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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Why do they call it “news”?

This morning, I turned on the local radio outlet for the ministry of propaganda, CBS radio in New York, and I heard one of the “in-depth” news pieces. The story was about Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey and the you tube videos that his office posts. A strange sense of déjà vu came over me since I had read this “news” earlier in the week and CBS News did not bother to even mention the obvious source for their report. Plagiarism issues aside, however, I was most taken with the modifications that the CBS folks had made. For example, the audience was now told that Christie not only has his public meetings filmed and posted on you tube, but that what gets posted are only the most “outrageous” segments of those meetings. As proof of the “outrageous” nature of Christie’s conduct, CBS played the audio of one meeting where Christie told a woman who asked a question and then tried to interrupt his answer that he would not respond to her unless she listen to him as respectfully as he had listened to her. That’s right! Christie’s request for civility was “outrageous” according to CBS.
This one story is obviously not a big deal. The problem is, however, that listeners to the CBS propaganda are consistently told that actions by Republicans or conservatives are extreme, outrageous and the like. On the other hand when CBS runs stories on Democrats or liberals, their views are called mainstream and never outrageous.
I have no problem with CBS having an opinion; indeed they should have a point of view. I do object, however, when CBS masquerades as a news organization rather than an arm of the Democrats propaganda machine.

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