ACTION ALERT: ALL DU NEEDED to take Action NOW!

[Up2Late]

I just heard this story on NPR's "All Things Considered" and felt the need for a call to action. Below is the NPR website Story summery of a story that boasts about the "Power of RW Conservative Blogs and Bloggers. Andrea S.F. Seabrook sighted the Eason Jordon/CNN story as the most recent example of this "power," the story even included a clip of KKKarl's speech at some sort of "Conservative" Conference/meet-up in D.C. Their was not even a passing mention of ANY Left-wing Blog or discussion board!:grr:

Audio for this story will be available at approx. 7:30 p.m. ET
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4504846>

It's time to show NPR the "Power" of the Left-Wing Bloggers. I'd like to request everyone listen to this outrageously biased report, then write a one or two paragraph email to [e-mail] and express your frustration or outrage. :grr:

This would also be a golden opportunity to request a follow up story Re: Jeff Gannon/Gannongate.

You might want to C.C. NPR's Ombudsman, Jeffrey A. Dvorkin at the link below (I'm not sure of his direct email, the link below is for a form page)

<http://www.npr.org/templates/contact/index.php?personId=2781801&columnId=2781901>

Republicans Turn to Blogs to Deliver a Message

by Andrea S.F. Seabrook

Audio for this story will be available at approx. 7:30 p.m. ET
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4504846>

All Things Considered, February 18, 2005 ·
For some time, conservative Republicans have used talk radio shows to help carry their message -- and a GOP view of news events -- to the nation. Now they're using Web logs and bloggers to similar advantage.:grr:

[blm]

1. They always forget that Cong. Schrock RESIGNED after he was outed by blogs

for his hypocrisy as one of the most conservative Republicans who sponsored anti-gay legislation at the same time he was soliciting for gay sex partners.

Schrock (R-Va) resigned right before the Republican convention and the media barely mentioned it. He was Pat Robertson's congressman.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Up2Late]

4. Yup, that's the one, the growing anger blocked my memory

Folks, I don't know how many of you have given up on NPR, but I haven't. They are not so far gone as to be un-savable. We can't let NPR go down the "pandering to the RW" or the "we need to be 'fair and balanced' for the RW too" road.

I'm a big fan of NPR, but it has been going down hill, probably because of RW pressure tactics. Let's not just roll over on this one too.

Fight back, it's important. Maybe not for you, but do it for the "Swing Voters.":evilgrin:

[BrklynLiberal]

3. The New McCarthyism by Jack Lessenberry

Many years ago, Charles Eisendrath, who runs the Knight-Wallace fellowship program at the University of Michigan, told me he had just met a brilliant young man who was reinventing international news coverage.
His name was Eason Jordan, and at that time he was in charge of international news at CNN, which, as you may remember, beat the dung out of the traditional networks with its coverage of the 1991 Gulf War. Jordan then was barely 30; after that his rise was steady, and as of a week ago he was the network’s executive vice-president and chief executive for news.

Then, last week, in a stunning act of complete moral cowardice on the part of the network, he resigned. Why? Because at a panel discussion last month at something called the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, he allegedly said — apparently nobody can prove this — that he believed some journalists who had been killed in the Iraq quagmire had been “targeted” by coalition forces.

That raised eyebrows, and he quickly backed off the remarks, saying he had misspoken. “I never meant to imply U.S. forces acted with ill intent when U.S. forces accidentally killed journalists, and I apologize to anyone who thought I said or believed otherwise,” he told staffers at CNN.

That ought to have ended any controversy, which should have been seen as a tempest in a paper cup on a slow news day. But the real terrorists that this nation should fear then went to work: the right-wing ideologues in our media and government, who are far more dangerous to our country than al Qaeda could ever be, and, yes, you can quote me.
<snip>

more...
http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=7335

[Up2Late]

6. Good article, Thanks

I'll read the rest in a minute.:hippie:

[Spiffarino]

5. I'll wait until I can hear the audio

I don't ever comment on things I haven't already heard, read or seen.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Up2Late]

7. Always a good Idea

You can get the full effect of the Rove BS:evilgrin:

[Up2Late]

8. NPR Audio available NOW!

At link above or here :mad:
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4504846>

[Spiffarino]

9. It's a story about conservative blogs only

Yep, it all about Rove, CPAC, and the neocon blogs.

I'm going after this. They need to hear from all of us. Not a thing about the left side of the spectrum.

Evil, evil bastards.

EDIT: Here's my email to them:

Dear All Things Considered,

I just listened to your highly partisan story from CPAC and I have to say I'm fairly sickened by it. There was no mention of Democratic, liberal or other left-leaning blogs. Just a lot of bloviating about how powerful the conservative blogs have become. No balance, not even a passing reference to the fact that there are other blogs out there that counter the noise of the right-wing echo chamber.

Listen up. There are many, many left-leaning blogs out there. And, if you check the Alexa traffic reports, you will find they are doing fine - and usually far better - than their right-wing opposites. For example, the most popular right-wing online forum, www.freerepublic.com, garnered about one-third the traffic of the most popular left-wing forum, www.democraticunderground.com. If you had been doing your job, you probably would have found that out. Or did you already know? Hmmm...

I used to be a regular contributor to NPR. However, during the last fund-raiser, I took a pass. After this, I don't know if I'll ever spend another dime on you. If this kind of bias continues, I'll probably stop listening altogether.


Sincerely,

(Spiffarino)
Asheville, NC
Former WCQS contributor