National Review senior editor Jay Nordlinger (Corner, 3/24/10), responding to CNN pairing disgraced Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer with a not-conservative-enough-for-National-Review Kathleen Parker, muses:
I’m reminded why conservatives had to build their own media outlets. It’s sort of like Jews and country clubs. Jews built their own, not because they wanted to, necessarily, but because the other clubs wouldn’t let them in. They weren’t being “clannish.” They wanted to play golf, on first-class courses….
Well, we conservatives built our own media outlets—because the other clubs wouldn’t let us in. I guess it’s working out OK.
Blogger Ryan McNeely (Yglesias, 3/24/10) takes issue with the comparison of put-upon conservative pundits with ethnic discrimination. But the idea that conservatives were ever excluded from corporate media in the first place is nothing but a delusion.
Presumably one of the outlets conservatives built that Nordlinger has in mind was his own National Review. One of the writers founding editor William F. Buckley first recruited for his staff was Whittaker Chambers, the famous former Communist turned arch-conservative. Chambers’ previous perch was at Time magazine, where he was considered the magazine’s most important writer. He had already made his conversion to the right when he went to Time (“Pinkos who did not bat an eye when the Soviet government exterminated 3,000,000 peasants by famine will go for a good cry over the hardships of the Okies,” he wrote in a movie review of The Grapes of Wrath—2/12/40), but Henry Luce had no problem taking him on board. (Buckley himself, of course, had a prominent 33-year-career on that notorious suppressor of conservatives, PBS.)
In the bad old days, when no one would let conservatives work in the media, who was the country’s most prominent columnist? Walter Winchell, defender of Joseph McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover. Similar politics didn’t stop Paul Harvey from getting a daily slot for commentary on the ABC Radio Network.
The fact is that many of the people who owned newspapers, magazines and radio stations—as you might expect of millionaire businessmen—were quite conservative: people like Robert McCormick, Harry Chandler and Frank Gannett. These are the bosses who would have been barring conservatives from working in the media industry. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, does it?
I’ve heard conservatives frequently complain about “whining liberals.” But for the most part, I hear conservatives whining about being left out. But I don’t hear them putting forth positive, helpful ideas that will actually help the country. They turn against their own ideas when Obama includes those ideas in his proposed legislation. Conservatives are the new nattering nabobs of negativism.
Jim, it’s not a delusion, is it?
Like all the other nonsensical neocon narratives, it’s a conscious contortion of the facts, and it works because there’s no widely visible challenge to it.
Nature may abhor a vacuum, but propaganda flourishes in one.
Doug, I think you greatly underestimate the amount of conscious lying in the world. Humans have an amazing capacity for self-deception, which takes less psychic energy and is generally more effective than a deliberate falsehood.
In this particular case, I have little doubt that the folks at the Corner believe the fairy tales they tell themselves about the anti-conservative conspiracy.
Ha! I was a reporter for about a decade starting in 1988 and the last way I would ever describe the news media would be as having a “liberal bias”! That’s just a tag some preacher or politician started accusing any news outlet of whenever they did any story on any issue the neo-conservatives did’t want getting publicity, like gay rights or civil rights or any rights but gun rights. Editors always get huffy and defensive when the accusation comes out and they immediately shrink from more coverage of these important issues either because they’re determined to show that they’re NOT liberally biased. (Though they fail to realize that by doing so they’re showing just how conservatively biased they are, but how is that better? Bias is bais.)
Whites have cried “Discrimination!” ever since the first companies started hiring blacks, though if you walk into a lot of corporate offices you’ll still see just how much of a minority African-Americans really are in the busines world. (Then again, if you’re an American IT contractor you feel like a minority no matter what your race because all your co-workers are from India!)
For all their accusations of accusing others of whining, conservatives are the biggest whiners of all, and their whine has become infectious since they powered up the right-wing propaganda network, Fox News. Just this morning the local CBS affiliate reported that “Democrats let down the unemployed” by failing yet again to pass the unemployment benefits extension bill. I was livid! I called the station and was told the script was written that way because three Democrats voted agains the bill and preventing it from passing (although it was probably two sell-out Dems and that king of the back-stabbers, Independent Joe Lieberman). I pointed out to the women on the other end of the line that every single Republican has voted against this bill every time it’s come up for a vote, yet since a couple of Democrats have turned chicken now every Democrat in the Sentate is to blame?!?
Anyway, Republicans are hypocrites who suck so I’m not surprised at this self-martyrdom.
You can tell I’m a “former” reporter from my lack of proofreading discipline in my comments above, but when passion runneth rampid…
In the either/or statement about defensive editors accused of liberal bias I failed to mention the “or” half:
… or they’re pressured by the advertising department to stop writing stories about homosexuals or abortion rights or whatever because advertisers are threatening to pull their ads. And they almost always comply.
If you’re ever confused about who’s really in charge of the media, take a look at the masthead of your local newspaper, or any other for that matter. At the top is always the publisher and business VIPs, then comes the ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT with the lowly news editors underneath.
Don’t kid yourself, the corporate media’s in it for the money.
Saw a great study where our top five journalism schools were polled(actually the professors were polled)to judge the balance of conservative to liberal viewpoints.Out of 203 profs ,only 2 aligned themselves with conservative ideals!!!!So this little good ol boy network is obviously pretty entrenched at that level..They train these little minds of mush who then go forth to do …..well the lousy job we have seen in so many forums.8o plus percent of the press print and otherwise backed Obama.The job they did vetting him was a joke.They carried his water.We got a president with no real experience and a very questionable background.The Rush Limbaughs,Becks and Hannity’s,along with the no spin zone simply are the mouthpieces for a huge and growing American public who see that they were taken.And FOX is plain and simple doing a better job getting the truth out.
Conservative exclusion may or may not exist in your eyes.but isnt it great that we have opposing voices now that speak for a viewpoint strongly held.And shared by a huge part of this country that after all is a center right country
Jim, I think you meant to say that I greatly underestimate the amount of *unconcious* lying in the world, didn’t you?
Do you think Rush, Mr. Bill et al really believe their own propaganda? I admit it’s hard for me to grasp how someone can blatantly ignore the facts, since it’s pretty difficult for me to, thanks to a finely-honed guilt reflex, which I’d like to think was associated with a predilection toward honesty.
No doubt some people can mindfuck themselves, but at some level they know the harm they cause, and don’t give a damn, don’t you think?
I think about growing up in Miss’ssippi in the ’60s, and our beloved guv’nor, Ross Barnett (who still has a reservoir named in his honor). I think it’s quite possible that he actually believed his venomous comments about black folks, but that wasn’t what made him an evil sumbitch, was it? If someone could have convinced him of the falseness of his beliefs, he’d have acted no differently, would he?
Compare him to George Wallace. Wallace was just as despicable, but when he needed blacks to vote for him after the (legal) end of segregation, he had no problem with seeking their support. So, although I’m certain he had no love for blacks, his racist rhetoric was for political effect, and when it no longer served his aims, he ripped it out of the playbook – the more overt version, at any rate.
I think that most conservatives are more like Wallace than Barnett, but regardless, they’re fully aware of the consequences of their words and deeds, and pleased with the results, wouldn’t you say?
It’s not a neat equation, I know, but I’m not Chomsky, so there it is, for what it’s worth.
What do you think?
this reminds me of jonah goldberg, la time columnist, bitching about how the media excludes conservatives…and micheal e wins the most faux “facts” alternative reality cliche ridden post of the day award…
To woodward bernstein
Im glad I won the “most faux facts alternative reality cliche ridden post of the day award”.I shall not admit that I know what in Gods name that is,though it does sound like the type of pretence driven drivel one grew so used to hearing in beloved Harvard.Look let the argument rest in regards to -did this press do its job or has it been politically stilted.Lets just be thankful for alternative thought having a louder voice.Rush Limbaugh and Kieth Obermann are both signs of a beating heart in open debate.
Doug, the person who can’t blatantly ignore the facts when doing so is in his or her interest is a rare bird. I recommend the book Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) for an analysis of the amazing powers of self-deception and rationalization.
Woodward Bernstein, Nordlinger’s post was actually written in agreement with a Jonah Goldberg post making the same point.
Jim, I think the overarching question is this:
Are these people aware of the dangerous and damaging consequences of their actions?
Regardless of whether they “believe” blacks, women, gays, Arabs, working class and poor folks of every race, etc., etc., ad infinitum, are inferior, they have to know their actions harm these people, kill these people, don’t they?
It might be useful to make a distinction between “leaders” and followers. I think “leaders” know full well the evil that they propagate. Many followers may indeed be able to delude themselves, to believe in the “rightness” of their views. Human beings are the only species wilfully incapable of reason, and we’ve seen the horrible consequences when great masses of them have been manipulated by a few seeking great power and wealth, haven’t we?
This is a complex issue, and one that’s difficult to discuss in this medium. It needs to be talked through, not typed through, so to speak.
But the bottom line for me is that if you’re saying that these persons believe that what they do is beneficial to humanity, when we’ve seen time and again in their own words in unguarded moments that they think nothing of the sort … well, I just can’t go along with that.
Is that what you’re saying?
That’s nothing, Woodward Bernstein. (M)ichael e’s trying real hard, but if you check out his other ravings (I’m being kind) here, you realize he’s just a little reactionary boat looking for a safe harbor. He’s thinks he’s on to something, though, so thank you for not being too harsh. As you noticed, your little put-down sailed right over his empty head. I like how he’s proud in his ignorance– he doesn’t recognize the insult, but it’s because he’s down-home! Regular folks, not some preening smart-ass Harvard liberal! This is my fourth observance of the kid; I feel almost like he’s my idiot son! So, sonny, if you’re still with us, my advice, this time, is to toughen it up a bit. Do what my dad once told me to do–join the military, and see the world! Demand to get yourself into a rifle company, and pay a visit to far-off Afghanistan, where our peace-loving, socialist, America-hating President is trying, just like George W. Bush, to teach the natives about respect and democracy. Go now, michael e, and do this. If your too old, well, perhaps law enforcement here, in a big city . . . same kinda folks you’ll be dealing with, ya know . . …
This is just right-wing mythology that does NOT comport with history – – even that history within memory of some of we older readers. I recall that here in the city of Milwaukee, WI, for instance, there were two major papers dating back to the late 1800’s, “The Milwaukee Journal” and “The Sentinel”. From at least the 1950’s (when I became aware of them) to their eventual melding together in the 1980’s (due to the general decline of newspapers), the one was known for it’s relatively liberal-democratic perspective while the other was know for it’s more conservative viewpoint, respectively. This was the same with many larger-city newspapers. For conservatives to now claim that they were ‘shut-out’ of media representation is a laughable-lie. (And BOTH papers had a ‘Business’ section in them, though neither had a ‘Labor’ section, so even the relatively liberal-democratic perspective paper was done within prevailing business boundaries).
And newspapers have ALWAYS been a ‘for-profit’ enterprise, with 2/3’s to 3/4’s of their revenue coming from advertisers, so you’ll NEVER see sustained editorials against advertising in them, nor in the electronic mainstream media (radio, TV) either. The idea that reporters – – even if they are assumed (for the sake of argument) to be more liberal than the vaunted ‘average US citizen’ – – can constantly slip things by their editors and subvert ‘free enterprise’ is absurdly amusing. Any of us who work in commercial, for-profit enterprises know that it’s basically a non-violent dictatorship and you have to please the boss or you don’t last very long, especially in the non-union environments that many reporters (and white-collar workers in general) find themselves in.
PS – – I find it interesting that the National Review would use an analogy like the ‘restricted’ country-clubs of old when their conservative audience was the one that was practicing these anti-Jewish restrictions! After all, you virtually had NO socialists/leftists running the membership committees of country clubs, it was undoubtedly all political conservatives! THEY were/are the ones making the anti-Jewish/anti-black/anti-whatever membership rules.
Timn
How did I give the impression that i am NOT- a Harvard/U of P educated,Marine….grew up in a big city ,MD kinda guy?Because I dont agree with you?Which make’s me an uneducated,smalltown,raving lunatic(who reminds you of your son who you call an idiot)?Typical.You must be a detective.The pink panther sort with Peter Sellers in mind.Or…..an angrier than cat piss lib!
Sarcasm Timn.Sarcasm is what i was dealing in- not ignorance.I understood Woodward Bernstein well enough. I Still think it was a pithy, pompous ,and personal re blog.Personal guys…… always comes home to personal attack with you libs.So I blew it aside.Remember the article we are discussing is about the question posed….”Is the press exclusionary to conservative ideals”.You feel they are doing a great job…I feel they are not.Do you and i really have to get in a dung throwing contest over who makes the most money ,or who is more educated as if that matters one wit to our opinion?”FAIR’ lately seems to be all about screaming out in ever angrier tones that liberal ideas are right, and shall be accepted- whether they work- or not.Im glad giving you another viewpoint(strongly held by an ever growing group) got your blood going.
Why are all the lies, carzy rants, racist verbage, hate speak, and other verbal spew given any media coverage at all? This verbal garbage, is just that. Someone pleeeze put Glen beck on Haldol, tape his mouth shut and lock him up! There aren’t any real conservative people left. Free speech yes, but these new age lunatics (remaned conservatives) are yelling fire in a crowded theater. In reality there is only one party the Corporate Republicrats lead by the well educated, well spoken … GQ Cover Man Obama. Come on corporate media…just come out and say it. The second coming for you is here now. Led by Obama Corporations rule the world. No country has the ability to stop the USA’s march toward Empire…except Bp and if this oil oil blow out doesn’t do it… there is always the next.