New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger Draw Criticism For Their Coverage Of Wisconsin Protests

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/02/new-york-times-ag-sulzberger-wisconsin-protests-coverage_n_830397.html

The Awl's Abe Sauer has been in Madison covering the ongoing demonstrations against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's "budget repair" bill. And after an eventful weekend, he had the occasion to size up the general tenor and competence of the overall coverage of the events in the traditional media.

It probably won't come as much of a surprise that he found it to be badly wanting. His macro point on the matter is, I feel, spot on:

If the events in Wisconsin prove one thing, it is that the mainstream media has become journalistically irrelevant when it comes to national issues and coverage. Broadcast media is incapable of explaining anything outside a macropatriotic framework and has proven allergic to anything that puts off even the slightest whiff of the class warfare that scares away big-market advertorial. Meanwhile, the other side is cable news' partisan echo chamber of regurgitated self-assurance, where no blow is too low and no fact needs sourcing before being leveraged to make a prearranged point. Cable news reporting on Wisconsin is like going to a whorehouse and then bragging to your buddies about this girl you seduced.

-- snip

In Wisconsin, however, A.G. has played a very special role, thanks to a very special mistake, which required a very special correction.

At issue is an article that Sulzberger wrote (with Monica Davey) titled "Union Bonds In Wisconsin Begin to Fray." That piece centered on a man named Rich Hahn (identified in the original as "Rich Hahan") who very helpfully provided the grist for the "union bonds begin to fray" mill. Hahn, pinpointed as a "union man in a union town," presented himself as a supporter of Scott Walker's effort to "cut the benefits and collective-bargaining rights of public workers in Wisconsin."

-- snip

If the events in Wisconsin prove one thing, it is that the mainstream media has become journalistically irrelevant when it comes to national issues and coverage. Broadcast media is incapable of explaining anything outside a macropatriotic framework and has proven allergic to anything that puts off even the slightest whiff of the class warfare that scares away big-market advertorial. Meanwhile, the other side is cable news' partisan echo chamber of regurgitated self-assurance, where no blow is too low and no fact needs sourcing before being leveraged to make a prearranged point. Cable news reporting on Wisconsin is like going to a whorehouse and then bragging to your buddies about this girl you seduced.

They will all pay as they are dumped into the trash heap.

will not endanger their position as members of the establishment.

So very sad when I hear every day on my radio how there are "HUNDRED OF PROTESTERS" in Libya or Egypt or Tunisa or, worse yet, there's just a HANDFUL of teabaggers gathered ANYWHERE......

BUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND HARD-WORKING AMERICANS PROTESTING IN MADISON, WISCONSON-- ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS RIPPED AWAY AND THEIR FINANCIAL FUTURES GUTTED-- CAN BARELY GET A FREAKING MENTION!!!!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

HOW would we know about the baby who laughs at ripped paper, or LaToya Jackson, or Lindsay Lohan, or Charlieeeeeee?

or dirty shopping carts...or how befuddled Pat Buchanan is about how on earth Natalie Portman got that baby in her uterus:)

It couldn't be more obvious-- but at least half of us are too f****ing hypnotized by Faux Noise to be able to see it.