How the Media Fails us - How they got the ACORN Story Wrong, and WHY.

[Sue Copening]

The American FREE Press Up for Sale?
...how and why the media is failing the American Public

Main stream media all over the country is failing us. For years we've depended on the media to tell us the truth. This used to mean that a story would have at least 3 independent sources, facts would be checked and both sides of an issue would be covered. This would give us a REAL "fair and balanced" view of a story, allowing us to think for ourselves and to come to our own conclusion.

Now, however, newspapers across the country are struggling, big corporate media is looking at the bottom line and cost cutting across the board by simply repeating a story run in another media. TV stations around the country have fired their entire news department and now run on a skeleton crew who simply recycle AP stories and stories they steal from each other. Forget checking those pesky facts, forget even picking up the phone and trying to get the other side of a story.

This means that once a wrong story gets run, like a bad rumor, it spreads like a virus, taking on a life of it's own. The news has become a super large version of the "telephone game" we used to play as kids only, in many cases, starting off with an inaccurate story in the first place.

Here Rachel Maddow, one of the media who actually DOES check facts tells why and how the media has failed in the telling of the ACORN story. Keep in mind that Rachel isn't even a news reporter however, despite that, she still verifies her facts before going on air. Of course, she IS a liberal, and she is just telling the OTHER side of this story (the "anti" side has had tons of play already) but if you are a thinking human being, I'm sure you can sort out a fact from an opinion.

Here's what you should ask yourself....

Is it FAIR to accuse ACORN of voter fraud when THEY were the ones that actually REPORTED the fraudulent voter registrations in the first place, as they were required to do? [NOTE: ACORN was required, by law, to turn in EVERY voter registration collected. They did that AND flagged the ones they felt were fraudulent. If they had not turned them in they WOULD have been breaking the law.]

Do people really understand that there is a DIFFERENCE between actual "voter fraud" and "voter REGISTRATION fraud" or are they tricked into thinking they are the same thing?

Do you notice over and over in the media that it is said that Obama worked for ACORN? Yet none ever clarify that by pointing out that Obama was NEVER an employee of ACORN... only that he once worked on a case for ACORN as it's Attorney... as co-council for the Justice Dept. Do you think people really pay attention to the distinction?

Is it right to vilify an entire organization for the actions of a few bad apples? Would you want to be held liable for the actions of every one of YOUR employees or coworkers?

Is it right that corporate interests have the power to "drive" media stories and fund media campaigns to trick gullible American's who are too busy to do any fact-checking for themselves?

How much of the anti-ACORN sentiment is really about class struggle? How much is about suppressing the power of an organization who's mission is to represent the typically disenfranchised (who typically vote democratic)? How much of it is about keeping the power in the hands of corporate interests rather than people?

Shouldn't we be able to depend on the media to tell the WHOLE story? Isn't that supposed to be THEIR mission?




Whether you are a conservative or liberal, watch these videos with an open mind and see what you think about this story. If we are to demonize a community organization like ACORN, who's only mission is to help the poor and low income Americans, who struggle to get by and raise their family, do you think we should hold companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Gruman and Blackwater to the same standards?

Should Lockheed Martin and Gruman be "defunded" as the result of their NUMEROUS cases of fraud?

Should Blackwater lose their government contracts because of the 55 MILLION dollars they "stole" from US taxpayers or for the murders their employees have been charged with while working under government contract?


Want more on the hypocrisy of those who have jumped on the anti-ACORN bandwagon...

Here is John McCain, speaking out against ACORN and also as the keynote speaker at an event hosted by ACORN where he talks about his love of the organization.


Below is Glen Beck interviewing the spokesperson from ACORN. Notice how he doesn't allow him to answer any of the questions? Notice how he tries to paint the whole organization as being "bad" because of 20 employees. The spokesperson tries to clarify this by pointing out that they have 13,000 employees and that ACORN not only got rid of these employees but turned over evidence so they could be prosecuted.

If you want to compare statistics on "bad" employees at large organizations...

ACORN - had 1/10 of one percent of their employees prosecuted. Let's be hard on them and say that for each employee they caught that was prosecuted, they had ten times that number who were simply fired, or never caught. That is still just 1% of their work force.

In large-scale, anonymous surveys, 26% of manufacturing employees admit to stealing, but the number admitting to theft in retail establishments rises to nearly 42%. Do we see huge media play on the issue of employee theft/fraud in these industries? Of course not, because there is no political advantage in that.

Now ask yourself... do you really think that ANY large organization, especially a non-profit that traditionally pays lower salaries and wages, can be absolutely sure their hiring process is SO effective that every employee that they have is squeaky clean? Do we really think that things don't fall through the cracks in EVERY company and organization? Have YOU ever accidentally hired a "bad apple?"

Now watch this "fair and balanced" interview by entertainer Glenn Beck:


Do you consider this "news" or "entertainment"? Is it journalism or vaudeville?

Do you think it's about being fair and getting the story, or about getting ratings and making money?

How gullible are we, as a viewing audience? Do we have ANY filter for the truth anymore?

And finally... here IS an interview where both sides of the story are presented. You'll notice that after Bertha Lewis of ACORN explains the whole story, the interviewer really doesn't have anything of substance to rebut her with, so he just politely closes out the interview.

>
Feel free to use the COMMENTS area below to embed any related videos you see as examples of either good, or bad, reporting. Point out any factual errors and give sources for those facts if you can. Let's explore this story together.

There is a lot more since the "hidden videos" have emerged. Of course those videos ARE excellent examples of outrageously wrong conduct by some ACORN employees, no question about that. But.. do we think they are really representative of the organization as a whole, or yet another example of isolated incidents blown out of proportion?

Do we think that there might also be videos by the "hidden camera crew" where the ACORN employees acted the RIGHT way? Apparently they went to quite a few ACORN offices. Do you think that they may have selectively released only the videos they wanted to tell the story they wanted to tell? Has the media even asked that question?
.