by D. Cupples | Apparently, it's media-bias day at BN-Politics. Some media outlets don't even try to hide the fact that they've unofficially joined the Obama campaign. Some are more subtle: instead of worshiping Obama or trashing Hillary, they merely present or omit "facts" in a way that gives a vague impression.
Case in point: last night, a segment on ABC News discussed which presidential candidate some soldiers in Iraq are supporting. The segment started with a soldier who supports Barack Obama then showed a few brief comments from other soldiers: as I recall, more than one support Obama, and more than one support Hillary.
This morning, ABC's Internet version of the story gives a different impression.
On the first page of ABC's two-page story, three Obama-supporting soldiers are mentioned. Anyone who's too busy (or bored) to click onto the second page might get the false impression that none of the soldiers support Hillary Clinton.
Those who click to the second page would see mention of only one soldier who supports Hillary (though last night's video shows two or three). To see honorable mention of Hillary, one must go half way down the second page.
The final words of the article are another pro-Obama statement:
"When asked if he was concerned about criticism that Obama had less political experience than some of the other candidates, the battle-weary soldier replied, 'No, I think being a decent leader doesn't have to do anything with experience much.'" (ABC)
At one point, interviewer Martha Raddatz asked a soldier why he supports Obama. He said that Obama wants to stop the war. Raddatz added:
"He wants to pull out of Iraq right away." (ABC video)
Perhaps Ms. Raddatz hadn't heard that Obama's ex-foreign policy adviser Samantha Power had told British media that Obama wasn't even committed to the withdraw-in-16-months plan that he has discussed during the campaign.
Perhaps Ms. Raddatz simply defines "right away" differently than many of her fellow English speakers.
Perhaps Ms. Raddatz hadn't heard that Obama's response to the uproar over Ms. Power's statement was to affirm what Ms. Power had said.
The campaigning of Raddatz (or an ABC editor) is subtle, to be sure -- not anywhere near MSNBC's overt, pro-Obama or anti-Hillary campaigning.
But whoever edited ABC's Internet article certainly does leave out and re-organize some of the "facts" that were in last night's video.
Memeorandum has commentary.
Related BN-Politics Posts:
* Media Bias Bigger than Presidential Race: Smack Down Overdue
* Anti-Media Bias Protest in NYC this Friday
* Who checks the Fact Checkers? Media's Clinton Story Revealed
* Studies Show Pro-Obama (or Anti-Hillary) Media Bias
* The Media & Obama: Good Intentions Paving Rough Road
* Media Fashions Bill Clinton's Words into Corkscrew
* Is MSNBC Biased Toward Obama or Against Hillary?
.
Comments