the entire hearing. Their first obligation is always to broadcast the proceedings on the floor of the House and Senate live, so they ccould not broadcast this forum live. I do not know when they will air the hearing, but I know they will. Keep and eye on their schedule on their website (c-span.org), and check back often, I am told they change it frequently. If my volunteers, hear a time certain it will be broadcast, I will post it here.

(snip)

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. AUDIO CLIPS at the Air America web site from the Media Bias Forum

There are clips from Al Franken's and Randi Rhodes' parts of the coverage. They are in Windows Media format.

http://www.airamericaradio.com/audio_highlights.asp
The Al Franken Show (May 24th, 2005)
Al Franken stands side by side with Congressman John Conyers and speaks at the Democratic Forum for Media Bias.
Link to audio file: http://airamericaradio.com/layout.asp?baseurl=TheAlFrankenShow/5-24-05/AlFranken.wma

The Randi Rhodes Show (May 24th, 2005)
Randi Rhodes broadcasts live from Washington D.C. She speaks at the Democratic Forum for Media Bias while standing side by side with Al Franken and Congressman John Conyers.
Link to audio file: http://airamericaradio.com/layout.asp?baseurl=RandiRhodes/5-24-05/RandiRhodes.wma

[Nothing Without Hope]

19. kick - video clips will be up later today n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. VIDEO CLIPS from the Conyers Media Bias Forum are up at his blog:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1809622
Thread title: "VIDEO CLIPS ARE UP FOR THE CONYERS FORUM on Media Bias from Tues."

[Nothing Without Hope]

24. CONYERS' BLOGGED REPORT ON THE FORUM:

Much more at the blog link. Note that he says that "scores of papers," including the Wash Post and the Detroit Free Press, covered the event. That's good news. I'll post on those articles shortly.

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000107.htm
Blogged by JC on 05.25.05 @ 01:26 PM ET
(snip)
The event was well covered. It was aired live on Air America. It was also covered by C-SPAN on a tape delayed basis (I will let you know when the forum is scheduled for airing). The forum was also covered by the AP (story in scores of papers including the Washington Post) and the Detroit Free Press.

I opened with a statement summing up the problem of a media that generally fails to report on the failings of the Administration, and that when it does, faces threats of retribution and repercussion as Newsweek recently learned. I also referenced a Congressional Research Service Study I released today which found that sensational stories like the “runaway bride” were receiving wall to wall network coverage, while important policy stories like the “Downing Street Memo” were all but ignored. Bradblog has the full text of my statement.

The panelists covered a wide variety of ground. Let me briefly summarize:

Al Franken noted that the media contributed to an environment where most Americans were convinced that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11 and that he supported Al Quaeda – neither of which is true. He also reminded us of many of Rush Limbaugh’s misstatements, including a statement that Abu Ghraib was good because it showed that Americans knew how to humiliate Arabs.
(snip)

[Nothing Without Hope]

25. WASHINGTON POST re the Conyers Forum - mentions the Downing St Memo

Only three paragraphs on the Forum, but they have important content, including the media avoidance of coverage of the Downing Stree Memo:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/24/AR2005052401150.html

Public, Press Attitudes Differ on Accuracy

By WILL LESTER
The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 24, 2005; 5:40 PM

WASHINGTON -- Two-thirds of Americans say they think that when journalists make a serious mistake, most news organizations either ignore it or try to cover it up, a survey found.

(snip - large segment of the article on public perception of media journalism)

A congressman who organized a panel to examine the role played by the media said Tuesday that news organizations have drifted toward tabloid journalism and have been intimidated from reporting about the war in Iraq.

"The vast majority of the mainstream media is not only unwilling to accurately report on the failings of the administration, but the few who do have fallen victim to scapegoating and retribution," said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. "We have turned from breaking stories like Watergate and the Iran-Contra scandal to celebrity journalism."

The congressman released an analysis by Congressional Research Service which found that reports in the British media about the United States and Great Britain secretly agreeing to invade Iraq received very little coverage on major cable TV outlets in the days after it was published in Britain.

[Nothing Without Hope]

26. DETROIT FREE PRESS: full article reporting the Forum, covers the facts

While the Wash Post only gave the Forum three paragraphs, the Detroit Free Press gives an entire article on it and hits some of the important parts.

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw116241_20050524.htm

Conyers' congressional panel says media drifting toward tabloid coverage

May 24, 2005, 5:38 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The American media has drifted toward tabloid journalism and has been cowtailed by the Bush administration over its coverage of events such as the war in Iraq, a congressional panel organized by Michigan Rep. John Conyers said Tuesday.

(snip)

Conyers released an analysis by Congressional Research Service that found the Downing Street memo received no coverage from evening news shows on major cable TV outlets in the days after its publishing in Great Britain. But stories on runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks and the Michael Jackson trial were covered extensively.

(snip)

Al Franken, a comedian and the host of a liberal radio show, cited a study conducted by a research group at the University of Maryland that found prior to the war, many Bush voters believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or a program to develop them.

He said the attitudes were created by "the right-wing media in league with the Bush administration and corporate-funded think tanks and abetted by an intimidated mainstream media scared of its own shadow."

(snip)

[Nothing Without Hope]

27. Media Matters: Statements submitted by forum participants:

This page has links to statements submitted by the following forum participants as well as other materials and attachments:

http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/mediabias.html
Judiciary Democratic Forum
MEDIA BIAS AND THE FUTURE OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS”

Forum Participant List

Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Opening Statement

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez Statement

Congressman Jim McDermott Statement

The following are statements submitted by Forum Participants

Mr. Al Franken, Air America Radio

Ms. Randi Rhodes, the Randi Rhodes Show on Air America Radio

Mr. Eric Alterman, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Background Materials from CRS and Attachments

[Nothing Without Hope]

28. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. AUDIO RECORDINGS IN MPEG4 FORMAT have been posted

at Conyers' blog site in this thread:

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000108.htm

[Nothing Without Hope]

30. BROADCAST OF THE FORUM ON CSPAN STILL ON FOR 8 PM SATURDAY

I just checked (11 PM Friday ET), and the 2-1/2 hour forum is still on the schedule for CSPAN-1 from 8:00 to 10:30 PM ET:

08:00 PM EDT
2:30 (est.) Forum
Freedom of the Press
U.S. Capitol
John Conyers Jr., D-MI
George Miller , D-CA

Keep checking the schedule here to make sure it isn't moved:
http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=211984037506

[POAS]

34. REPEAT BROADCAST AT 11:45 PM EDT

[Nothing Without Hope]

37. This is EXCELLENT - so glad they're doing this

And WE AT DU are partly responsible for the decision of CSPAN to cover this event. DUers joined other activists in sendingmany emails and made many calls to urge CSPAN to do this, so that fact that they did so is partly our victory too.

:thumbsup:

[Nothing Without Hope]

31. kick - listen to the FULL AUDIO RECORDINGS - link in preceding post n/t

[TexasLawyer]

32. kick

[Nothing Without Hope]

33. Additional documents from the Forum - links to the congressional

study cited by Conyers and more are on this page at Media Matters:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200505250003

[AirAmFan]

36. 15 minute kick

[Nothing Without Hope]

39. Even if CSPAN never provides streaming video of the forum, almost

everything about it, together with supporting documents, are linked to in this thread. If you missed the Media Bias Forum, look through the posts for the links.