The mainstream media's liberal slant is never more obvious than
when supposedly neutral reporters fall all over themselves trying
to lend credibility to leftist gimmicks like the "Million Mom
March" and "Earth Day." Now, the media are really letting their
bias show as they lend a helping hand of publicity to Air America,
the self-described liberal alternative to conservative radio
powerhouses like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
But the liberal "network" is all hype -- just five stations and a
channel on XM satellite radio. It's the creation of liberal
millionaires, not the free market. Yet the media elite seem to
love the idea of liberal talk radio as much as they have
denigrated and demeaned conservative talk radio over the years.
Back on January 3, 1995, just after Republicans won Congress, NBC
Nightly News reporter Bob Faw channeled unhappy liberals, asking
whether "talk radio is not democracy in action, but democracy run
amok." After the Oklahoma City bombing, Bryant Gumbel smarmily
insinuated on Today that right-wing radio hosts were to blame:
"Never do most of the radio hosts encourage outright violence, but
the extent to which their attitudes may embolden and encourage
some extremists has clearly become an issue."
Now NBC -- an organization that does not admit to any liberal bias
-- is pulling out all stops to help a network that hopes to
embolden and encourage liberal extremists. A key talking point:
that there are no liberals on radio right now. "Al Franken is
looking to give liberals a voice on the radio," NBC's Matt Lauer
dutifully plugged on this morning's Today show shortly before
Katie Couric interviewed Franken and Air America CEO Mark Walsh.
According to reporter Elizabeth Jensen in Monday's Los Angeles
Times, NBC is working overtime to assist Franken's new adventure:
"NBC News will feature Air America on Today, NBC Nightly News,
MSNBC and CNBC, according to an Air America publicist." Sure
enough, MSNBC cut into its Wednesday programming to show Franken
at his Air America microphone alongside co-host Katherine Lanpher.
But it's not just NBC that's pushing this Democratic dream. ABC's
Jake Tapper profiled the network on Sunday. CNN, which put Franken
and fellow Air America host Janeane Garofalo in the liberal seats
on Crossfire last summer, has given the story heavy play. Newsweek
donated a three-page spread in its March 29 issue. The New York
Times gave Franken the cover of its Sunday magazine ("he's full of
energy, bursting with ideas"), and the network got an Arts section
profile this morning. Media reporter Jacques Steinberg printed
some of Garofalo and co-host Sam Seder's hatefulness, then allowed
Garofalo to observe how liberals are "nicer" than conservatives. |
