My rebuttal letter regarding the myth of "liberal media"

[laura888]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35787-2004Jun11.html

The last letter on the above page is by a reader complaining of a "liberal media."

I am sending the following to the Post as a rebuttal. Feel free to edit/add/etc.(I think its vitally important to make our voices heard, despite the fact that it might be hopeless):

Dear Washington Post:

Peter Kenny complains in his letter about how columnist Tom Shales’ “one graceless sneer” about Bush as being yet another example of a “liberal media.”

The myth of the “liberal media” does not ring true. The fact is that there has been an avalanche of adoring media coverage on Reagan for this past entire week, drowning out any other news. While Reagan’s flag-draped casket was shown every 3 minutes, with hundreds of interviews with people lauding Reagan, there has been almost no mention on CNN or elsewhere about the recently discovered memo written by those in Bush’s republican administration, authorizing torture as being acceptable in some cases.

I fail to see how one small statement by one editorial writer demonstrates a “liberal media.” On the contrary, all overwhelming evidence points to a strong republican bias in the media, a bias that glosses over the fact that our Constitution is under attack.

- Laura

[Anarcho-Socialist]

1. I don't believe there is a "liberal media"...

..but I venture that there is a neo-liberal media.

[Bronco69]

2. a neo-liberal media?

What is that?

[TexasProgresive]

3. neo-liberalism is what we call conservative

In the age of doublespeak few words have any real meaning anymore.

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/econ101/neoliberalDefined.html

"Neo-liberalism" is a set of economic policies that have become widespread during the last 25 years or so. Although the word is rarely heard in the United States, you can clearly see the effects of neo-liberalism here as the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer.

"Liberalism" can refer to political, economic, or even religious ideas. In the U.S. political liberalism has been a strategy to prevent social conflict. It is presented to poor and working people as progressive compared to conservative or Right-wing. Economic liberalism is different. Conservative politicians who say they hate "liberals" -- meaning the political type -- have no real problem with economic liberalism, including neo-liberalism."

[Bronco69]

4. Thanks

I think. :-)

[kimchi]

5. Well done.

I wouldn't change a single word.

[sendero]

6. A nice, measured letter..

.... that I could not have written :)

Excellent work and it should get published.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Mike Webb, on his Seattle radio show, called it "Reaganpalooza."

[Eric J in MN]

8. Another letter about the "liberal media"

The Minneapolis Star Tribune today:

http://www.startribune.com/stories/563/4824611.html

Proof positive

All of this wall-to-wall coverage of Ronald Reagan, along with the glowing accounts, once again proves the bias of the liberal media.

Steve Pelton, Minneapolis.

[laura888]

9. We ALL should write letters. Remember: one drop...

...leads to an ocean.

(or something like that) :)