Signs:

How many protests have you seen that were filled with signs praising a media outlet? On Saturday there were several saying "God Bless Fox News" or the equivalent. That should tell you something about the dynamic behind the 9/12 event.

The protesters on Saturday were, as the signs indicated, dismissing almost all media except for one source: the Murdoch empire of Fox News (which is reinforced by the WSJ, New York Post, and - before it was sold - the Weekly Standard). One source!

Interestingly, there didn't appear to be any signs praising Limbaugh or ClearChannel or Ross Douthat. It was the outpouring of a club, or cult. Sure, some Republicans and bloggers like Glenn Reynolds cheered it on, but it's really being driven by a third force, Murdoch.







Talk about living in the Fox Bubble. I don't know what the appropriate parallel is, but when you have a "political" movement with a significant fraction praising the messenger, is it really political? Or is it a hypnotic capture of the crowd by a masterful propagandist?

NOTE: Top image, lower right, next to "No" CNN HLNS: Except for Nancy Grace

UPDATE: Commenter riffle makes the good point that other media outlets, by reporting 9/12 as a straight news story, are essentially promoting a rival network (Fox News).br>

posted by Quiddity at 9/14/2009 05:44:00 AM

Thanks for staying on this Murdoch issue, Quiddity.

The Fox/Murdoch stuff reminds me of the question "How does Berlusconi stay in power in Italy?"

Sure, Italian mores play a part of it, but even more is:

"Berlusconi's main company Mediaset comprises three national television channels, which together have approximately half the national viewing audience, and Publitalia, the leading Italian advertising and publicity agency. He also owns Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, the largest Italian publishing house, whose publications include Panorama, one of the country's most popular news magazines...."

Etc etc...
From Wikipedia

I'm mainly surprised that the other media, especially CNN, usually report this stuff as though it's a straight news story (and eliding the crazies), thereby essentially promoting Fox News itself. Why not just turn over their airwaves to commercials for Fox for free?

When you see some of the CNN reports where their correspondents were shouted down and heckled, it seems like they'd get the message.

By  riffle, at 9/14/2009 8:15 AM  

i was disapointed there weren't more infiltrator spoofers.

By  anon, at 9/14/2009 7:47 PM  

hey rachel's got the spoofers!

- end medicare now!
- cigna/palin 2012!

By  anon, at 9/14/2009 9:40 PM  

Disenfranchised people are generally very supportive and appreciative of organizations that provide publicity for their cause.

You don't know what the appropriate parallel is because you've never experienced what conservatives are going through. You've never lived through a complete, virtually airtight conspiracy to black out any news that doesn't fit your opponents narrative.

They support Fox news because they are the only broadcast network to break the embargo against pro-conservative news. That's enormously important and ordinary conservatives deeply appreciate it.

By  Anonymous, at 9/16/2009 6:27 AM  

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