Media Favoritism in the land of Royalty.
Remember the media latching on to the first big scuffle of the 2008 Congressional contest?
You know, that part where the announced challenger made a charge a couple of days ago on Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin’s complicity in acting with Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi to preven action on the “Protect America Act.”:
“The Senate recognized the importance of this legislation and in a bipartisan manner voted overwhelmingly to make this important Act permanent,” Lien said. “And yet the Democrats in the House would not even allow it to be voted on. My position has been – and always will be – to protect our nation and our military currently engaged in the fight against terrorists.”
South Dakota’s lone member in the House, Democrat Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin, voted with Speaker Nancy Pelosi to prevent action on this important piece of legislation.
Remember how the media ran with the piece, obtaining comments from Herseth’s staff on her reaction to the press release, and then seeking the challenger’s further rebuttal? It was a regular political donnybrook as they covered the first dust up in the Republican challenge for the Democratically held Congressional seat.
What? You mean you don’t remember?
Well, of course you don’t. Because South Dakota’s major media outlets didn’t really cover it at all. Which really leaves some people in politics scratching their heads and asking “why?”
Decades ago, the media would hold off on criticism of our president because of his high position. Criticize a sitting president during a time of war – it was seditionist. JFK and Marilyn Monroe? No way. Even yet today in Great Britian, at times you’ll sometime hear about major media outlets giving deference to the queen and the royal family because of her position as that country’s reigning monarch.
Currently in South Dakota it almost seems as if South Dakota’s major media outlets (and most of the smaller ones) have annointed our congresswoman similarly as royalty to be provided all the editorial deference that can be mustered. Ignoring the recent press release from GOP Candidate Chris Lien is the latest example of a trend which has seemed evident for a while.
“What? Challenge Herseth Sandlin for votes that she’s taken in Congress which might be contrary to our state’s interest? Excoriate our congresswoman for a European Global Warming junket with her mentor Nancy Pelosi? Question why she can’t maintain a consistent position on Kyoto and Horse Slaughterhouses? Scold her for avoiding most all campaign debates and discussions she so chooses? How could we? Why, we couldn’t do that.”
There is on occasion, a nugget of contrasting opinions. A smidgen of dissent. But by large and by far you see the deference from most of South Dakota’s media. And it occurs almost all of the time.
I don’t want to be one of those who beat the drum of media bias towards our Democratic Congresswoman. But when the media utterly ignores concerns of substance such as what the challenger had expressed in a political year, yet at the same time they’ll provide front page above the fold coverage for Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin as she visits a local school, or cuts a ribbon, or some other act of simple PR, you really start to wonder.
Has our state’s media formally annointed our Congresswoman as royalty, and editorially immunized her from criticism?
Watch your local newspaper for a while. Listen to the Radio, and watch the TV. How many stories do they feature on her positions and votes, contrasted with opposing viewpoints? Compare that to how many ribbon cutting events, and other vanilla public appearances they might feature with her headlining it.
And then “you tell me.”
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Comments
Pat, I understand your frustration. The same media has virtually ignored coverage of SCR 8, which sends a message to the Congress that South Dakotans don’t want clean water and want to see the wetlands drained. that’s the only reason this madness has gone this far.
This suggests the legislature has ignored the views of South Dakotans and gone on to approve the selfish views of the Farm Bureau and other ag groups.
Larry Gigliotti of GFP did survey the general public twice, in 1997 and 2002, and found that 85 percent of South Dakotans understood wetlands played a key role in keeping our water clean and supported protecting them.
Apparently, lawmakers have ignored the public in their haste to do the FB’s bidding. It passed the Senate without a dissenting vote and came out of the House Ag and Natural Resources committee with a 13-0 “do pass.” It is on the floor of the House today.
I really trust the public to make the right decisions when they are given the facts, but how can they know if the media doesn’t cover it?
So, I do understand your frustration.
Pat, in addition to the media’s lack of interest in preserving clean water and protecting our wetlands, I believe passage of SCR 8 puts our own congressional delegation between a rock and hard place when they seek funding for the Lewis & Calrk pipeline that is so vital to the water needs of Sioux Falls and southeastern SD.
I can just hear some crusty member of the appropirations committee telling John, Tim and Stephanie that they wonder why they are asking fo rmoney when our legislature has told them South Dakotans don’t want clean water and want to drain our wetlands.
Tony:
we could talk all day about all of the issues that the media omits from publishing.
What say you about Herseth’s insistence on favoring the trial lawyer lobby over an important component of fighting terrorism?
Not that I wish to defend our local media, but maybe they picked up on the fact that Lien’s release is a partisan-baiting, bogus piece of tripe and decided not to bite. Stephanie voted for the PAA last year and voted to keep the house in session last week in hopes of reaching a compromise. But of course most of the folks with an “R” behind there names aren’t interested in compromise.
As for the farm bill, last I knew the hang up was in the Senate, not the house. Oh, and then there’s Bush’s veto threat. My understanding is the current farm bill got hammered out when a guy named Tom Daschle called in all concerned and saw to it that an agreement was reached. So why isn’t Lien calling on Tom’s successor to pull Bush’s ear out his pocket and get something done instead of blaming the person and chamber that have reached agreement on the farm bill.
By the by, that release had all the earmarkings of an NRCC-written hatchet job sent out to challengers to use against their opponents–you know, the kind that say “too liberal for” (insert name of state), “endangers America” (insert name of congress person), “doesn’t support the troops” and so on. This kind of rhetoric might work on Bush sycophants, but for thinking conservatives, liberals and those in between, not really.
PP, any challenge toward Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin-Pelosi is a direct attack on reporters.
I had reporters attack my answers, showing their extreme bias and after there was nothing in print. When I said the media was bias the response was “poor Bruce”.
Not all reporters attack answers. One reporter actually ran a story and later caught up to chew me out for advancing GOP principles.
Several Indian reporters flat out said they wouldn’t cover me because of being Republican.
Yeah, there is bias in the media.
The worst part is Lien will need to take ads out with certain bias papers to get his message out.
The equal time debate sounds good to me at times.
5. Paid hitmen love the shadows. You’ve got the goose step down pat, sentence after sentence. Come on out where we can see you. Be brave.
#5: A couple of comments
Do a search on this and you will find that the subject of this press release w/ those words only points you to this site. Your accusation w/o any facts is slanderous.
If this is “tripe”, the media can do as Pat says: Write an article and give the Congressman a chance to respond. This will then expose Lien to be what you charge.
However, they act as though it has merit and squash it by non-coverage. If Stephanie Herseth is everything her supporters claim, they should relish a real campaign on the issues with extensive coverage by the media. But if you think she can’t take the heat, I understand why you don’t join Pat in petitioning for some coverage.
PP:
I’d say that the SDMSM loves Rep. Herseth Sandlin as much as it loves Sen. Thune. She’s cute and he’s dreamy. It cuts both ways, Bubba PP.
And when Chris Lien actually looks like he has a chance to be a legitimate threat, the SDMSM will do more than simply toss his releases in File 13.
In the meantime, my friend, Chris has you to make his case.
Todd
SD Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
Todd –
You’re delusional if you think the media in SD like Thune more than Stephy. Give us a break. You’re so used to favorable media coverage you wouldn’t know fair coverage if it slapped you in the face.
8
Troy:
The media is a gate keeper. They don’t simply put scurrilous crap up then let the other side respond. They weigh and evaluate if the charges are legitimate. (Ok, the Bob Sahr stuff and the Argus knee-capping him notwithstanding.)
I’ve pitched many a story to the MSM while working for candidates that they didn’t pick up because they didn’t think there was enough “there” there–in their opinion.
Was I happy about it? No. But that’s part of the game of getting press coverage. You go back and either bring the press more facts or you go back to the drawing board and look at something else that might engage them.
And hell, I’m a former journalist and leftwing fellow traveler and this hideous leftwing SD press would sometimes tell me “no” to my story ideas about my cause or candidate. Yes, hard to believe.
Rich Boy Chris needs to learn he can’t order the press around like his does his help at his business. They don’t work for him.
Todd
SD Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
11
Yeah, I know. And my crap don’t stink either. It’s a nice to be so beloved.
Todd
SD Watch http://www.southdakotawatch.net
To 7 from 5:
Just got out my flash light and looked around. Nope, no hit men here. However, there are some folks who prefer not sharing their identity with those who would rather attack the messenger than the message. Oh yeah, I also don’t wear jack boots–blisters you know–and the goose step just looks silly in sneakers.
As to the message vs. messenger thing, so far you’ve portrayed me as a cowardly, Nazi, political hit man in what I can only assume is an effort to discredit me without addressing even one point offered.
Todd, I understand that the media can’t consider everything news.
However, this was the first issue statement of Chris Lien since his announcement and it discusses both an issue of great import to South Dakota (farm bill) and one that is being debated in the national press. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/washington/16fisa.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=FISA%20and%20recess&st=nyt
And, the FISA issue is one that divides even Democrats. A Senate Democrat (Rockefeller) drafted the bill. It passed the Senate with a majority of both parties in a spirit of bipartisanship the people are longing for only to be snubbed by Pelosi and her minions.
If nothing else, the MSM should be asking why Herseth feels compelled to support the judgment of Pelosi over that of Senate Intelligence Chairman Rockefeller (D), Tim Johnson, and John Thune.
The following from Tim Johnson’s web site: “Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today joined with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support extending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). After the bipartisan bill passed the Senate, Johnson offered the following comment on the measure:
This is meaningful legislation gives our intelligence community the tools they need to keep up the fight against terrorism while protecting Americans’ civil liberties. I hope that my colleagues in the House will quickly move this piece of legislation and that the President will sign the bill so we can maintain our ability to collect information on foreign terrorists.”
The only thing “scurrilous” is that nobody in the local media thinks that these two items are worthy of coverage.
15. Sometime late this afternoon or evening we will get a sample of what PP and the Rapid City Weekly deem to be MSM news, Troy. (See PP’s teasers re: the big new secret story below).
In my opinion, it will all be a steaming pile of disgusting cat crap. But having cast about for feedback a little, (even among my close associates,) I find that I may be in the minority on this one.
Ok, well, so what else is new?
I just think that if someone’s going to try to ruin someone’s career, they should have a really good reason.
Silly me, huh?
To 8 from 5:
I said the release had “earmarkings of an NRCC -written hatchet job” which is not to say it was written by the NRCC. Whomever wrote it, it is a hatchet job based on assertions and innuendo rather than verifiable facts. It basically says SHS would sell out national security for the support of trial lawyers (which would at least border on being treasonous) and that she a slacker on the farm bill.
Interesting though how you jump to the defense of a Lien release that makes pretty darned adamant–if not slanderous–assertions backed by little more than negative assumptions, but attack me for saying his release might be party boilerplate.
This isn’t a story, Chris Lien is just rehashing Republican talking points that we’ve already seen in the news. Chris needs to come up with something better then this to get local coverage.
#17: I’ve read the press release several times:
It does say:
Recent House action on the Farm Bill and the FISA extention are cause to elect a new majority to Congress.
That Pelosi and Co. wouldn’t allow a vote on the bill as a tactic in political gamesmanship. Well, they could have extended it for 21 days to deal w/ their objections in a permanent bill. Instead, they decided it better that the entire powers of surveilance expire. My question is why you raise the issue of it being a sell-out to trial lawyers when it isn’t mentioned by Mr. Lien? Is that your assessment?
If Ms. Herseth has a good reason for voting w/ Pelosi vs the judgment of Senators Rockefeller, Johnson, Thune and majority of both houses, I’d like to hear it. The silence from Ms. Herseth and the press is deafening.
15
Troy
Maybe Stephanie talked to me, a trial lawyer, and then she decided not to support the bill. In my dreams, I wish!
But seriously,
Why can’t Herseth Sandlin have a different point of view, one that is still very much in the mainstream, that the bill is not really a good idea? And what’s wrong with her taking counsel from the Speaker of the House. Agree or disagree with her, Nancy Pelosi, like Stephanie, is no idiot.
Perhaps Chris needs to develop relationships with journalists. Yeah, I know, whatever a Republican squeezes through a fax machine must be the truth. My guess is that if Chris had gone to the RCJ personally and talked to the editor or Woster, he would have gotten the story you Republicans are all crying about.
I think PP has the royalty thing backwards. It is King Chris who thinks he has the magic press release, not Princess Stephanie who has the teflon.
Remember the old adage about getting more flies with honey rather than vinegar? Consider the press flies. Very nice flies with lots of ink, paper, videotape, and airtime.
Or Chris and his crew can just continue to be arrogant and complain that their words of wisdom didn’t make the news. That works for me.
Hey guys, Kevin and the other reporters at the RCJ weren’t born yesterday. I’ve gone almost out of my mind trying to get them to print something for a client or two of mine from time to time.
But they have a nose, you know?
Do I always agree with their standards.
No.
But do they have them regardless?
Oh hell yeah.
Clue for all, they’re probably not going to just rip on Steph, or Chris or anyone else without giving the other side a chance to comment.
A good press release would have that base covered in spades, wrapped up, with a bow around it for easy verification, so you don’t seem like you’re trying to force a reporter into becoming an advocate for your cause.
Because, guess what?
They won’t.
Not for Dems,
Not for Repubs,
Not for Indys,
Not for nobody .
Not if they’re worth their salt.
And Kevin is.
End of story
– 30 –
Todd,
Chris hasn’t complained as far as I’ve seen about this despite Pat and I thinking a complaint is merited. Just this morning when I read the paper I asked myself, “Did I miss coverage on Lien’s press release?” Then I saw here that I didn’t.
You said earlier that Chris has to prove he is viable before he gets coverage. Well, for a challenger viability depends on his views being exposed and discussed.
But let’s take Chris out of this for a second. I think it a legitimate question of why Herseth feels differently on a 21 day extension of the bill while the House is in recess. Especially in light of the biparisan action of the Senate and the admonition by Senator Johnson that they do so. If she supports the rationale of Pelosi, let’s hear it from her own mouth.
Then consider the Farm Bill issue raised by Mr. Lien. They give him no coverage on his views criticising the House but they print an article detailing Ms. Herseth’s views criticising the Senate. http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802150317
Republicans and Democrats seem pretty united that they are both running people of good character. I’m glad. Now we can discuss issues. One is an issue of national security import and the other is of local economic import. Chris wants to put out his view in contrast to Stephanie’s. A debate requires conversation. And the media is called “media” because it is the medium for the conversation.
Finally, Todd, I do not use pejorative words to describe Ms. Herseth. Can we who use our names dispense w/ the derogatory words “Rich boy” and “King” and leave it to the “anonomous” mud slingers? These are two people from families with a history of civic and political contributions in this state. Let them both stand or fall on their views on the issues. This way neither will have anything to be ashamed of in loss and we as a state will be better for the debate.
Troy:
Such is the power of incumbency. Ask Dykstra and Kephart how much coverage they’re getting in their campaigns on substantive issues. The incumbent congressman or senator just has to send out a press release and they have a story. Doesn’t matter if they are a D or an R or a complete idiot. That’s one of the perks of power.
It’s called “gaining traction” with the press and their coverage. The challenger is always at the disadvantage. It’s not fair but that’s the way it is. If you have a way of fixing that, let me know. Seems like blogs like this (and Thune’s paid bloggers in ‘04) are one of the ways around that problem. Talk directly to the peeps.
What, no objection to “Princess” or “Royalty” as to Stephanie? I always get a kick out of the ruling class claiming hurt when their hoity-toity people get roughed up a little bit, but never mind what cost their insider access and coziness with power has on the public at large. I find that far more offensive than crowning Chris a King.
Chris better get a little tougher skin if he’s going to mix it up with the hoi-poloi. Ask Stephanie about the crap that she’s been called in her campaigns that is far, far worse.
Why are people arguing on a blog that has decided to operate on the same level as Sibby? Juveniles whining because the pretty, smart girl in class gets attention. It is all so useless and stupid, really.
As a member of the MSM, and somebody that probably should have gotten such a release, let me tell you all, I didn’t see such a thing. Maybe, just maybe, there’s no story is because the campaign is talking to the wrong people. Maybe not. But like I said, I haven’t seen the release.
Let me add this for all prospective political candidates, throwing out a release, or worse yet, posting it on your Web site, is no guarantee of coverage. Ever. Period.
#5 (ok – I haven’t been on-line so I am slow to the fight) – the reference to Rom Daschle on the fam bill is just a shade funny, for those who live in a place called reality. TD voted against almost every farm bill while he was in office – including opposing the 1985 farm bill which created the CRP program. Tom Daschle made his opposition to the CRP program/ ‘85 farm bill, the center piece of his first US Senate run in 1986. Few, VERY FEW, folks that function above the neck would agree with his position. It was bad for agriculture, bad for the environment, outragous for an outdoors state like ours, and apparently good politics for him.
As for Chris Lien, while the MSM may not be carrying his news, he is a real candidate of substance. The fact that my friends Bill and Todd feel so compelled to respond about him – is a compliment Chris (even if it doesn’t feel like it)
oops – before you correct me BF – I meant “Tom” not “Rom” – becuase I remember the hunting ad , that appropriatley (and accurate on assesing him on hunting issues) said “Where’s Tom”, not “where’s Rom” 
#27
“As a member of the MSM, and somebody that probably should have gotten such a release, let me tell you all, I didn’t see such a thing”
I guess my question is, did your organization NOT receieve the release, or did it choose to ignore it?
Gee PP, make your blogger friends take out a banner. And delete their comments. Then maybe they will understand.
If the MSM was as fair as you we would see discussion take place in dead wood editions for the general public to judge.
This is simple. The media ignored Lien’s press release because he’s not running against Herseth Sandlin. He’s running for the Republican nomination. If he gets the nomination, I’m sure his press releases about Herseth Sandlin will all get noticed. At this early stage in the game, your criticism of the media is premature and overblown.
the news people are in LOVE with Queen Sandlin-Herseth! everyone knows that…no matter what she does, they will praise her and say she is great