It's no ACCIDENT that certain Democrats are chosen to appear on talk shows

[Vinnie From Indy]

Media Matters does an excellent breakdown of the guests appearing on Sunday talk shows over the last nine years. It is not surprising that the same Democrats appear time after time on these shows. The gargantuan corporate media conglomerates that have acted as BushCo's willing accomplices over the last few years clearly have a strategy of not only manipulating their news reporting to favor the BushCo regime, they also use their talk show platforms for the same purpose. It is no accident that people like Joe Biden, Donna Brazile and Joe Lieberman are asked to appear week after week while folks like Howard Dean, Barbara Boxer and John Conyers rarely are asked. Media Matters reports that the number one guest on all Sunday talk shows since 2003 has been Hollywood Joe Biden. I am sure that if they could get away with it, they would put Zell Miller on as the sole Democratic voice. Miller is a bridge too far even for the corrupt media, but the GOP-Lite brigade of Lieberman, Biden and Brazile do just fine.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200602140002

[Montauk6]

1. Not only that but, since these are supposedly such "ultra-leftwing" media

Why is it you hardly ever see folks Cornel West, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky on these shows? Ohhhh, they're never available, but Doris Kearns Goodwin is????

[Skidmore]

2. What if the DNC or Reid or Pelosi would identify

a group of people who were designated point people on different issues. Need to be generally conversant in all issues but have specific expertise on one. Then whip the party into a general understanding that designated spokes people would the ONLY ones appearing on specific programs when someone is requested. Make sure that media requests need to be directed to a specific location for a person to be sent. Flip it on them. I may not have articulated this well, and Dems would have to hold the line and coordinate (ha).

[Laelth]

4. I like that idea, Skidmore.

Yeah, if corporate media wants a token Democrat so that they can "appear" to be objective and unbiased, we ought to control who and what they get. No more milquetoast.

:thumbsup:

-Laelth

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Right, the party should say:

"Biden/Lieberman/Brazile really isn't the most knowledgeable person on this issue. You should talk to Conyers about voting/Kucinich about health care/Blumenauer about Iraq..."

Tell the Republican-loving figures that if they go on Fox News or other talk shows and cuddle up to Bush's policies they should ask the RNC for their campaign funds next time.

[xchrom]

3. gotta kick and recommend this.

it just points to the fact that corporations are now a ''permanent'' branch of our contemporary government.

[salin]

5. don't forget Evan - he gets lots of airtime.

[Armstead]

6. Great point --But progressives and liberals must take responsibility too

There's no doubt that the media/Political machine has a few favored Democrats and "liberal" pundits who appear repeatedly. However, it's up to liberal and progressive leaders and activists to become more aggressive to carve out a place at the table. Politicians on our side have to demand time on these shows. And we, as viewers have to relentlessly bug the producers of these shows for a better balance.

We can't simply assume that the corporate media should automatically think of people with an alternative viewpoint. We can't wait for them to call. Nor should we assume that they will ignore us because of some neferious "plot.".....Hell, the right-wing had to push to get airtime, and that has borne fruit with a plethora of right wingers who have become staples. We must do the same.

I think narrow spectrum of guests is partly simply the result of laziness on behalf of the producers of these news programs. Biden is always available for face time, and so, when they need "a Democrat" he's on the short list of people to call. Or, if they need someone regarding security issues, that awful Jane Harmon is there.

Politicians who are truly liberal and progressive should be as relentless as Biden in the push for "face time" on the network talk shows.

Pelple like Dennis Kucinich, for example, should be bugging the media bookers to get on to give a contrary view to the growing rush to a new war in Iran. Bernie Sanders should be bugging the bookers of Meet the Press to demand airtime. Same for many other Democratic and truyly progressive Congresspeople.

ALSO, we need to push our pundits more to get on the air. David Sirota, for example, was absolutely brilliant on Keith Olberman the other night in presenting a progressive interpretation of how the port issue reflects the problems with corporate "free trade." People like him should be promoting themselves as guests as a counterpoint to all of the John Funds and Terry Jeffery's of the right.

[salin]

7. For years rw "think-tanks" have had a stable of paid

PR folks who spend hours and hours positioning their folks as "experts" and even more hours getting those folks before congressional hearings to prove the creds - and then relentlessly hook into the producers of the programs speed-dial to promote folks from their "talent file" to appear on the programs. There is no such mechanism/network/ on the progressive side of the spectrum.

[Armstead]

8. Exactly -- We need to biuld the same information infrastructure

We don't have to start from scratch. There is already a network of progressive organizations that could be the basis of it.

One examnple, IMO is the fact that progressive writers and activists DO get on the talk shows. But it's usually only when they are promoting a new book. They should be as aggressive in getting airtime when they are not out selling a book too.

[salin]

9. I think the network has been growing rapidly since about 2002

and that it will grow to be of rival "power" in a much shorter (exponentially shorter) time than the 20-30 years it took for the RW to create their infrastructure.

[Armstead]

10. I hope so -- It needs to grow beyond preaching to the choir

I think the challenge riught now is that we do have the makings for that. But too much of it is aimed at preaching to the choir. We need to start directing more of it outward to the media and the public beyond those who are already converted.


For eample, I was amazed when I saw David Sirota on MSNBC. A really good-looking articulate guy who was telling the unvarnished truth about corporate power in a very direct, but reasonable, way on Keith Olbermann.

If he and people like him were on the TV Snooze shows and pundit fests more often, it would do a lot for making the progressive case to the general public.