Permanent link to MTA daily media news

I will be a guest on Head-On with Bob Kincaid today at 6:00 PM ET.  Listen to Bob from 6:00 to 9:00 PM ET every weekday on the Head-On Radio Network.

POLL: Over Half Of Americans Say They Do Not Trust The Press (Think Progress)
A new Harris Interactive poll finds that over half of Americans — 54 percent — say they tend not to trust the press, “with only 30 percent tending to trust the press.” More Americans (41 percent) trust “Internet news and information sites” than they do the mainstream media. Radio tends to do best among Americans as 44 percent say they tend to trust it. The Harris results reflect the findings of a Harvard University study conducted last year, which found “nearly two-thirds of Americans do not trust campaign coverage by the news media.”

Resource: Culture, gender and growth
Discrimination against women significantly hampers the economic development of many poor countries. This column introduces two new OECD Development Centre efforts to assess and reduce gender discrimination, including a new portal www.wikigender.org.
The article has a great quote from Somerset Maugham: “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”  That observation, along with the knowledge we’re gaining about humans’ ability to overcome even built-in biases and prejudices, should help us understand how important it is to use the tools at our disposal to fight, and change, those biases and prejudices.  And isn’t it interesting how often we’re finding that what liberals see as a moral imperative can also be important for economic growth?  When business leaders can be convinced that doing good will help their companies do well in the long term, and they are given incentives to care about how well their companies do in the long term, more than half the battle has been won.  Why aren’t we liberals and progressives banding together to push these themes in the media?

Get the word out: TELEPHONE COMPANIES WANT TO BE OFF THE HOOK
For an industry that exists to enhance communication, the telecom industry is awfully quiet these days. Instead, as members of Congress debate this week whether to provide immunity from lawsuits for those companies that allegedly cooperated with the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, the telecom industry has reached out and touched lawmakers with cash. The Center for Responsive Politics has found that lawmakers who’ve voted to protect telecom companies from privacy lawsuits also tend to have received more money from the industry than those who have taken the opposite view.

McCain, Clinton React to NYC’s Times Square Explosion (The Page, Time Magazine, thanks to No Quarter)
McCain calls attack “unacceptable,” says he has been assured a full investigation is taking place… Clinton says she’s “concerned” and authorities “should be given every resource and every tool” to quickly investigate what happened.
Crickets chirping, apparently, from the Obama campaign.  Click through for links to the two campaigns’ full statements.

Breaking: Obama “Not Ready” For 3am Call… (by Alegre, posting at No Quarter)
…according to his senior foreign policy advisor, Susan Rice, when she appeared [Thursday] on MSNBC. Sen. Obama’s top foreign policy advisor came right out and said that he’s not ready to take that call.
Click through to watch the video.  Of course, Rice claims that neither Clinton nor Obama is ready to take that call, but security expert Larry Johnson disagrees with her about Clinton.  See below.

Obama and His Advisors Not Ready for Prime Time (by Larry Johnson at No Quarter)
I have had the opportunity to brief Senator Clinton twice on terrorism and Iraq during the last three years. During the course of my career at the CIA, State Department, and as a consultant, I have briefed in one form or fashion more than 60 members of Congress, a Vice President, and a President. I have participated in briefings for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior military commanders. I entered my first meeting with Hillary with strong reservations about her competence (based entirely on what I had heard and read in the media). I walked out of that meeting very impressed. Hands down, I found her to be the most impressive person I had had the privilege to brief.
Johnson goes on to say that Clinton is better at understanding the implications for U.S. national interests of any threats, that she knows the bureaucratic tools and resources available for addressing problems, and that her foreign policy team is much better than Obama’s.  Click through to read the entire post.  It’s a very impressive endorsement.

Keith Olbermann eviscerates Hillary: “Look I can be president, I was married to one!” (by John Aravosis at AMERICAblog)
Tonight on his show, Keith Olbermann eviscerated Hillary Clinton for a good ten minutes for promoting John McCain’s presidency over her fellow Democrats. He compared her to Joe Lieberman. He asked “is she equating her time in the East Wing with McCain’s time in the Hanoi Hilton?” You have got to watch these videos. They’re devastating in only the way that Keith can be.
My comment: This is exactly the kind of demeaning attack that turned me into a rabid Clinton supporter, and I’m not the only one.  So keep on keepin’ on, all you white males who feel you have to denigrate Hillary Clinton.  The more you berate her, the more you create strong support for her.

‘Hillary Clinton’s a monster’: Obama aide blurts out attack in Scotsman interview
HILLARY Clinton has been branded a “monster” by one of Barack Obama’s top advisers, as the gloves come off in the race to win the Democrat nomination. In an unguarded moment during an interview with The Scotsman in London, Samantha Power, Mr Obama’s key foreign policy aide, let slip the camp’s true feelings about the former first lady.

FactCheck says charge that Clinton ad darkened Obama’s skin is ‘unsubstantiated’ (On Politics, USA Today)
There’s been a lot of blogging the past few days about whether a TV ad produced by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign intentionally darkens Sen. Barack Obama’s skin. Contributors to the liberal Daily Kos blog have been particularly vocal in charging that the Clinton team did it intentionally. Clinton’s aides say that’s not true. Now, the non-partisan FactCheck.org has weighed in. Its conclusion: “We see no reason to conclude that this is anything more than a standard attempt to make an attack ad appear sinister, rather than a special effort to exploit racial bias as some Obama supporters are saying.”
See?  It’s always a good idea to wait until the experts have weighed in on these things before flying off the handle.  But that’s what Clinton haters always do, is fly off the handle.

Will Clinton-Obama fight injure Democrats?
WASHINGTON — Let Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama rip each other apart. It’s really no problem for the Democratic Party, veteran California Democratic strategist Bob Mulholland said. “This is not a debate about ideology or war,” he said. “This is about which one we Democrats love the most.”
Actually, in my case, it’s about which of the two pro-war, pro-corporate candidates left to us is better fit, by temperament and experience, to fight the right-wing crazies.  In my mind, Hillary Clinton is that candidate.

The Clinton Rules for the Obamas (by Dave Neiwert at Orcinus)
[B]oth Obamas are going to get the Clinton treatment. It happened to Al Gore and John Kerry as well. And we’ve already seen it in action this week. It’s really just getting underway now, but expect it to be operating at full tilt by midsummer. What we’re confronted with is a Beltway media mindset that is systemically hostile to Democrats while simultaneously coddling (and propping up) conservatives. It’s just a fact of life, and an ugly one. And until self-hating “liberals” come to grips with that reality, they’re doomed to irrelevance.
My comment: So Dave, Why can’t we progressives who do understand the problem with the media get together to change the dynamic?

Mythbuster: Dirty Delegate Truths (by Craig Crawford, CQ Politics)
Delegate counting in the Democratic contest has become one of those goofy media exercises now that we have such a tight race where the outcome is not likely to be settled for a very long time. The so-called “hard counts” of delegates could prove to be even less reliable than predicting the outcome of a sporting event with nothing but statistics… For starters, forget about hard counting delegates from just about any caucus state. In many cases, including Iowa, delegates are not directly elected to the national convention. Instead, only delegates to in-state conventions are picked. And final choices on national delegates are not made until late spring, usually at statewide conventions… There is also a dirty secret about pledged delegates, those who are directly elected in primaries. They are “pledged,” but not all are “bound.”
Click through for more truths about why the current delegate counts aren’t reliable.

The Shortest Comeback in History (by John Aravosis at AMERICAblog)
From AP: “Hillary Rodham Clinton won’t catch Barack Obama in the race for Democratic delegates chosen in primaries and caucuses, even if she wins every remaining contest.” So much for Hillary’s comeback. Of course, the media knew this Tuesday night, but it was more fun to pretend like Hillary’s momentum (yes, winning a state that she was already expected to win for the past 14 months is now momentum and a comeback) was going to make this an all new race. Now, to be fair, Obama can’t reach the magic number of 2,025 total delegates either - not without the help of the Superdelegates. But note that the AP article is now definitively saying that not only can’t Hillary reach 2,025 delegates, she also can’t even catch up to Obama in terms of pledged (elected) delegates even if she wins every race.
My comment: Craig Crawford shows us that the current delegate counts don’t mean much, anyway. [See the excerpt above this one.] And a lot of people think the drama of this primary has been the best thing for the Democratic Party in many years. Walter Shapiro, in Let ‘em duke it out: “The Project for Excellence in Journalism, which monitors media coverage, found that last week the Democratic race generated four times the attention of the Republicans… So rather than fantasizing about a soporific and conflict-free nomination fight, the Democrats should recognize the value of what they have stumbled into.”

Perino: McCain and Bush have always been ‘buddies.’ (Think Progress)
On Fox and Friends this morning, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino called President Bush’s anointment of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) as his chosen successor “a significant and symbolic moment.” Perino then described Bush and McCain’s friendship, including how after the 2000 primary, “McCain went on to work his tail off to help this president.” She said that they were never “enemies” or “rivals,” but always “buddies.”…  Bush and McCain’s embrace yesterday was a “symbolic moment.” Symbolic of the fact that McCain represents a “third Bush term.”
Third term.  Did I call it, or what?  Oh, and I have to ask, were they buddies when the Bush campaign said in South Carolina in 2000 that John McCain was an insane father of a Black baby?  Click through to watch the video.

Being a senator not a ‘high priority’ for McCain. (Think Progress)
John McCain (R-AZ) has already missed 57 percent of the Senate votes this session. Today, The Hill reports that McCain will likely continue to “steer far away from his day job in the United States Senate” in order to avoid “politically sensitive votes.” Campaign adviser Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) confirmed that voting in the Senate isn’t “a high priority” for McCain.
And being president has never been a high priority for Bush.  Peas in a pod, wouldn’t you say?

Fewer Reporters on Rice’s Plane
[Condoleezza] Rice, now in her final year as Secretary [of State], scored a minor diplomatic advance this week when she convinced Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to restart peace talks with Israel. But there are vastly fewer reporters around to record her acheivement. The three wire services–Associated Press, Reuters and Agence-France Presse–are on board. Bloomberg News and National Public Radio took seats. But only three newspapers–The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Washington Times–are on the plane, down from the standard five. And the networks did not even bother to send a camera crew, let alone a correspondent.

Media Matters for America headlines

• Des Moines Register, AP left out McCain reversals in reporting on his immigration position

• Matthews again accused Clinton of fostering doubt about Obama’s religion

• Matthews: “Pennsylvania prefers a beefier sort to either of these people, a more rustic, tougher sort than” Obama or Clinton

• News outlets contrast McCain and Bush on taxes without noting McCain wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent

• Russert asserted GOP says McCain will appeal to states “moving back to a more … moderate Republican” — but he’s a “conservative”

• Fox’s Cameron reported that McCain called for “respectful campaign,” not McCain’s touting of endorsement from TN GOP chair

• In editorial, NY Times misrepresented Obama’s position on public financing

• Time’s Jay Newton-Small asked about “concerns” that “the Clintons might yet again burn down the Democratic Party”

• WSJ quoted McCain touting his “pro-environment positions,” but didn’t note his poor LCV score

• CNN’s Borger falsely asserted McCain “absolutely” “called for [Rumsfeld] to be fired”

• Wash. Post’s Meyerson asserted Clinton “hemm[ed] and haw[ed]” over Obama’s religion

AP Chief: Press Freedoms Among Casualties of 9/11
Associated Press President/CEO Tom Curley said Thursday that the shadow of the Sept. 11 terror attacks is eclipsing press freedom and other constitutional safeguards in the United States. Curley is the recipient of the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation’s First Amendment Leadership Award.

FCC vs. The Public (Think Again by Eric Alterman, Center for American Progress)
Looking for evidence of the Bush administration’s distaste for oversight and responsible government? Look no further than the FCC.
“Distaste”?  I’d go much further, Eric, and say that it has been the Bush administration’s mission to destroy every function of government, including defense, though that one was probably unintentially.

NPR CEO Ken Stern Resigns Abruptly; Differences Over Digital Media Part of It (Paid Content)
Ken Stern, the CEO of National Public Radio, has abruptly resigned, apparently over clashes on NPR’s digital media startegy. Stern, who spoke at our EconSM conference last year, was with NPR for 10 years and was appointed the CEO in Sep. 2006, and had pushed for more digital media outlets and distribution for the public broadcasting firm, which as [a] WaPo story says, “often riled station managers, who saw them coming at the expense of serving the hundreds of public stations that pay dues annually to NPR.”…

Also today, … CBS vet Dick Meyer told readers of his online column that he was leaving for NPR. He didn’t offer details there but we can tell you Meyer has signed on as editorial director for digital media, effective April 7. Meyer, at CBS for 23 years, most recently has been the editorial director of CBSNews.com. His move comes after severe cuts at CBSNews.com, which lost roughly 30 percent of its already small staff late last year. The cuts were seen internally by some as an indication that CBS was not committed to its online news site; we were told then that some believed CBS Interactive head Quincy Smith wanted to do away with the site altogether—or, at least, its staff. 

Russia’s RuTube Video Site Sells To Gazprom; Valued At $15 Million: Report (Paid Content)
The media division of Russia’s gas giant Gazprom is buying a majority stake in RuTube, valuing the video upload site at $15 million, business paper Kommersant reports, citing a “source close to the deal”… Gazprom Media has bought stakes in independent media operators including NTV, Tribuna newspaper and the Ekho Moskvy radio network.
The gas company owns media?  Well, I guess that’s not much different from GE owning NBC.

Show Me the Money: Why Have the Media Overlooked Key Aspect of the War?
It has always amazed me that critics of the Iraq war, the media in general — even Democrats running for president — have made relatively little of the astounding financial cost of the conflict. That may finally be changing.

NYT’s Johnston applies for buyout, wants to work on books
“I want to do long-form magazine work too,” says David Cay Johnston, 59. “And I have documentarians talking to me about TV and theatrical releases.”
Johnston will be appearing in Chicago on Sunday afternoon.  Let me know if you want specifics: caro-at-makethemaccountable-dot-com.

Who leaked the details of a CIA-Mossad plot against Iran? (Haaretz)
The Bush administration is prolonging the hunting season against journalists. The latest victim is James Risen, The New York Times reporter for national security and intelligence affairs. About three months ago, a federal grand jury issued a subpoena against him, ordering Risen to give evidence in court. A heavy blackout has been imposed on the affair, with the only hint being that it has to do with sensitive matters of “national security.” But conversations with several sources who are familiar with the affair indicate that Risen has been asked to testify as part of an investigation aimed at revealing who leaked apparently confidential information about the planning of secret Central Intelligence Agency and Mossad missions concerning Iran’s nuclear program.

Reuters profits up ahead of merger
News and financial information company Reuters today reported a trading profit of £385m last year, up 25% on the year before. The company, which is to merge with Canadian rival Thomson next month, also reported a healthy start to 2008, with underlying revenues up 9% in the first quarter of the year. This followed a 7% increase over the course of 2007, when underlying revenues were £2.61bn.

“Sometimes flawed, newspapers are more often magnificent”
Psychology prof Peggy Drexler says she’s been watching newspapers like you watch a cherished friend who has a slow debilitating illness. “You wonder: Even if they survive, will they ever be the same? The signs are not encouraging. …As newspaper companies adapt to the realities of consumers who can travel the world on their iPhone, I am afraid they are going to become a shell of their purpose; a brand name for a collection of niche publications, free tabloids and assorted Web sites.”

Niles’ guide to what smart journalists need to do to survive
Robert Niles has some tips for journalists who want to be competitive on the web. Make yourself the brand, he advises. “You want to ensure that the value you’ve created with your content and your promotion of it is associated with you.”

Blogger Smackdown, Life Pre-MySpace and What’s Truly Obscene (by Simon Dumenco at Media Works, Advertising Age)
In January, I wrote about how blog-publishing titan Nick Denton — whose network of heavily-trafficked blogs, including flagship Gawker, are hugely influential — had switched to a compensation system that ties his bloggers’ pay more directly to the number of times readers click on their posts. Last week, several of my readers called my attention to a post by Alex Balk (a former Gawker writer) on radaronline.com, quoting Denton’s e-mail to one of his current bloggers, Maggie Shnayerson: “I’m afraid your stories are not performing well enough on Gawker, and I don’t see how you’re going to turn that around. Last month, you got about 400,000 page views; this month you’re at 160,000; even taking into account your break, that’s still far from satisfactory.” So, yes, he abruptly fired her (after less than six months on the job). Welcome to the merciless new-media economy’s new math.

A Rare Misstep for O the Munificent
Media Reviews for Media People: ‘Oprah’s Big Give’

Disney to Offer Some Vintage TV Series on Its Web Site
The Walt Disney Company will begin showing its classic television shows on the Internet, its chief executive, Robert A. Iger, told shareholders on Thursday.

Time Warner Investors See Benefits in Yahoo Tie-up
March 5 (Bloomberg) — Time Warner Inc. shareholders and analysts said the company might benefit from merging AOL with Yahoo! Inc. because it would increase advertising revenue and free management to focus on film and television businesses. “That kind of combination would make some sense,” said Henry Berghoef, director of research at Chicago-based Harris Associates, which owned more than 63 million Time Warner shares as of December. “The potential attractiveness of a Yahoo-AOL deal is that Yahoo has this tremendous reach and AOL has a very good advertising platform.”

Cyber-Rebels in Cuba Defy State’s Limits
A growing network of young people armed with memory sticks and clandestine Internet hookups has been spreading news the official state media try to suppress.

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