Wednesday, October 13, 2004
If Drudge Writes in His Journal, Does It Make a Sound?
The conservative echo chamber has something common in every instance it is found. The original "sound" that creates the echo begins with the Drudge Report.
For example, in the instance of the flak made over John Kerry's haircut two years ago, the original story that John Kerry, Man of the People, paid "$150" for a haircut (later reduced to $75) began on the Drudge Report. Here is how the story progressed over a four day period:
Rush Limbaugh immediately picked up the story and framed it as Kerry was a faux-populist. Rush runs the $150 figure even though he had the corrected $75 figure.
In the course of three days, this haircut story would bounce from Rush, to The National Review, to “The Washington Times,” and then to Buchanan & Press and finally onto Fox News, where Brit Hume would quote the $150 figure, noting that he heard it through the grapevine.
Finally, the story makes it onto CNN’s “Inside Politics” where Judy Woodruff suggests that his campaign in trouble and on Buchanan and Press, Bill Press asks his guest: Does the hair cut story raise doubts whether Kerry is qualified to be the President of the United States?
What you have is similar to trying to make a fire when you are camping. You go out and find twigs and things that will catch fire and burn fast until you have a critical mass that can keep the fire going once you put the big wood on. Here, Drudge is the spark and the conservatives online, in print, and on television keep the story bouncing until it makes it into the mainstream press.
A second, and more recent example, has been documented by "Media Matters for America." In this example, Drudge has edited what John Edwards said on stem cell research to make it sound like Edwards claimed that if you elect John Kerry to President, paraplegics will get up and walk again.
Here is what Edwards said:
EDWARDS: Christopher Reeve just passed away. And America just lost a great champion for this cause. Somebody who is a powerful voice for the need to do stem cell research and change the lives of people like him, who have gone through the tragedy. Well, if we can do the work that we can do in this country -- the work we will do when John Kerry is president -- people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk. Get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.
And here is what Drudge wrote:
Edwards: When John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk. Get up out of that wheelchair and walk again...
Moments after Drudge hit "send," the statement received bounce. The "Wall Street Journal" online used the Drudge statement. Low and behold, there is Rush Limbaugh close behind. Let's not leave out the bloggers. Here is one: CHRISTOPHER REEVE'S DEATH EXPLOITED BY JOHN EDWARDS. And there it is on KLTV out of Jacksonville, Florida: "Edwards Comments Under Attack."
Stupidly, the mainstream media will take it and allow others, if they exist, to refute it. Doesn't matter if it is false.
The press's motto?
They distort, we comply....
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For example, in the instance of the flak made over John Kerry's haircut two years ago, the original story that John Kerry, Man of the People, paid "$150" for a haircut (later reduced to $75) began on the Drudge Report. Here is how the story progressed over a four day period:
Rush Limbaugh immediately picked up the story and framed it as Kerry was a faux-populist. Rush runs the $150 figure even though he had the corrected $75 figure.
In the course of three days, this haircut story would bounce from Rush, to The National Review, to “The Washington Times,” and then to Buchanan & Press and finally onto Fox News, where Brit Hume would quote the $150 figure, noting that he heard it through the grapevine.
Finally, the story makes it onto CNN’s “Inside Politics” where Judy Woodruff suggests that his campaign in trouble and on Buchanan and Press, Bill Press asks his guest: Does the hair cut story raise doubts whether Kerry is qualified to be the President of the United States?
What you have is similar to trying to make a fire when you are camping. You go out and find twigs and things that will catch fire and burn fast until you have a critical mass that can keep the fire going once you put the big wood on. Here, Drudge is the spark and the conservatives online, in print, and on television keep the story bouncing until it makes it into the mainstream press.
A second, and more recent example, has been documented by "Media Matters for America." In this example, Drudge has edited what John Edwards said on stem cell research to make it sound like Edwards claimed that if you elect John Kerry to President, paraplegics will get up and walk again.
Here is what Edwards said:
EDWARDS: Christopher Reeve just passed away. And America just lost a great champion for this cause. Somebody who is a powerful voice for the need to do stem cell research and change the lives of people like him, who have gone through the tragedy. Well, if we can do the work that we can do in this country -- the work we will do when John Kerry is president -- people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk. Get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.
And here is what Drudge wrote:
Edwards: When John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk. Get up out of that wheelchair and walk again...
Moments after Drudge hit "send," the statement received bounce. The "Wall Street Journal" online used the Drudge statement. Low and behold, there is Rush Limbaugh close behind. Let's not leave out the bloggers. Here is one: CHRISTOPHER REEVE'S DEATH EXPLOITED BY JOHN EDWARDS. And there it is on KLTV out of Jacksonville, Florida: "Edwards Comments Under Attack."
Stupidly, the mainstream media will take it and allow others, if they exist, to refute it. Doesn't matter if it is false.
The press's motto?
They distort, we comply....
