Conyers' hearings on CSPAN on now. Just heard Randi speak.

[ailsagirl]

She was fantastic, of course. Al Franken and David Brock also spoke most compellingly about the lamentable state of the media. Randi said that the U.S. ranks TWENTY-NINTH in the world in terms of a free press. We, supposedly the apex of democracy!! TWENTY-NINTH!!!!

Absolutely appalling.
:wow:

[FreedomAngel82]

1. It's sad really

I remember when Bush was over visting Russia and he asked if they had a free press cause of all the bad press he's getting there. LOL! I thought I was going to bang my head into the wall.

[ailsagirl]

5. It is sad-- it's outrageous-- but I'm SO glad it's being addressed

Thank God for Conyers-- he has worked tirelessly for so long. These are the REAL heroes-- they speak the TRUTH and will continue to do so until their last breath.

:patriot:

[knowbody0]

2. randi wow

[tridim]

3. Randi is just amazing

and her eyes are stunning.

[BattyDem]

4. Randi was amazing!

I heard her testimony live on AAR, but I had to watch CSPAN just so I could hear it again. :-)

[DURHAM D]

6. Is there some where I can listen to it? eom

[babylonsister]

7. Try here:

http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp?Cat=Series&Code=APS&ShowVidNum=6&Rot_Cat_CD=APS&Rot_HT=206&Rot_WD=&ShowVidDays=100&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=100

[TalkingDog]

8. Where does she come up with that figure....

that's one I'd like to pass along to my list.

[ailsagirl]

17. I can find out if you like-- I taped the first two hours... n/t

[TalkingDog]

22. I've got a source

But I'm not sure it's the same one: Reporters without Borders. But the last listing they did was for 2004 and they had us at #23 on the list.

So yeah, if you run across it, but don't make a special effort.

Thanks.

[immoderate]

28. Freedom House Press listings.

Here it is:
http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/pressurvey/allscore2005.pdf

Freedom House was started by Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Wilkie.

--IMM

[jazzjunkysue]

9. If I were male, I'd ask her to marry me. :)

She was awesome and not at all in a way that made you think "she's smart" or something. What she said was brilliant, as usual, and made total sense and drove home the point: How the media effect regular people's lives every day. I really agree with her: We need the fairness doctrine back and we need standards for so-called news.

Amen, sista Randi. You're the second coming.

[lovuian]

10. I heard Al's statistics and it just is so obvious the Orwellian Age is

here!!!

[burythehatchet]

11. I feel so good to hear this shit out loud in congress by congresscritters

[burythehatchet]

12. how great is it that Franken is spanking limbah and oriley right into

the congressional record

[H2O Man]

13. Great show!

Thanks for letting us know it is on!

[Cush]

14. Repeats at 11:45 pm EST

have the Tivo set

[Robbien]

15. Madson was great. He called congress a bunch of wimps

When he said that congress was too nice, that the people were willing to fight but we need our leaders to be out there fighting also. This is not a game of touch. Especially when the other side is playing tackle.

[NRaleighLiberal]

16. Finally, something transfixing on TV! Lucky to stumble upon it....

Agreed - there were so many good points made by most of the panel. Franken, Brock, Rhodes, Madison really stood out - the "they are playing tackle, we are playing touch - and you can't play two different techniques in the same game" analogy great - as well as the suggestion to take the Downing Street Memo in a march right into the WaPo office and demand an audience. The other great point was how we play too "nice" - and that we have to have courage, and a clear position....not be so sophisticated in our arguements.

I was completely mesmerized by watching courageous people say things that I've had in my own head and heart since * took (literally took) office. Is this actually hope that I feel tonight????

[ailsagirl]

18. I also liked Steve Rendell's line:

"The media are as liberal as the corporations who own them."

And didn't I hear Conyers use the word, "neocon?"

There were so many good points brought up by those ten people-- so many things that have been discussed here. And tons of things I wasn't aware of-- makes me realize the problem is far more complex than I realized. There are lots of factors for the MSM being the way it is.

I especially liked it when Conyers said that he would be holding more such meetings!!!!!

:bounce:

[flordehinojos]

19. THE CONYERS HEARING ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS WILL RE-AIR AT 11:45 pm

according to the schedule for C-span posted on their C-span.org website.

What sticks with me about the hearing is that from Randi Rhodes, to Al Franken, to Eric Alterman, to David Broc, to each and everyone of the participants in the forum voiced the very same complaints about the bush white house and the mainstream media, their lies, their silences, their cover-ups that we, the American people are whispering to one another across America, or talking about with our neighbors, or writing about here on the DU.

Listening to them was like echoing the same thoughts that run through my head, or that i read about here in the DU, or that one or two of my neighbors complain about...

But most striking was to hear the very U.S. REPRESENTATIVES, ELECTED UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME OBSERVATIONS, EXPRESSING THE SAME THOUGHTS, THE SAME DOUBTS, THE SAME "WHAT CAN I DO?" QUESTIONS, TO COMBAT THIS MEDIA TAKE-OVER THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC ASKS. MOST COMPELLING WAS A STATEMENT AT THE END BY LYN WOOLSEY WHEN SHE SAID THAT SEVERAL DEMOCRATS ON THE HOUSE SIDE WOULD HOLD DAILY PRESS CONFERENCES ON THE FILIBUSTER (I THINK SHE SAID IT WAS) and none of the media, she said, none of the print media, none of the digital media, none of the television media, no media at all would show up to these press conferences so that they those democrats gathered for that press conference would talk to the empty air amongst themselves...and she asked the panelists, what can we do?--and that IS STRIKING and Americans interested in democracy need to be listening because bush, the man who loves to smear feces in our faces, is treating those of us who have serious questions about his power grab whether we are elected officials or not, whether we are members of the press or not, or whether we are members of the public or otherwise as if we are America's feces... when HE is the feces on the face of America.

The Advise to Ms. Woolsey by one of the panelists was, you go to the washington post and demand to be heard by the publisher and the editors, and if need be have a sit in until you are heard...

and i think that maybe if we, the public could get organized, we too could in groups go to the editors and publishers of our newspapers and demand to be heard, and demand accountability, and truth and integrity in their reporting... if we demand it and they hear it, if they know that we don't want their lies and cover-ups, if we demand that they not be part of the bush feces, they will have to listen, and maybe they would begin to clean up their acts.

:rant:

[grasswire]

20. a simpler answer for Woolsey: MAKE NEWS

She's begging these pundits and newsfolk for ways to get coverage for the progressive-liberal voice.

Congresswoman? You must MAKE NEWS. You must employ theatrics, hyperbole, ingenuity, bravado, outrage, and moral authority.

Going to the offices of WaPo is just one example.

[flordehinojos]

21. Yes... Yes... Yes... but i think we also need to keep sending them our

support--and i don't mean financial support...i mean, support like the one in your message, and the one from the panelists who suggested she should go to the WaPo...and the one of each and everyone of us who are outraged at the very same things that has her and everyone of her colleagues outraged.

Bushco has succeeded and gotten away with so much because they have figured out a way to make each one of us feel and look like we are the one and only lonely voice rising up against their power grab and against their dictatorship, and against their dismantling of our constitutional democracy.

The more that Woolsey and others hear our voices--the more they hear that their concerns echoes ours--or our concerns re: freedom of the press and so much more echoes theirs--the stronger they will become in their bold assertion to demand truth and integrity in the news when the WaPo and other media outlets laugh at them in their faces and the more that they will insist on being heard and on the truth being exposed and the less that Bushco and Co. will be able to demoralize them or us.

There is FORCE IN UNITY!!!!!!!Right now we need to be United.

A PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!!!!!!!!!!!!/

and Bushco and his POOPY #41 know that!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chicago1]

23. Randi and Al were WONDERFUL on the panel

I really enjoyed listening to this panel. They had great things to offer and I'm appalled that we're 29th in the world for a free press.

Waiting for the IMPEACHMENT WHILE THE SCANDALS KEEP UNFOLDING
America's Work Stories
http://usaworkstories.blogspot.com
[e-mail]

[Disturbed]

24. If Dems had courage they would..

dress up in black hoods in front of the WH and demand an independent investigation of the TORUTURE POLICY of the Bush Regime. That would be on all the TV Networks. Instead of meetings Dems should start real PROTEST!

[DemonFighterLives]

26. Great idea

Ask to reopen the 911 vault as well.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

25. Online video available at Conyers Blog. Here's the link:

Scroll down to clips from Media Forum
http://www.conyersblog.us/default.htm

[ailsagirl]

27. I re-watched parts of it and was struck by the overwhelming

evidence against this so-called administration and the MSM. If that were a trial, the prosecution would win in a heart beat. Egregiously outrageous things-- it's absolutely mind-boggling, what's been going on and what those thugs have gotten away with.

I liked the point someone brought out that anything outside the repugs' way of looking at things (i.e., the truth) is instantly branded "liberal bias." And the people who speak the truth are called unpatriotic. WTF???

And the British correspondent was good. I like the way they do it in England: the press DEMANDS answers. The press doesn't kowtow to those in office. The press needles, hounds, and challenges their government officials. Why are we so timid over here?

Yes, the neocons have launched an insidious and highly-effective campaign to discredit those who tell the truth. They've been working on it for years. Those people are downright evil. And so very dangerous. Hundreds of thousands of people have died because of them. It's monstrous.

Sometimes I wonder if it's not too late to stop it. We should have seen it coming.

[Cocoa]

29. I liked "the news has been cancelled"

it's very true.

[Zodiak]

30. More observations

I noticed that the congressional panel stated that Republicans and independents were invited to the meetiong, but they did not show. The same can be said about the panel of witnesses.....someone had mentioned that Hannity, Etc. had been invited to the panel, as well.

If these neocons were so concerned about liberal media bias, one would think they would show up, but since their assertions are myths that cannot stand to scrutiny, then run like scared chickens.