I've been disappointed in the coverage (or lack there-of) of the Convention on the networks.
And it's a problem because this is the one time Democrats can speak directly to the American people.
But the corporate media isn't letting the message get through.
It seems, the networks plan MORE convention coverage, while at the same time, showing LESS of the convention itself.
Go figure.
U.S. broadcasters ABC, NBC and CBS have steadily cut back on live convention coverage for decades, but starting Monday with the Democratic National Convention in Denver, they're moving to reverse that trend and bounce back from the all-time low ratings they received four years ago, The Baltimore Sun reported.
But then there's this story reported by the AP.
The tension between convention planners and television news organizations that don't want to be seen as doing the politicians' bidding was obvious at the start of the Democratic meeting that will nominate Sen. Barack Obama for president.
When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was addressing the convention Monday, drawing a contrast between Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly was in a booth far above the delegates interviewing a pollster. O'Reilly waved in the direction of Pelosi on stage with a dismissive hand.
"Now we have Nancy Pelosi bloviating, and I say that in an affectionate way, behind us," O'Reilly said. "It doesn't seem like the crowd is on the edge of their seats."
Fox's viewers weren't allowed to judge for themselves. Same thing for CNN at the time, where Wolf Blitzer was holding court as Pelosi talked. Among the cable news networks, only MSNBC gave Pelosi's speech any real attention.
Three hours later, as CNN analysts were wrapping up the night, several talked about the absence of "red meat" attacks on the Republicans. But Democratic activist Hillary Rosen noted that Pelosi was doing some of that - only CNN wasn't really listening.
snip
Katie Couric and Jeff Greenfield were talking on CBS when Craig Robinson was onstage talking about his sister, Michelle Obama. During a Jimmy Carter tribute, Fox aired clips of demonstrators outside the convention hall. Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill got little airtime.
"How can you cover a convention when you're talking while the main speakers are speaking?" asked PBS anchor Jim Lehrer, whose network lingered more on the speakers.
But it feeds the narative, don't you see? They don't show anything happening, so they can say NOTHING HAPPENED. It's the corporate media at its best.
Even when the convention podium is quiet, the cable news networks are talking about the event all day. At one point Tuesday, an MSNBC anchor was interviewing another reporter covering the convention - an 11-year-old reporter.
Several things may explain this. The networks paid to send much of their political talent to Denver, and want to show them off. They fear political speeches may turn off an audience that has, essentially, tuned in for political speeches. And they don't want to be sucked into an infomercial.
Viewers who want that message unfiltered were better off watching PBS or C-SPAN.
When the evening ended following Michelle O'Bama's speech about her husband, and some cute family unity with Barack Obama seen via satellite, commentators on both CNN and Fox judged that too little had happened on the first night.
Here's Dennis K's speech. It contains a bunch of "red meat", and its fiery and the crowd gets into it, but since the networks didn't show it so it didn't really happen.