Over the past decade or so, I have grown increasingly concerned about the direction of news media priorities and coverage. In the past four years, frankly, my concern has hit a fever pitch. I am calling a major forum Tuesday to lay these concerns on the table.
In the aftermath of the tragic events of 9/11, the news media went into a slumber. Major events were reported, but no real critical reporting was going on. I witnessed firsthand the abuse of process and power that went into writing the USA Patriot Act, where John Ashcroft was unquestioned by the press in his assertion that Members who refused to pass the bill in three days would be responsible for future terrorist attacks.
Then came Iraq. In the lead up to the war, many of us were asking questions and, indeed, opposed to an elective conflict. Then-Secretary of State Colin Powell made a dramatic presentation to the UN and other nations almost immediately poked holes in the evidence presented. Yet, such criticism received scant coverage here. The assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and every tidbit of leaked intelligence claiming to support that assertion was on the front pages of the papers almost every single day.
The war started. The media coverage of the war can only be described, charitably, as cheerleading. The frenzy over empty slogans like "Shock and Awe," which hid the actual body count of innocent Iraqis, was dreadful. The use of "embeds," journalists traveling with the military and showcasing uncritically the machinery of war was, itself, shocking. The breathless coverage of the capture of Saddam again, uncritically, was another disappointment.
In the aftermath of the war, I have seen major stories receive scant coverage, like the Downing Street memo, a document comprising the minutes of a British cabinet meeting in which U.S. obfuscations about Iraq were discussed. I have seen trumped up controversies, like the recent one involving Newsweek, receive wall to wall coverage.
In the Minority of the House of Representatives, we are largely shut out of the regular order of things. Republicans rarely hold hearings on matters of concern to us, and of concern to the nearly half of the American people we represent.
So I am calling my own forum to lay these concerns on the table. It will be carried live on the Al Franken show Tuesday. Hopefully, others will cover it as well (though there would be some irony in a forum about media bias receiving no media coverage).
* TUESDAY 1PM***
FROM THE NEWSWEEK CONTROVERSY TO
THE DOWNING STREET MEMO,
CONYERS HOSTS FORUM:
"MEDIA BIAS AND THE FUTURE OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS"
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Tuesday, May 24, at 1 p.m., Rep. John Conyers, Jr. and other Members will host a forum concerning the state of the freedom of the press in this country.
There are few liberties which are more precious to our citizenry or important to our democracy than a free and independent press. Unfortunately, in the present environment, the fourth estate appears reticent to cover numerous issues of genuine public import, and has frequently retreated in the face of criticism and threats from government officials.
For example, the mainstream media has largely ignored the implications of the "Downing Street Memo," which points to a secret agreement between the Bush and Blair Administration to not only go to war, but create the conditions necessary for the war. Similarly, in the wake of the Newsweek "retraction" of the Koran story, the Administration has sought to mandate that the magazine alter its coverage of our involvement in the Middle East.
Tuesday's Forum will provide a timely opportunity to assess the nature of media bias and the extent that press freedoms are at risk in the post-9/11 world.
WHAT: Forum: "Media Bias and the Future of Freedom of the Press"
PANEL: Al Franken, the Al Franken Show on Air America Radio, author of Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right
David Brock, founder of Media Matters
Randi Rhodes, the Randi Rhodes Show on Air America Radio
Joe Madison, The Black Eagle Radio Show
Justin Webb, Senior Washington Correspondent of BBC News
Eric Alterman, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Steve Rendall, media watchdog group FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)
John Aravosis, America Blog
Mark Lloyd, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Ben Wickler, Producer, Air America Radio
WHEN: Tuesday, May 24, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: 2226 Rayburn House Office Building