Bubble Bursting: There is no media coverage of Cindy Sheehan

[Atman]

We've hitched our horses to another runaway wagon that isn't going anywhere. WE'RE excited about it. The international papers are talking about it. People from all over the world may, indeed, decend on Compound W, but how will anyone but the attendees and DUers know about it?

This is part of the insideous media-control plan of BushCo...covering such events lends legitimacy to them, so under no circumstances will this Thursday protest get much attention.

UNLESS -- the media is ignoring the run-up to the Compound W protests in hopes that it won't lure even more people, but it will be forced to cover it on Thursday due to the sheer size of the protest.

But, for all of these posts dancing with glee about this Sheehan thing being Bush's Waterloo, where are you getting this impression? I've just finished the morning papers and have been monitoring the morning news -- who is covering this supposed massive protest in such a way as to get you so excited? I'm sure not seeing it!

IOW -- If a protest gathers against BushCO and no one is there to cover it, does it really make a sound?


ON EDIT: The first thing I saw after hitting the Post button was the thread about Sheehan being interviewed on GMA. I may have to reserve further comment! That one surprised me -- I've seen nothing else about Sheehan except here on DU.

[mattclearing]

1. Maybe I'm missing this, but I see her everywhere.

Interviewed by Katie Couric yesterday, on GMA this morning, with Wolf Blitzer yesterday...

:shrug:

[converted_democrat]

4. I agree....

She is also on morning sedation and C-Span this morning. And she was on Randi Roads and Hartman yesterday.

[Apian]

19. Sheehan's meeting with Hadley and Hagin

I am looking for the MOST quotes from the 45 minute meeting between Cindy Sheehan and Hagin and Hadley: There MUST BE more quotes than this about what they discussed:

"They (the advisers) said we are in Iraq because they believed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, that the world's a better place with Saddam gone and that we're making the world a safer place with what we're doing over there," Sheehan said in a telephone interview after the meeting.

"They were very respectful. They were nice men. I told them Iraq was not a threat to the United States and that now people are dead for nothing. I told them I wouldn't leave until I talked to George Bush."

"They said the president really believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction," Sheehan said.

"And I told them: 'I might be a grieving mom, but you men are very intelligent, and I know you don't believe what you're telling me.' "

What telephone interview was that? Please don't refer to AfterDowningStreet.org.... there site seems to be down.

I would appreciate any help you can give me.

[Atman]

16. You've listed the only "mainstream" coverage

Granted, Katie Couric and GMA got some eyeballs. I didn't see either of them. Wolf's show isn't really "mainstream." Afternoon ratings on CNN are about the same as The Toenail Fungus Channel.

My point is, I'm a news junkie, as are most rabid DUers. We take the time to SEARCH for news. We visit DU were headlines are aggregated from all over the world for us to see. But that is not what Mom & Pop America are seeing. On Fox and MSNBC, it's Aruba Girl and the Shuttle. CNN is only the shuttle. Literally, nothing else. CSPAN? Seriously, we like it, but who the hell watches CSPAN?

I live near a supposed "major" city (Hartford) and the daily paper has NO mention of it at all. I guarantee you that if I walked outside and asked ten neighbors about Cindy Sheehan, not one would have heard of her. I'm not trying to piss on this parade, I think it is a good thing! However, I spend my weekends away from all manner of electronic media except my iPod. I get "word of mouth" news and I see some of the Sunday paper late Sunday evening. I'm not away from people, just media. And I'm telling you this is not a blip on anyone's radar screen, and I haven't heard any mention of it on teevee (the above-referenced references obviously happened, but somehow I missed 'em) or the newspapers, and this is supposed to be the biggest protest in a long, long time, and it is happening at the President's vacation home -- and somehow this isn't a front page story, or even deserving of a mention on the mainstream corporate news shows.

I'm just worried we're setting ourselves up for another letdown. Without media coverage, a protest is just a big tailgate party. Fun for those who attend, but hardly noteworthy to anyone else.

[rox63]

21. Boston-area newscasts have shown Cindy

I've seen and heard Cindy on Boston-area newscasts for the last couple of nights. I've heard her on national network newscasts, both tv and radio. My non-political Mom (who is blind, so doesn't read newspapers) had heard of her before I ever mentioned anything about Cindy to her. I've found stories about her protest without even trying. I don't know why you can't find them. :shrug:

[Atman]

22. It's not that I "can't find them"

News isn't something Joe America should have to "go out and find." That is mostly my point. If this is NEWS, Joe should turn on his television and have it told to him. Otherwise, you can hardly call it a big story, right? At least in the eyes of Joe America.

WE know all about it because we are emotionally invested in it. "Real" American, the part that only watches ten minutes of headline news each night and reads no newspapers, is NOT getting this story.

[OhioChick]

26. You're absolutely right.......

Most people are not getting this story, unfortunately. I spoke to family members last night concerning Cindy's story and no one had any idea of what I was talking about. They all were quite surprised that this was going on with barely any MSM news coverage. Then again.........they all know how the MSM is. Unfortunately, most people assume that they hear all the "news" from the MSM at the "top of each hour."

[Imagevision]

27. Cindy story has made it to Russia

[OhioChick]

28. I did see that............

Her story also made it to many other countries.........But I want to see her story on when I turn my television on here. Everywhere.

[Fridays Child]

2. I love "Compound W."

The perfect name for his little pig farm.

[SoCalDem]

10. and he is definately a wart on the country's backside

:)

[theHandpuppet]

3. The Today Show too busy talking about Natalee Holloway...

... and selecting bridal gowns for their "wedding winners".

Could that show get any more shallow and irrelevant? I had to turn to CNN just to catch the coverage of Discovery's descent. At least they invited John Glenn to provide the commentary.

[leetrisck]

5. C-Span this morning - was great

she was the topic and they interviewed her by phone and then took calls about whether bush should meet with her.

[jojo54]

9. what was the general opinion?

Did most say he should meet with her? Asking 'cause I wasn't watching. Thx

[jojo54]

6. I've seem some segments

Granted, no where near enough coverage, but at least they're giving her a few minutes worth. That's a start anyway.

[maxrandb]

7. It's All Space Shuttle All the Time

for now (as it probably should be). It's a big story. Don't worry, I've seen Cindy all over the TV and heard her all over the radio lately.

And...If this mis-administration is arrogant enough, and stupid enough to have her arrested, the story will explode even more.

There is no way they can win this battle. The best they've got is an old story (taken way out of context) that supposes that Cindy just thought ole * was "peachy keen" when she met him with other families a while ago. Anyone who reads the entire story knows how out of context those few remarks were. The only people they are able to fool with that story are the Freakers and Hannity and Limpballs listeners.

The only option they have...and IT IS COMING. Is to Swift Boat her. Look for them to find some Kool-Aid drinker (if enough money is supplied), to come out and say "I lost my son too, but I just love the President".

The similarities between that, and Nixon's use of Paul O'Neil to combat John Kerry is eerie to say the least.

[ClintonTyree]

8. It is getting coverage.......

of course, she's no runaway bride or dying pope, but she's getting exposure. Not 24/7 stuff, but the Nation knows about her out there. They also know bush is a coward, hiding in his spider hole until she goes away or is arrested on "National Security" issues. :eyes:

[SouthernDem2004]

11. It will be a dead story by this weekend or next Monday. /nt

[Swamp Rat]

12. Ray Taliaferro on KGO talked about Cindy quite a bit early this morning.

If you feel it's not getting enough attention, email radio and TV stations, like I've been doing all night... need sleep... :boring:

[madrchsod]

13. ronny reagan`s hometown paper covered the story last night

i was surprised to say the least...this will be covered by the press and national media. remember the broadcast news-abc,nbc,cbs has over 10 million more viewers than the all the cable news combined.

[Inland]

14. NPR this AM, made my local 10:00 pm evening TV news

[BiggJawn]

15. Gee...What was I saying just yesteday?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4284816&mesg_id=4285045

I think "This story has LEGS!" is the Kiss of Death.

Any story we thing should "have legs" will get those legs cut out from under it at the Trochanters by the GOP-Owned Murkan Media.

Now, how to get people to visit the Blogosphere, where Karl has no control?

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. There was an article about here in the Sunday Miami Herald with

a color photograph.

[LiberalEsto]

18. There was an article in the NY Times on Sunday n/t

[rox63]

20. She was on Good Morning America this morning

That's about as mainstream as you can get.

[wishlist]

24. GMA Charlie Gibson gave her great opportunity to speak out eloquently

She was great- explained that everyone grieves in their own way and all families who have lost children in Iraq have different opinions about the war and should be respected and honored.

Said she does not expect to talk to Bush but feels her efforts have succeeded in bringing the issues of the Iraq war to the forefront of national discussion.

She was excellent in explaining that she didn't bring up all of her concerns with Bush when she met with him after her son's death because all of the reports (she named them all individually including the Downing Street memos) had not yet been released that show we were misled by Bush about WMD's and reasons for going to war.

Loved when she countered the clip of pro-war dad (who wants to stay in Iraq to complete "the mission") with comment that she respected his views but would like to know what "the mission" in Iraq is supposed to be now since it is continually changing. Explained that her view of supporting the soldiers is to bring them all back home alive.

She was eloquent, very impressive and positive in her message providing a great example to Americans.

[rox63]

23. NY Times editorial on Cindy today

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/opinion/09tue1.html?

[marions ghost]

25. you're wrong about no coverage

just because it's not all cindy all the time doesn't mean there hasn't been a fair amount of media attention. Cindy's very effective sound bites have been cropping up everywhere. Just this morning C-span did a segment, followed by NPR's little interview and I expect to see the MSM return to this "developing story" before the week is out.

What do you want at this point --"The Seige of Crawford" complete with special hoky overblown graphics and Wolf Blitzer with 'no new news' (muted, so we don't actually have to listen) on the box 24/7...?

I'm glad they're NOT doing that to Cindy. It would cheapen her efforts. Let the negative spin happen. If the Sheeple hear the negative spewings on RW radio, they'll start to tune in to see what the fuss is about. Don't worry, there will be a big demand for more news about this at the proper time.

So far IMO the media attention has been appropriate for a change.