ABC cropped Kucinich out a photo of the Democratic candidates, and buried its own online poll which had Kucinich leading. Followers of the abusive reporting ABC News has been giving Ron Paul will be all too familiar with these techniques. ABC News is clearly an equal opportunity abuser when it comes to reporting on the Presidential campaign, and doing the job expected and required by the American people.
What do Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul have in common that they should attract such mistreatment? Both are forthright against the war. Kucinich has a good record of respecting the Constitution (though, unlike Ron Paul, Kucinich forgot about the First Amendment and voted for legislation to make flag desecration illegal - Kucinich forgot that the First Amendment is not about protecting communication you like, which needs no protection, but about protecting communication you do not like).
But Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul's greatest mutual sin in ABC's eyes, apparently, is that ABC does not take them seriously as candidates. And this leads ABC - maybe in a desperate, misguided attempt to be relevant - to commit grievous lies of omission in its reporting on these candidates.
What has gone so wrong at ABC? At least four cases of distortive reporting about Ron Paul, and now this about Kucinich? ABC was once, not that long ago, a pretty good news operation. Nightline with Ted Koppel was on the cutting edge.
It's at least partly due, I think, to ABC being pretty much out of it on cable and online news. Whoever is calling these shots at ABC News doesn't understand what it is obvious to CNN, Fox, and MSNBC: there is a whole new world of politics out there.
But, whatever the reason, ABC is forfeiting whatever right it once had to be taken seriously, or even to keep reporting the election. I would call upon the FCC to look into revoking its licenses, but that would be unconstitutional.
So I'll confine myself to expanding the section on media misreporting I'll be teaching at Fordham University starting in September - if ABC keeps this up, I'll have enough material for an entire course - and urge the American people to stop watching this benighted network.
9 comments:
ABC as with the other "old"networks seem determined to stifle any real debate on the national level. Ron Paul has been ignored. If you are not the establishment candidates from either party you become a non person.
As the Russians used to say,"There is no truth in Pravda and no news in..."
Of course the "establishment" candidates are owned by military industrial complex, the insurance cabal, and the drug industry.
Since the very act of licensing was an unconstitutional way to give a broadcasting to a chosen few, asking for a revoke of their license is ethical (live by government granted priveleg, die by that same privelege.)
anon: all too true
kyle: it's tempting reasoning, but, as much as I'd like to see ABC off the air and out of business, I'd prefer seeing the FCC out of business first (in the long, the FCC is doing far more damage)...
I agree the FCC must go. There very concept that government can, through the licensing process, filter what news get to the public is obscene.
The airwaves are property which was confiscated from its owners by the Federal Communications Act of 1933. Just one more example of socialism in America.
It's a good thing that there are a growing number of people who know how to circumvent the broadcast media and find the truth for themselves.
I don't tend to be sympathetic with DK because he is after all a socialist.
anon, whether you disagree with him politically shouldn't be important with regards to this behavior from ABC. The two foundations of what is typically considered ethical behavior in western society are the idea of the Golden Rule and the Rule of Law, both of which stem from impartial application of principles. This means it is imperative to defend those who you don't agree from unequal treatment, otherwise you have no leg to stand on when the same happens to you or those you agree with.
I'm behind Ron Paul, but I'm no less upset at ABCs treatment of Kucinich than I am at their treatment of my chosen candidate.
There's one other important link between these two I believe Dr. Levinson is missing - they place principle before expediency. This defines their records to such a degree that people have seriously suggested a Paul/Kucinich or Kucinich/Paul ticket, despite their incompatible views.
Captain Mike: well said
Phil: good answer to anon, and your point about placing priniciple ahead of expediency is very well taken.
Spanish journalist Daniel Estulin recently reported that David Rockefeller owns controlling stakes in ABC, NBC, and CBS, among other news outlets. Rockefeller started the Council on Foreign Relations, which is a pro-war and pro-One World Government think-tank that most of the 2008 Rep. and Dem. candidates belong to as members (except Ron Paul and Kucinich, of course).
The entire news media is so biased. It wouldn't even matter who owns them. They learn bias in journalism school.
There's a good article about Ron Paul and passion:
http://miraclesdaily.blogspot.com/
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