BillHobbs.com - Blogging about politics and media from Nashville.

January 17, 2007

Media Marxists

Mick Wright attended the National Conference on Media Reform leftwing lovefest in Memphis over the weekend and reveals the organization's goals. Mick's second post from what Terry Frank has dubbed the "Marxists in Memphis" lead me to media blogger Richard Thompson, a Democrat and journalist, who wrote at his thoughtful MediaVerse blog:

The NCMR says its non-partisan but it isn't.

This conference has been a pseudo-Democratic convention, complete with a party presidential hopeful dropping in for a "surprise" appearance. (Do you think I'm that gullible?) I'm a lifelong Democrat, but as a journalist I can step outside of that allegiance because at times it's necessary for the sake of credibility.

Saturday's spoof of Bush, while funny, really showed that "media reform" is really just a code word for Democrats to control their own message - one disguised as being for the people, but it's really not and it can't be as long as the media is supposed to exist separate of the political paradigm. Media reform, in my mind, is supposed to ensure that separation.

This conference was about elections, not newspapers and TV stations.

moving forward in Congress

Comments

Whyisit the communist/socialist ideal is so compelling to some?

Has anyone done a study as to whether this malady is learned or innate?

Posted by: jimmy at January 17, 2007 8:51 AM

"The National Conference on Media Reform is and always was about silencing conservatives..."

Seriously? You believe that?

You'll get no argument from me that the conference was overrun with Democratic lawmakers, Democratic hopefuls, and private citizens of the every left-leaning stripe. But it has nothing to do with silencing conservatives and everything to do with the effects of media consolidation on investigative journalism and diversity of opinion.

Look at Nashville. We're a blue county in the middle of a red state. A Democratic majority. Yet, there's approximately 170 hours of conservative commercial talk radio each week and 0 hours of liberal talk. "Silence conservatives?" I bet the majority of the Nashvillians at the conference would be happy if the split were more like 140/30.

Thompson's point is a good one but what he doesn't get is that every person at that conference was fighting for media reform for all Americans. They may be partisans, but they're partisans who will fight for equal net access to moveon.org and billhobbs.com, as well as more good, solid investigative journalism and diversity of opinion.

And I can guarantee you that more conservative callers get through on liberal talk radio shows than liberal callers get through on conservative talk radio shows. We want to debate the issues with those that disagree with us. We actually let those calls through. Can you say the same for Gill or Limbaugh?

Media reform and anti-media consolidation should be a bi-partisan issue (and it is - check out the NRA's position if you don't believe me) because debate and diversity of opionion is the life's blood of our democracy. That's what the National Conference on Media Reform is about.

Posted by: Mary Mancini at January 17, 2007 6:20 PM

If you believe the centerline for politics is ABC, CBS, and NBC; and if you think the Mecca of moderation is found in the New York and LA Times then I'm sure you'd want to seek 'balance' in the broadcast radio arena.

Problem is, Liberal (capital L) ideals have a hard time standing up under the format of any interactive media where platitudes can be countered with reason.

Posted by: jimmy at January 18, 2007 9:01 AM