What Liberal Media? - By Eric Alterman

[Lefty48197]

I've only just started reading this book, but I think I can recommend it to EVERYBODY already. Eric makes it clear that he intends to attack the myth of the "So-called Liberal Media", a phrase that he uses so often, he shortens it to SCLM. I'm only through the first two chapters, but he's doing one heck of a job already. By page 5, he had ripped Ann Coulter a THIRD A-hole, and I get the feeling he's not done with her.
To anyone interested in the lie that there is a liberal media bias, I would recommend this book highly. In fact, it gets a "Two Thumbs Up" from Lefty's book review club. Suddely, I'm a big fan of Eric Alterman.
http://www.whatliberalmedia.com

[Richardo]

1. I used this progression: Alterman, Conason, Franken....

by accident, of course.

Alterman's book is the most comprehensive documentation, Conason distills and organizes a lot of that material into the Big Lies of the right, and of course Franken uses all of that material and his own TeamFranken research is his excellent book, which I tore through in 2 1/2 days.

Great stuff, all.

[Touchdown]

2. Just finished that 2 weeks ago.

Yeah, great book. Didn't cover much that I didn't already know, but having it all in a single repository is an advantage.:thumbsup:

[Khephra]

3. I agree...excellent book

I'm about half-way into it right now.

[Sperk]

4. I bought the "What Liberal Media" for a friend

I haven't read it yet but she was diappointed that no one is pointing out how the networks are controlled by the corp. that own them and how they are NOT ALLOWED to tell us so much. And therefore the reporters are just as responsible for the troubles in America because how how they deliberately keep so much from the American publeic. She calls it "constant lies by ommision". As opposed to the suggestion that the media is somehow the peoples fault for wanting the hear all the crap on the news. Did anyone else feel that way when reading the book?

I think we have an excellent example of this over the last few days in the total American media blackout of the guardian article accusing Smirky of treason. You'd think that would be newsworthy, wouldn't you? Is there any real excuse for not letting the Americans in on what is an explosive story in England?

[Lefty48197]

7. Chapter 2: You're only as liberal as the man who owns you

"The reporter, the editor, the producer, and the executive producer all understand implicitly that their jobs depend in part on keeping their corporate parents happy."

"...the potential employment pool for journalists - was fifty. Today we are down to six."

[Sweetpea]

5. Eric's book is very well written.

[Lefty48197]

6. A couple of quotes from the book:

(about Coulter's "Slander" and Bernard Goldberg's "expose" about CBS) Alterman wrote, "Both books are so shoddily written and "researched" that they pretty much refute themselves... ... In fact, barely any of the major allegations in either book stand up to more than a moment's scrutiny. The entire case is a lie, and yes, in many instances, a slander... ...The myth of the "liberal media"
empowers conservatives to control debate in the United States to the point where liberals cannot even hope for a fair shake anymore. However immodest my goal, I aim to change that.
I first met Ann Coulter in 1996 when we were both hired to be pundits on the new cable news station, MSNBC. Still just a right-wing congressional aide, she had been hired without even a hint of journalistic experieice but with a mouth so vicious she made her fellow leggy blond pundit, Laura Ingraham, look and sound like Mary Tyler Moore in comparison."

"In her second book-length primal scream, published in the summer of 2002, Coulter compared Katie Couric of the Today show to Eva Braun. (She would later add Joseph Goebbels after Couric challenged her in an interview.)...

...demonstrates the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of a journalistic culture that allows her near a microphone, much less a printing press."

I would LOVE to see Alterman debate Coulter on TV! Now THAT would be entertainment!

[Sweetpea]

10. They have been on shows together but his personality is not like

a pitbull so he doesn't get through.

[arcane1]

8. we are at approximately the same place in the book

I am in the early chapter about print punditocracy

and you are right, Eric fires both barrels!!!

next up after this:

Will Pitt's "Greatest Sedition is Silence"

Gore Vidal's "Dreaming War"

Al Franken's "Lying Liars..."

and "Big Lies"


lots O' reading to do this fall!!!!

[KoKo]

9. Another plug for Alterman's book! Others have already listed the strong

points, and while many of us know alot about our Media there are some great "insider" tibits that I didn't know. I really liked his chapter about MSNBC, the Bubble and the intrigue behind the "financial" reporting during that time. The description of CNBC's "Maria" and her relationship to Jim Kramer during the "Bubble Heydey" is was worth the price of the book! But, the book is also great for reference.......and background on how the media operates.

His expose of writers, like David Broder of "Wash. Post," whom most of us thought were "liberal" but really aren't, is also worth it for the "heads up" insider view he provides.

Hope more people will check it out and purchase it. Particularly the young DU Newbies who haven't had as much exposure here as to what the "whore press" is about, (and has been about), for so many years in our country.