For those keeping up with the debacle that is the Shirley Sherrod story, this piece by Politico about online provocateurs is informative.
Not to be too philosophical here, but I think the real culprit here is — US. You and me, the reader, the viewer the information consumer.
Seems like society is eating up factional attacks that promote each faction's agenda. Doesn't matter much whether they are vetted, edited and put in context. No, the point is the political or ideological agenda. The truth, as much as it can be obtained, is secondary or even irrelevant.
The immediacy and unaccountability of the online world fuels this type of information dissemination. And traditional media, the ones we rely on to provide editing, context, get caught up because so many people follow the story.
The media really is a reflection of society. In many ways the online world is great, because of the information access and ability to bring more transparency to a story or issue.
But it would be nice if Fox News, MSNBC and other outlets didn't allow itself to be used by people like Andrew Brietbart to stoke political flames to win factional wars. However, in the end, Glen Beck, Andrew Brietbart, Keith Olberman aren't the problem. Those hucksters and fear mongers have been around forever. They are political pornographers.
Those of us who watch them, are the problem.
Fox News is singled out because it is at the center of so much of this. It may not even have a political agenda per say, but it has an audience/money agenda. It knows these things get ratings, stoke the fears and worries of conservative-leaning whites, or confirm their beliefs.
How else can you explain the pushing of this story, the obsession with the ACORN story, the obsession with the Black Panther story, and the obsession with the Vance Jones story?
And then there's Obama and his administration's cowardly response to this stuff. Normally they don't over react, (in fact probably don't react fast enough) but this time they got sucked into the muck. At least they have apologized.
Perhaps the damage to this innocent bystander, whose story should actually be celebrated (she fought against her own racial prejudice after her father was killed by a white man and a cross burned in her yard) will inject some sanity back into the media and political discourse?
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6 comments:
How about the obsession in the media saying the Tea Party is racist?
"How else can you explain the pushing of this story, the obsession with the ACORN story, the obsession with the Black Panther story, and the obsession with the Vance Jones story?"
Hmm... Sounds just like Rachael Maddow. Been listening to her again? She really thrashed Bill O'Reilly tonight. Had to turn the channel; she was making it personal.
If you really don't think the Black Panther voter intimidation story or reverse racism is of honest concern you just may be out of your lib witted mind!!!! How about the FACT that people can't disagree with the policies of this administration without being called a racist.
Off with her head--Just like the way they railroaded the past hospital CEO.No one ever gets the facts, they never ask for the truth, only need the backing of those in power to push forward their own agenda.
Ousted USDA employee Sherrod now plans to sue Breitbart. Definitely won't be a slam dunk. But I will be delighted if it makes that weasel squirm. I hope the people in the ACORN tapes sue his a-- too.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=11279038
You can't sue somebody for showing a video of something you said. It wasn't a "doctored" video, and in fact at the end of the video breitbart had on his sight, it showed the part about her saying she had learned a lesson from it.
It is truth. You cannot sue for that. If so, every video on youtube would be open to lawsuits. If I videotaped you walking down a street you could not sue me because of it.
Besides, now there are less than stellar things coming out about this woman and her husband. you'd think she's just shut up and disappear back into the obscurity from whence she came.
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