Media

2007.07.28

Take action against Fox advertisers

Picphoto072707oreilly  In July, Bill O'Reilly and his supporters took action against jetblue for sponsoring the Yearly Kos Convention, and in the end scared the company into dropping its spot.

If the 'fair and balanced' personalities over at Fox can scare sponsors into steering clear of a people-powered convention, then you and I can do the same to Rupert Murdoch.

The Blue State is joining alongside MoveOn.org and DailyKos to encourage every single blog reader to write an email to companies that advertise on Fox news.  All it takes is just a few minutes.  For example, try emailing Home Depot, which is a heavy advertiser on Fox.  Tell them you will boycott their company because it funds unfair and unbalanced news personalities that are hurting our country:

I am focusing on Home Depot because they are a national company.  But I encourage all of you to call, email or write to local advertisers, since they are the most likely to change course.

If this is not a big issue to you, then don't do anything.  But if you think Fox News is hurting America and want to do something about it, then this is an effective way to take action.  Join us in this effort! 

2007.07.20

Lies and Hypocrisy

Bill_o_site On Monday's (7/16) O'Reilly Factor Wild Willy set his gears into motion and went on a tear against Jet Blue for "advocating" far left radicalhate.

"What do you think of someone who says the following: 'The world wouldbe better off without him.' That came after Tony Snow announced his cancer hadreturned. Or this: 'The Pope is a primate' ... 'evangelicals are nut cases' ...and some attacks against coalition forces in Iraq are legitimate. All of thosethoughts were posted on a vicious far-left web site called the DailyKos, one ofthe worst examples of hatred America has to offer. That web site is having aconvention in Chicago, and only one major company has stepped up as a sponsor -JetBlue, the airline that melted down this winter. We contacted JetBlue to askwhy it would sponsor a hateful web site. There was no answer, so we sentproducer Jesse Watters to see JetBlue CEO David Barger, who said there is 'noalignment' between the business and politics, and JetBlue customers will 'drawtheir own conclusion.' It is beyond belief that a company like JetBlue wouldsponsor hate mongers like the DailyKos. There comes a time when Americanconsumers have to take a stand and this is one of those times. This isn't anideological issue - if a company was sponsoring a David Duke convention we'd dothe same story. Hate is hate, no matter where it comes from."

-Firstof all, what O'Reilly is referring to are comments left by visitors, nota "post" by The Daily Kos (asJane Hall points out in video). Jane Hall is probably one of the few reasonably fair & balanced commentators on FNC.

O'Reilly did a follow up segment onThursday's show (7/19) 'JetBlue Changes Course'

"Earlier this week we confronted JetBlue CEODave Barger about his airline's sponsoring a conference held by the hate-filledweb site 'Daily Kos.' The hate this web site traffics in rivals KKK and Naziweb sites. Well, today the CEO sent us a statement saying 'we've asked tohave our name removed from their website to avoid confusion.' The mistakeJetBlue made was hooking up with haters. Any corporation or politician whoassociates with character assassins and/or defamers with will be scrutinized. Anumber of Democratic politicians are set to speak at the Kos convention, andwe'll report on that next week. Unfortunately, some Americans do wallow in hate,so an Internet site can do some business peddling that garbage, and there are afew radio and TV performers who make a living smearing people as well. Butcorporations and powerful people must understand their responsibility to rejectthe haters and not support them in any way. That's what JetBlue missed, but weare really glad they have re-thought the situation."

It'simportant to point out that O'Reilly (in his own words) "you have to policeyour site, we do"...so in essence they go through the messages or previewbefore posting the comments by the "Members" (the only way toparticipate in O'Reilly's message boards, or to listen to his Radio Factor is to pay for a premiummembershit). Censorship on a blog, message board, discussion forum orcomment section in my opinion is basically fear of opinion. O'Reilly's choice ofpointing out a far right radical hater is a pretty poor choice, Fred Phelps of the  WestboroBaptist Church and their website GodHates Fags isn't even taken seriously by most. Wild Bill could have chosen AnnCoulter, Glenn Beck,Michael Savage etc. as afar right hater site.

You may ask "why watch O'Reilly...it's a waste of time", well I look at it this way, if I had two children and one was self efficient, reliable and truthful, and one that was an evil dangerous lier, I would most likely keep my eye on the latter.

Another interesting point where the Daily Kos asks why O'Reilly doesn't go after AOL. Read the hate thats spewed on AOL's discussion boards HERE

Bill O'Reilly-Jane Hall Jet Blue

Bill O Bashing Jet Blue

Bill O does mention Jet Blue provided him with a list of things they do for the military, and he does post them on his site, however after listing six of the things they do, his last bullet point is "...and more" (and MORE?, well list them). No Spinning in a Fair and Balanced world? ...not Fox and certainly not O'Reilly.

2007.07.08

Michelle Malkin: Disrespectful and Useless

I wasn't going to post this (it is a few days old), but it has been chapping my ass ever since I watched her sub for Bill O the other night, and it's a slow day.

In my opinion you don't have to agree with what people do on the web, but if you are interviewing them there should be at least a little respect shown. It seems as if she had them on for the simple reason to berate them. Her little sarcastic "sniff" made me want to jum into the TV.

Malkin gets flipped off by insulted guest. News Hounds has the story HERE

2007.07.07

8:00-9:00 PM EST & 11:00 PM-12:00 AM CNN 'Battlefield Breakdown'

So far its a great show. If you can't watch it, tape it.

2007.06.28

Editorial: The misconception about having conviction

Understandably, with all that has transpired during the Bush presidency, our country is more divided than ever.  Though, more and more, the media is lazily using this division as an explanation each time a progressive takes a strong stance on anything.  Since when did having conviction make you far-left?  The words 'liberal' and 'conservative' are supposed to describe policy.  They have nothing to do with whether you have the courage to stand up for yourself.

After the fierce exchange a few days ago between Elizabeth Edwards and Ann Coulter, the so-called 'pundits' are trying to simplify what this means in the context of the 2008 campaign.  They think that by standing up to Coulter, John Edwards is now all of a sudden farther to the left of Obama and Hillary.

Look at this pathetic excuse of a report from Scott Shepard of Cox News Service:

But independent analysts say the actions ofEdwards and his wife appear to be an attempt to position the candidateas the insurgent, to the left of his chief rivals for the nomination:Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. Andthere is general agreement among them that it is a smart move forEdwards, given the more centrist appeals of the two incumbent senators.

Aside from the sad fact that John Edwards and the code word 'insurgent' were used in the same sentence, I still don't understand how this makes Edwards more liberal.

Harry Reid is pro-life and anti-gun control.  But because he spoke to bloggers as last year's Kos Convention, by the media's standards that must make him a flaming socialist, right?  Contrary to conventional wisdom, you can be a political centrist and still have a spine.  Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jim Webb (D-VA), who fought hard against the establishment last fall, are living examples of that.

It is both lazy and repetitive when the media defines enthusiasm in terms of right or left.  We at The Blue State will continue to expose news agencies that misinform their readers.

2007.06.21

Renovations to the Gores home

Image_98After listening to Sean Hannity's (among other's) constantattempts at smearing Al Gore and trying to get everyone in the phone bookto say he is a hypocrite, I can't express how pleased I was when AssociatedPress Writer Erik Schelzig interviewedAl Gore about his 'green' lifestyle and his TN home's "green-ness".This information has been out for a couple of week, but is a great"at-a-glance" reference and worthy of having on hand.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Al Gore, the environmental activist stung by051031_gore criticismover his house's energy efficiency, said Friday that renovations are nearlycomplete to make it a model "green" home

"This plan has been in the works for a long time," the former vicepresident said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The only thingthat has changed is that we're more public about it because of the misleadingattack by a global-warming denier group."

Earlier this year, a conservative group criticized Gore, citing electricbills that were far more than the typical Nashville home. Utility records
showed the Gore family paid an average monthly electric bill of about $1,200last year for its 10,000-square-foot home.

Gore's renovation project, which he said has been in the works for months,seeks to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED,standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Once his upscale neighborhood changed zoning laws earlier this year, Gore wasable to place solar panels on his roof, and he's now preparing to
install a geothermal system that will, among other things, drastically reducethe cost of heating his pool.

Gore is also upgrading windows and ductwork, installing more energy-efficientlight bulbs and creating a rainwater collection system for
irrigation and water management

The home houses offices for Gore and his wife, Tipper, as well as acommercial kitchen for formal events.

Drew Johnson, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, thegroup that initially criticized Gore, said the "renovations areobviously in direct response to our finding that he's a hypocrite on the issueof global warming." Read on...

WhenHannity tried to get Arnold Schwarzenegger to buy into his "Gore's a hypocrite"theory-smear on 'Hannity's America', the governor responded to Hannity's long winded sales pitch:

Thegovernor diplomatically brought it up himself. Schwarzenegger said focusing onhow much a public figure contributes to global warming is fair game. "But Idon't think you should crucify someone like that, because if he does so muchgood and inspiring people and changes millions and millions of people to drivewith clean cars and inspires millions of people to use less energy, less waterand all of those things but in the meantime maybe he drives the bigger car, Ithink it is some what of an unfair thing to go and attack him. Yes there is ahypocrisy, absolutely."

Wonderingmind42On a global warming note: In lastnight's 'BlueNightowl Clips' post, we featured a video titled 'TheMost Terrifying Video You'll Ever See', where a rather knowledgeable H.S.science teacher  simplifies the global warming issue using common sense,and in a very humble way. His 3 follow-up videos titled 'PatchingHoles' (1,2 & 3) are more than worthy of viewing.

2007.06.14

FOX sells nine television affiliates, gears up for big buy

Picphoto061407fox Without explanation, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp announced that it is planning to sell nine of its FOX affiliates:

The stations are generally in the smallest markets among News Corp.'s35-station television group, including stations in Greensboro, N.C.,Memphis, and Birmingham, Ala.

The nine stations are WJW in Cleveland, OH; KDVR in Denver, CO; KTVI inSt. Louis, MO; WDAF in Kansas City, KS; WITI in Milwaukee, WI; KSTU inSalt Lake City, UT; WBRC in Birmingham, AL; WHBQ in Memphis, TN; andWGHP in Greensboro, NC.Picphoto061407wsj

News Corp, which has $7.3 billion in cash, might be cutting costs in order to secure its purchase of Dow Jones.  This is a very big story because Dow Jones owns the Wall Street Journal.  Many worry that Murdoch's reputation at FOX could damage the credibility of the Wall Street Journal -- making it more into a tabloid magazine like the NY Post, which Murdoch also owns.

So at the moment, the Bancroft family, which owns Dow Jones, wants to install safeguards that would protect the journalistic independence of the Wall Street Journal:

The Bancrofts have said they will continue talks with Rupert Murdoch'smedia giant only if an agreement is reached first on formal safeguardsfor the Journal, Dow Jones's flagship newspaper.

Whether you like the Wall Street Journal or not, most serious news readers agree that it is miles ahead of the New York Post in terms of its objectivity.  If Murdoch owns both newspapers, it will be a sad day for the newspaper industry.

2007.06.06

Net Neutrality 101: Get Involved

Most of us have heard the term NetNeutrality, some understand it and some don't. so I decided to help thosethat don't and keep it fresh in the minds of those that do. Crooks& Liars inspired me with their post 'There'sa problem. It's called Net Neutrality'

The easiest way to explain what Net Neutrality is, and the issues surroundingit, is through Save The Internet'svideo 'Save The Internet'. You can go to SaveThe Internet and click on your state and see where your representatives standon this issue. You can also send them messages through the site. More videos at Save The Internet's YouTube account

Save The Internet (explains Net Neutrality)

Big Ed's Swan Song (their latest video)

We're all guilty of sitting around complaining about issues, but rarely take the initiative to do our part. Let's not be sitting around drinking coffee in 5 years wishing we did our part.

2007.06.03

Fox News: What war?

The Project for Excellence in Journalism released their Spring News Coverage Index report last week.  The results: CNN and MSNBC have spent significantly more time reporting on the Iraq War and the Attorney General firings than Fox News has.  This chart explains best:

Iraq War Total (all 3 threads)

2008 Presidential Campaign

Anna Nicole Smith

Cable Daytime

15%

7%

11%

CNN

20

2

5

Fox News

6

5

17

MSNBC

18

16

10

Cable Evening

25%

10%

6%

CNN

26

8

4

Fox News

17

10

8

MSNBC

36

13

4

The disappointing finding is that daytime cable television has basically taken to scooping Access Hollywood. This chart alone confirms that turning on any one of the major news networks before 5pm is a officially a waste of time.

As expected though, Fox News is seeing to it that its loyal audience remains uninformed about the war in Iraq, the humane disaster in Iraq, the national (lack of) debate about Iraq and how Iraq affects millions of people in the US and around the world every day. Fox has also killed the US Attorney firings scandal, devoting just 2% of the air time to this story.

If it's not on the news, then it's not important, right? Sure.

I'm not here to use Fox as bunching bag though, the war coverage numbers on the other stations, while relatively higher than Fox's are also alarmingly low. Do you think that during WWII, Anna Nicole would have trumped war coverage for 5 seconds? They cancelled baseball seasons for god sakes!  And clearly the Iraq War is at least as crucial, for as our President says:

"The war against this enemy is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century and the calling of our generation."

Sounds like a big story to me. 

Anyway the moral of this story is do not be single sourced. And if you want accurate, unadulterated news without air brushed facts, without someone screaming at you and without mezmorizing graphics, start with your local NPR station.

2007.05.30

Q: What Do You Call a Song Titled 'Let's Impeach The President'? A: A Good Start

I feel compelled to find and post the truth every time I hear Our GreatPresident open his mouth which has become synonymous with lying.Thanks again to "granny" for sending us the link for the video.

It didn't take the liberal bloggers and general long public to react and speak outagainst the dems for caving in on the funding bill. And it seems that theybetter grow a set quickly before we start shopping around. Think about this fora moment, you tell your spouse or significant other you are going shopping, butinstead go to a friends house...simple right? umm, NO!, you are confronted bythem and are told you lied. Maybe that's a simple minded analogy, but comparethat to The President of the United States lying on an ongoing basis, changingthe story and then his supporters actually lie further to support him. Wrong,just plain old everyday kindergartenly,  fundamentally, unacceptably wrong.

Well lets start this thing....

'Let's Impeach The President' Song by Neil Youg. Check out Neils page of Song Videos HERE.(check out the hompage)The Lyrics are HERE.

I do not like Andy Dick in just about everything I have ever seen himin...except this video

'Bush Idiot Speech'

Here is a huge list of anti-warsongs worth a peak. Listof Bush lies.

There is just so much more content which could be added to this post, but Ineed to move on from this "consumption" of me.

Recent Comments

Stats

Legal

  • All literature taken off this page and reprinted must be properly quoted and linked.
  • Copyright 2008: Todd Haskins, The Blue State www.thebluestate.com thebluestate.typepad.com

Blue Ads

Blogad Network