Working the Media Refs
Jan 28th, 2006 at 7:49 pm by Susie
Steve Soto’s got some good suggestions:
What can be done? Well, every afternoon there should be a DNC press conference aimed specifically at 1) debunking whatever Scottie McClellan said that morning; and 2) restating the Democratic talking points for the week in time for the afternoon and evening news and cable shows so that the media has a coordinated Democratic pushback they can include in their stories that night. And if the Democratic pushback and counter-narrative isn’t included in what the NYT, the WaPost, MSNBC, CNN, and the major news networks said that night or the next day, Democrats should make an issue of that as evidence of bias, every time it happens. Remember, work the refs, but do it with facts.
And yes, every week there should be a Democratic version of the Grover Norquist message coordination sessions that take place now within the GOP’s right wing. Democrats will not agree on everything, but Norquist doesn’t force agreement either. He seeks areas of common ground from which talking points and coordinated messages can be developed, and then between him and the White House and RNC the script is blasted far and wide for that week and the weekend cable and news shows, and aimed right at Fox. Democrats can do the same thing, and still ignore Fox by calling it repeatedly for what it is: a right wing propaganda outlet.
It is entirely possible for a DNC media operative, and media operatives from the DCCC, DSCC, Reid and Pelosi’s offices, and the supportive think tanks to meet by phone every morning for an hour to do this, and then to have the pushback press conference every afternoon to point out the lies, spin, and framing attempts by this administration in time for the evening news and the cable shows. And doing these meetings with framing experts like Dr. Jeffrey Feldman or George Lakoff would help as well. All I ask is that you don’t do it with Beltway pollsters and consultants, who have already done enough damage to the party for a lifetime. Deal with the facts and turn that focus through framing into messages that can reach people through a media that will be challenged every day to cover both sides of the day’s stories, and not just what the White House peddles to a lazy and co-opted media without a daily counter-programming from the Democrats. The goal is to stay on message, and hammer both the GOP as well as the media with an alternate narrative that challenges the White House and GOP on their efforts to write their own history to their liking. For example, Juan Cole’s piece from yesterday laying out the case against Bush and the right wing bedwetters on Iraq and the war on terror debacle should be Exhibit A of a counter-narrative.
Unless you give the media an alternate storyline to cover, and pressure them and specifically their bosses to cover it, we are wasting our time. Democrats cannot break through the media blackout because we are not disciplined and aggressive enough. Now is the time to start working the refs ourselves. It can’t be left to center-left bloggers to do what the party and Beltway politicians have heretofore been too self-interested and unfocused to do themselves.
you notice susie that a lot of the progressive blogging this past week has been geared towards the future? it’s all about “what we can do.” it’s very odd, and it’s everywhere. it’s like the current dem congress has let us down for the last time and we’re having an epiphany. it’s very invigorating.
it’s all about “what we can do.�
Try this. When talking to one of those “religious” types. Refer to Pat Robertson or Ralph Reed, or any right wing moral standard as a Danite and stand back. The connections are there. Leave them to ponder their doomed salvation.
“Now is the time to start working the refs ourselves. It can’t be left to center-left bloggers to do what the party and Beltway politicians have heretofore been too self-interested and unfocused to do themselves.�
Sadly they’re all on the same side save just a handful of Democrats – if it wasn’t for a re-election coming up and that most of the push from blogistan comes from the more liberal and progressive sites and they help to bring in tons of cash and help to keep the 3-5% base in line who, if lost, would throw the election to the other side and who as we clearly know give 2 figs what they do to America and the average Joe/ette.
and another:
“Moreover, the wages of workers (inflation-adjusted) fell in 2005 from 2004 levels and have been falling for several years. For instance, the wage (inflation-adjusted) of the median worker fell 1.3% in 2005. Given declining wages it is not surprising that the typical (median) household income fell for five years in a row through 2004 (2005 income data are not yet available), poverty has risen, and families have gone deeper into debt. Furthermore, health care costs are taking a bigger bite out of family incomes. The bottom line is that people do not feel good about trends in the economy because the things that matter most to them – wages, jobs, family income—have not been making them better off.”
This last was from the post before this one. jThere is something that’s been there for the democrats to use against the republicans for the last 4 years and what did they do with it? What was the plan for Kerry’s campaign? Ended up defending himself against baseless charges and also putting out position papers that were more republican light than democrat something. The big shot advisers cover their backs knowing who controls the flow of cash we send to DC and it is about money, sex, and power after all – screw the country it’s the next generations problem seems to be the attitude.
And in the link in the post before the last one where Matt Stoller wrote in myDD that – “She (Deborah Howell) said a lot, but the line that was fascinating was when she said something to the effect of “I got all these attacks calling me a right-winger. My friends would howl at that notion.”"
In 1994 I went to a talk that Diane Rehm gave at what was then Western Maryland College and sat in the second row near the center. There wasn’t much of a crowd and most where her local fans. I was a listener of her show most mornings as I did a lot of driving in the MD-DC-VA area and could catch her in the a.m. then Pacifica’s WPFW “Freedom of Speech� noon segment that aired a lot of radical progressive and libertarian taped talks – Chomsky, Parenti, Malcolm X - so Diane Rehm is talking thtat day at the college and she mentions all the guests she has had on to offer opinions on politics, world affairs, and the country and most of those she mentions are middle of the road or right leaning and none that I heard came close to representing the true liberal/progressive viewpoint and in hearing this and knowing it too from being a listener I ask the question of why she had what seems like so many conservative speakers and pundits on her show to which in her response she seemed shocked at what I asked seeming to have heard me accusing her of – “you’re calling me conservative? What???� and kind of huffed and ½ laughed as she looked around the room to which she did get much support.
I stopped listening to her after that thinking why be irritated at someone who obviously, to me, was so tone deaf. And here she is 11 years later lamenting the very thing she tacitly let slide in thru the front door – because political genius I’m not it was plain to me what was going on then.
Sadly after November it’ll be businness as usual in DC.
OK I’ve got a serious suggestion here. Push this (again and again) to Howard Dean and Arianne Huffington. They are intelligent and have connections and care. Agreeing amongst ourselves is useless.