General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs it past time to stop trusting media sources funded via RT??
I was listening to the Friday replay of the Thom Hartman show this morning and I was somewhat shocked to hear the fill in host rant about the Russian ties to Trump and his people. Essentially, and I admittedly caught the rant after it had started, he was lambasting the number of articles online and in mainstream media that are trying to connect the Trump campaign and the current administration to Russia, suggesting that much of it was fake in order to generate outrage from the left. While I agree that some sources should be taken with a grain of salt, I think there's been pretty clear evidence of collusion. I let that pass, thinking perhaps I missed the start of the rant and therefore missed his point. Yet, minutes later, when discussing potential impeachment of Trump, there was ZERO mention of Russian collusion, in fact it seemed like he went out of his way to avoid mentioning that as a cause for impeachment!
I think we can all agree that several of the RT "liberal" commentators have been more keen to attack Democrats than pursuing the Russian allegations. Should we now begin to question the motivation of those media personalities on the RT payroll?
jehop61
(1,735 posts)To Thom when I heard he was align d with RT. Don't trust it as an unbiased source
jrthin
(4,825 posts)Barack_America
(28,876 posts)marylandblue
(12,344 posts)I used to like some of those hosts, but now they are sellouts.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)A lot of that crap and at some point I told him he was reading garbage.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)While this was a fill in host, Thom has not been much better on the issue...money beats principle I suppose
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)Anybody who know anything about Thom Hartmann knows he is cool dude and a unbelievable patriot to America and Democratic issues and policies.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)I have serious reservations when he tends to avoid discussing the Russian allegations and has a host that essentially calls out any allegations as being "fake news".
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Surrounding him with nutters and Russian propaganda.
He may himself be a good guy, but it seems his sub host is a shill, and the association hurts his reputation.
Just as Cenk lost credibility by associating with cretins.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)Sax is a good guy from what I know, I did not hear anything from Sax that makes me
think he is a 'shill' except for the Dem causes...
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)This is hilarious.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)How much time have YOU watched Hartmann on RT?
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Even if Hartmann is doing straight journalism, he is serving Putin's interests in disguising RT as a legitimate news source.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Going to jack up Hatman's reputation but that is how things will likely work. I guess if he keeps his nose clean he can keep a lot of his fans, but I'm not supporting RT's network of reporters. Plenty of other sources that don't try to muddy the waters with DTs deep state bullshit. If Hartman was smart he'd get far away from them while he can.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)you want to bad mouth him? W T F?
As I posted in this thread - 1) Solid real Democratic issues are discussed, and 2) where
are all the rich Dems supporting *ANY* fucking left-Dem radio and TV?
Right, there aren't any...
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)You can justify it however you like. He is serving Putin's interests. Even if he is doing honest journalism, he is just there to create the illusion that RT is a legitimate news source and now the propaganda network that it actually is.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)Have the DU geniuses figured out that:
1) Hartmann is the Democratic patriot speaking on Dem values on RT? and
2) that, since nobody funds *true* Democratic talk and radio shows, he went on RT.
And, his radio show is broadcast thru-out the world?
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)You don't think there's better people to work for? You've gone full fake news here. I gotta guess you trust Putin more than the American IC too? That would follow.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Ask yourself why Vladimir Putin would employ him.
Hint: it's not because he wants to advance journalistic integrity or Democratic values.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)Adrahil
(13,340 posts)I've listening to Thom, and have liked him. But if he has managed to convince himself that he isn't being used, then he is a fool.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)Adrahil
(13,340 posts)emulatorloo
(43,979 posts)Similar to TYT.
He's got choices. Doesn't need to be associated w Putin's propaganda mashine.
I've suggested several decent options over the last several yrs to the intern who posts on DU under his name. Crickets...
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)...after the election day hack (and subsequent hack(s)) and people here started to bad mouth
him.
I question *anybody* who questions Hartmann...
emulatorloo
(43,979 posts)Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)I was not the person who started this thread...
emulatorloo
(43,979 posts)You wrote that in yr response to me.
So it Seemed like you were addressing me as someone on your untrustworthy 'enemies list'
If I misinterpreted then I misinterpreted
I don't question Thom's progressive bonafides.
I just don't know why he's still on RT. I believe it hurts his rep, I'd love for him to get off Putin Today.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)I question your interpretation that resulted in "he was lambasting the number of articles online and in mainstream media that are trying to connect the Trump campaign and the current administration to Russia, suggesting that much of it was fake in order to generate outrage from the left.".
Hartmann, for sure, wants a compete investigation into the Russian-Trump issue. And, on the radio, I never heard a fill in host talk like you suggested.
It seems that all DUers do is to rag on people, even good/great Dems.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)I would imagine you would know the answer your own question!
Friday, the radio fill in host was Sam Sacks.
As I said in the Op, I'm happy to be corrected in my interpretation and I admit that I caught the rant mid-way through.
I'm not trying to tear anyone down. I'm voicing sincere concerns, which I think are warranted considering the financing of the show.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)I was wondering if YOU knew who the host was.
Obviously, you have not listen to Hartmann for the last 13 years as I have. He is
as true blue as they come.
I imagine his only 'crime' in some people's mind is that he was a Sanders supporter until
the primaries were over and then was all in for clinton.
DUer's really need to stick with real issues and get off of the 'people smearing'.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)If supporting Sanders is a crime, then I'm guilty as well! I would have you refer to my posts from the primaries for evidence because I was as big of a supporter of Sanders as anyone on here.
I realize Thom has been reliably blue, and I can assure you I've listened to most every program for the better part of 9 years, as long as I've had Sirius/XM.
My concern was the rant and the accusation, as well as the funding of the show for RT. I think that's a fair concern, do you not? And I think that's a real issue, considering Thom's program is a source of information for many liberals
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)...Hartmann has full and total control on his radio show. To be honest, I do not watch Hartmann on RT
except to say that the few times I channel surfed to RT, he was basically doing his radio show on the TV.
As an educated total FDR Democrat, Hartmann does nothing but GOOD for the Democratic causes and policies.
It's his track record - Hartmann is a true blue, very intelligent, gifted talker for all Democratic causes and policies.
If you have listen to Hartmann for 9 years, you should know his loyalties.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)...a few times I did catch a minute or two on RT he was doing his radio show on the TV.
Have you actually listen to Hartmann on his radio show or his TV show? Tell me
when and what did he say that suggests that Hartmann is shilling for the goddamn Russians?
Or have you never watched RT too? And if you have, why are you watching RT?
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)To bring in liberals. Because then the liberals are likely to listen to stuff before and after, and RT can influence ads during the show.
The problem is the bosses at RT. Hartmann can't fix them. He was hired for show and will be kept only as long as he is useful for propaganda purposes.
Trial_By_Fire
(624 posts)His tv show is Progressive Liberal and Democratic... He works his
ass off delivering the Progressive Liberal Democratic message even
on RT. It is his way, I believe, to counteract any Russian propaganda.
Get it?
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Standard propaganda trick. Embrace. Extend. Extinguish.
Hartmann's motives can be as white as the fresh driven snow, and they probably are. But RT uses him as a tool to court liberals that they then try to persuade with their other shows and by shading coverage.
emulatorloo
(43,979 posts)Nice!
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)And TYT is akin to MSNBC. Waaaaah!
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Their reputations to bail out. They're at best lenading the operation some credibility. Have people here comparing them to BBC now, LOL. And TYT w MSNBC! I wish I was making this up.
Squinch
(50,773 posts)Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)you may as well be getting your news from Tass or Pravda.
wildeyed
(11,240 posts)Anyone paid by RT is paid by the Kremlin. If you listen to anyone paid by RT, you are being manipulated by Russian propaganda. This is not a hard connection to make. Patriotic Americans just say no to Russian propaganda.
Good propaganda gently leads you down the trail by appealing to some of your innate bias and then nudging you in the direction they want you to go until you think that YOU thought of it yourself. It's insidious. I constructed a private Twitter list of RT and other Russian propaganda sources specifically to track what they are doing and sometime I find myself nodding along to an article that rings my bells in just the right way. They are very good at what they do. Beware.
Else You Are Mad
(3,040 posts)Steadfastly refuses to allow any discussion that insults Democrats. Please don't spread lies.
I really am wondering why certain and proven liberals have all of a sudden are being attacked? If you want to disregard Thom, then you are ignoring one of the only liberal radio hosts that is syndicated on terrestrial radio. Most talk show hosts on terrestrial radio are RWNJ hosts like Limbaugh, Savage, Levin, ad nauseum. That is interesting.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)It was on the radio show on Friday!
Voicing a concern about content on his show does not equate to an attack
Else You Are Mad
(3,040 posts)Is that Friday he had a guest host on his show. Thom was not on the air at all this week. So, he could not have said anything and you cannot accuse Thom of anything if it was a guest host.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)And we have a two people here comparing RT to BBC...
saying RT is better than American media groups.
Surreal, isn't it?
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)This is all Putin propaganda.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)This is an information war and one of Putin's strategies is to divide the left by appealing to some of them on RT.
Bucky
(53,795 posts)...under the table during Fox 'news' shows for beaver shots"!!
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Bucky
(53,795 posts)I plea the Frank Zappa defense. It's just words.
But yes, I agree we should denounce hostility to women. I think sarcasm is a fair way to do so.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)That's pretty rich, huh?
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)Thanks for the heads up
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)"great Dem media" as presented by RT and TYT.
You can't make this shit up.
SHRED
(28,136 posts)I think he should disassociate from RT.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)Cha
(295,909 posts)Link to tweet
"When I came to the event for our company, Russia Today, and sat down at the table, next to me there was a gentleman sitting on one side," Putin continued. "I made my speech. Then we talked about some other stuff. And I got up and left. And then afterwards I was told, 'You know there was an American gentleman. He was involved in some things. He used to be in the security services' ... that's it. I didn't even really talk to him... That's the extent of my acquaintance with Mr. Flynn."
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/vladimir-putin-dinner-michael-flynn-i-didn-t-even-really-n768016?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9157283