The Politics Thread

[Noel]

I understand what you're saying and all and 60 Minutes is the #1 primetime news program and caters to a wide variety of viewers. Some of those viewers may not know squat about her and I think that this will make them see who she is and question why she's in office. Especially when it comes to Independent voters in my opinion. I don't know too much about her district besides Cobb County and Cobb County is so crazy.

Even on Twitter, I saw some of the hot trends yesterday which included #BoycottCBS and #Boycott60Minutes. Frankly, I didn't even know what it was about. It wasn't until this morning when I found why those hashtags were trending, lol!

Edited April 3, 2023 by Noel

[j swift]

I'm confused by the discussion around Marjorie Taylor Greene on 60 Minutes.

It is a news program and she is newsworthy because her hate-filled rhetoric has gained traction within the GOP.  Although she was elected by less than 175,000 votes, which accounts for less than 25% of her district, and she was not allowed to sit on any committees for her first term, the GOP feels as if she is a magnetic force that will bring in contributions. 

There is a sense on social media that any attention to contrary opinions is terrible.  However, I think there is value in exposing how these are minority, radical ideas.  I often reflect on when Jon Stewart went on CNN's Crossfire in the early 00s and told them they were ruining America by creating an illusion that extremist opinions are worthy of debate.  60 Minutes has Ms. Greene on to demonstrate that the audience of the most-watched news program in America does not buy her uninformed beliefs.

60 minutes is not endorsing her racism by having her on the show; they are exposing it.

Edited April 3, 2023 by j swift

[Vee]

The issue isn't discussing MTG or even interviewing her per se, it's the treatment of her. The promotion for her appearance was very soft-focus and the language used in ads and in the feature itself said that she was 'strong-willed,' 'opinionated,' 'in your face,' etc. It launders her and smoothes her sharp edges to a general audience, presenting her as a figure that is just 'outspoken' and salt of the earth Americana vs. a deranged bigot. This was also done at times with Trump, DeSantis, Glenn Youngkin, etc. over the years.

When Jon Stewart went on Crossfire all those years ago he called Tucker Carlson exactly what he was to his face. Lesley Stahl and 60 Minutes didn't do that; they played it safe, used muted language and let Greene talk and talk instead. It's not 'exposing radical ideas' when the media institutions overcorrect in their treatment of these figures in order to try to appease the radicals and keep them watching their TV show or reading their paper. That's why 60 Minutes is taking heat.

Meanwhile:

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Vee

[Wendy]

And let's pause for a moment of levity. Somewhere, the Andrews Sisters are smiling!

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[j swift]

@VeeI agree that the marketing was offensive.  But, we both know that neither 60 Minutes nor Leslie Stahl has any more say in how CBS chooses to run commercials than WaPo reporters have in how their editors write a headline.

What I question is the social media response that confuses reporting the news with promoting radical opinions. 

For example, Leslie Stahl doesn't need to clap back when Congresswoman Green calls all democrats pedophiles based on her misinformed view that support of gender-affirming surgery is perverse because her simple exclamation of "wow" was powerful enough; especially because Stahl is of a generation that valued non-disclosure of their personal political beliefs in order not to show bias to the audience.   

On the other hand, The View recently had Sarah Sanders on and got caught in an easy trap when debating the issue of defunding the police.  Sanders took the predictable role of diverting attention to honoring the risks that the police take when enforcing the law.  But, they missed the opportunity to ask if the constituency wants to defund the police should the state government retaliate by not providing alternative emergency services.

My point is that debating these hacks only implies that someone should win, rather than acknowledging that facts favor the progressives.

Edited April 3, 2023 by j swift

[Vee]

This isn't a print publication. The language used in the voice-over during the feature and promotion all comes from inside the production team at 60 Minutes itself.

Unfortunately, no, it's not. Especially when the rest of the feature and promotion presents MTG in narration as 'an outspoken and opinionated congresswoman,' implying that she is just another sitting politician who tells it like it is. You have to challenge this kind of bigotry directly, not say nothing and expect a deeply polarized country to just 'get it' when clearly, they don't. Especially an audience that is not plugged in online and does not know nearly as much about MTG. They can easily come away from this feature with the wrong impression.

It is not a secret that management at CBS has skewed conservative for years and is deeply concerned with keeping 'red America' viewers. Using softer language with people like Greene, and not challenging her directly, allows them to keep walking that line with that segment of their audience. It also misinforms the rest of the public.

Edited April 3, 2023 by Vee

[DRW50]

In decades past, 60 Minutes was known for asking hard questions. Now they are a puff piece outlet for a hardcore extremist and hatemonger, one who, in spite of years of favorable media attention, has yet to be greeted with anything but disgust by much of the public. This interview was seemingly an attempt to change that, rather than a genuine effort on the part of CBS News.

[janea4old]

I agree with Vee's posts on this.

[j swift]

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I am pleased that this clip has gone viral because it exposes the depths of her depravity and ignorance

Edited April 4, 2023 by j swift

[j swift]

I find the answers to my query about why social media did not like the 60 Minutes piece interesting and I enjoy reading your responses.  But, the assumption that current CBS management is "skewed conservative" is not true.

Bob Bakish the head of Paramount Global is a lifelong Democrat and his predecessor Les Moonves may have been a creep, but he is the prototypical Malibu liberal.

A survey from April 2021, demonstrated that most of the tv audience feels that CBS news leans left. https://www.allsides.com/news-source/cbs-news-media-bias

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and historically the Viacom PAC has always given more to Democratic Candidates

Perhaps there is some confusion based on their marketing toward an older audience, but the idea that they are not conservative is also proven by the fact that they attract very little ad revenue from traditional conservative media buyers.  So, I don't think it stands to reason that 60 Minutes would produce a piece sympathetic to Congresswoman Greene based on the political leanings of the company or the audience they are trying to attract.

I think your points about 60 Minutes portraying her as a maverick rather than a liar and not going hard enough to counteract her rhetoric are valid, but I take exception that it is indicative of corporate morale.  Also, I'm an eternal optimist that feels that we are not as divided as we are portrayed and that she represents the worst of a very small, but vocal, minority.

Edited April 4, 2023 by j swift

[Vee]

It's not an assumption, it's been widely reported on media watchdog sites for years. A random poll saying what 'audiences feel' is not relevant to that.

Edited April 4, 2023 by Vee

[j swift]

I wouldn't characterize research published by The Columbia School of Journalism as random.  And, Media Matters has gone on record that the 60 Minutes interview was bad journalism.  But, I could not find any citations since 2018 of CBS "skewing conservative".  If you find any let me know, I would be interested to read them.

Edited April 4, 2023 by j swift

[Vee]

It's not a question of a select group of viewer opinions about whether CBS is liberal or conservative enough. Their opinions aren't what's relevant. What's relevant is CBS staff testimonial and media study over the policy skew at the network over the last decade or two. You can look that stuff up yourself, it's all well-documented.

In other news from the "For the love of God" Department:

 

[Noel]

I just got back home from physical therapy. Have the 30+ counts of Trump's indictment been released or revealed to the public yet? All I'm seeing so far is about the judge's background and Trump's appearance in court was all protected. And a congressman put the smackdown on MTG and told her to go back to her district.

[janea4old]

Three Democrats in the Tennessee legislature had been calling for gun control after the school shooting. The Republicans are in process of voting to oust these three from their seats in the Tennessee House.  They have already stripped them of committee assignments. The final vote for removal will be Thursday.

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2023 by janea4old