dc_dux

What laws were broken by the "fraudulent" advice by a handful of workers in response to contrived questions.

Other than the possibility of a crime on the part of the video guy under Maryland law.

__________________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire

dippin

So when you said "So, why release those videos and allow this to be ignored?" you were not arguing against them being released? So when you said that that it would be stupid to request that all videos be released you were not being against their release? Is that what your argument really is?

As far as the 13 year old sex worker part, the only video to specifically mention a 13 year old is the San Bernardino one, and the answer was edited out. As many of the other clearly made up things that the woman at San Bernardino's were also edited out, which in turn makes 1 of the 5 videos not credible.


And with regards to how many offices they visited, these are not poor college kids. The girl is the daughter of one of a conservative talk show host.
And the locations they decided to visit is also telling: San Diego, San Bernardino, Baltimore, Brooklyn, and DC. They also claimed the Bronx office was closed. So they traveled all across the country, but did not visit any of the other 4 offices in NY? Only 1 of the 2 offices in MD? None of the 7 offices directly between NYC and DC? None of the offices in the several states in the region? And that is with the police report of them being kicked out of the Philadelphia office.
They went to San Bernardino and San Diego, but not to any of the offices around LA and between San Bernardino and San Diego?
They never tried to go to the Chicago offices, to try to tie this somehow with Obama?

I think there is a huge gap between what we actually have evidence of and what people perceive Acorn is guilty of. I would have no problem being convinced that it is indeed a systematic problem. I do have a problem with dismantling an organization based on edited video, without releasing all the material. If the original tapes were turned over, I would be easy enough to see the truth. Resistance to releasing those tapes leads me to believe something is up.

Baraka_Guru

---

-+-{Important TFP Staff Message}-+- Just a reminder, folks, to refrain from personal attacks. Please keep this discussion above board or face the consequences. Thank you.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Cimarron29414

For the third time, when I said the quotes above, I was referring to the videos where no criminal activity occurred. That is very clear in my posts.

You know, for people who said these acts are indefensible - you guys are putting up quite a fight on their behalf.

__________________
Gives a man a halo, does mead.

"Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly."

Aladdin Sane

Not quite dead, no. The evidence is Exhibit A:

NATIONAL SHU POLL FINDS ONLY ONE-QUARTER OF AMERICANS BELIEVE ‘ALL’ OR ‘MOST’ OF NEWS MEDIA REPORTING AND DECLARE OLD –STYLE JOURNALISM IS DEAD

Ø Fox News Trusted Most – and Least
Ø Large Majorities See Media Attempts to Influence Public Opinion and Policies
Ø Americans Provide News Media with Dismal Satisfaction Ratings
Ø Little Support Found for Tax Dollar Bailout of Newspapers

The Sacred Heart University Polling Institute released its third survey on "Trust and Satisfaction with the National News Media." The national survey of 800 Americans was fielded from Sept. 8-11 and covered new subjects as well as updating results from 2003 and 2007.


ON MEDIA TRUST, INFLUENCE AND RATINGS…
Respondents were asked if they believed all, most, some, little or none of news media reporting. Just 24.3% indicated they believe all or most news media reporting. While this is up from 19.6% in 2007, it remains lower than the 27.4% recorded in 2003.

Just over half of all respondents, 54.0%, said they believe “some” news media reporting. This is down slightly from 55.3% in 2007. Those believing little or no news media reporting dropped to 20.4% in 2009 from 23.9% in 2007.

According to Sacred Heart University Government and Politics Professor and Chair Dr. Gary Rose, "The low level of trust exhibited by poll respondents towards the media is in some respects a manifestation of the growing resentment and distrust among the American people regarding large and powerful institutions in general. The American people have become increasingly skeptical and suspicious towards institutions which they perceive as distant and manipulative. Small wonder that the media, which is now controlled by a handful of large corporations, is perceived in such a negative light."

In 2009, 86.6% (87.6% in 2007 and 70.3% in 2003) strongly and somewhat agreed that the news media have their own political and public policy positions and attempt to influence public opinion. And, 85.3% (86.0% in 2007 and 76.7% in 2003) strongly and somewhat agreed that the news media have their own political positions and attempt to influence public policies.

"The results suggest that we are witnessing a new era of partisan media with the important difference that current news outlets claim to be offering objective coverage when they often aren’t," says Sacred Heart University Media Studies and Digital Culture Associate Professor, Dr. James Castonguay.

Researchers were asked which national television news organization they trusted most for accurate reporting. Fox News was named by 30.0% of all respondents – up from 19.5% in 2003 and 27.0% in 2007.

Those named most frequently as the television news organization most trusted for accurate reporting in 2009 included: Fox News (30.0%), CNN (19.5%), NBC News (7.5%) and ABC News (7.5%). Fox News was also the television news organization trusted least. Just over one-quarter, 26.2%, named Fox News, followed by NBC News (9.9%), MSNBC (9.4%), CNN (8.5%), CBS News (5.3%) and ABC News (3.7%).

Researchers asked respondents for their perceptions of political leanings of various news sources. The Daily Show/Colbert Report was viewed, by a six-to-one margin, as mostly or somewhat liberal over mostly or somewhat conservative. By nearly five-to-one margins, respondents see “news media journalists and broadcasters,” the New York Times and MSNBC as mostly or somewhat liberal over those that see them as mostly or somewhat conservative.

Fox News is viewed as mostly or somewhat conservative over mostly or somewhat liberal by a four-to-one margin. And, by approximately three-to-one margins, CNN and USA Today are viewed as mostly or somewhat liberal over mostly or somewhat conservative. The Wall Street Journal is viewed as more conservative by a two-to-one margin while National Public Radio is viewed as more liberal by the same margin.

Researchers read the following question to respondents: "Many considered Walter Cronkite, who recently passed away, the most trusted television news anchor. In your view, who is the most trusted news anchor today?" A total of 25 different individuals were named in the open-end format question. The top six mentioned as most trusted were Charles Gibson (19.8%), Brian Williams (17.3%), Katie Couric (9.9%), Bill O’Reilly (9.3%), Tom Brokaw (8.0%) and Jim Lehrer (2.4%).

Over half of all respondents, 56.1%, suggested they trust the electronic and print news media for accurate news and information over blogs (7.8%), the social media such as Facebook (3.4%) and entertainers/celebrities (4.3%). Others, 28.5%, were unsure whom they trusted most.

The average, overall positive rating for the national electronic and print news media across eight service characteristics was 35.9%. Most organizations strive to attain and maintain customer satisfaction ratings in the high 80s and low 90s.

The highest positive ratings were recorded for "quality of reporting" (40.6%) and "meeting expectations" (40.0%). The lowest positive ratings were recorded for "presenting negative and positive news equally" (30.6%), "keeping any personal bias out of stories" (33.0%), "presenting an even balance of news" (33.6%) and "fairness" (33.1%).

More respondents agreed (strongly or somewhat) with the statement "The news media are not as responsive to consumer preferences and market desires as they claim to be" (70.4%), than disagree (25.5%). Some, 4.1%, were unsure.


ON NEWS MEDIA VIEWING HABITS…
Researchers asked respondents which television news organization they turned to most frequently. The top five news organizations were Fox News (28.4% - up from 26.5% in 2007), CNN (14.9% - down from 16.0% in 2007), NBC News (10.6% - down from 11.8% in 2007), ABC News (9.3% - down from 11.0% in 2007), and "local news" (9.3% - down from 8.5% in 2007). Other organizations respondents turned to most frequently included CBS News (7.4%), MSNBC (4.3%), PBS News (1.3%), CNBC (0.6%) and CBN (0.1%).

Respondents were asked if they selected their favorite because they offer objective reporting or because they view the issues as they did. In results that were nearly three-to-one, 59.0% suggested they made their selection based on objective reporting, while 19.0% chose their favorite because they share the same views on issues. Another 21.0% were unsure or didn’t know.

Dr. Castonguay went on to say that "the polarization we are seeing around an issue such as healthcare is being reflected in news media preferences. Those same media outlets are covering, framing, and interpreting the issues for the public, so it becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy."

Nearly three-quarters of all respondents, 73.3%, indicated they did not have a personal page on a social network such as Facebook or MySpace. Another 25.5% said they did.


ON THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE…
While strong majorities of survey respondents (73.4%) believed the news media (newspapers, radio, TV and the internet) should provide equal time and space for multiple sides of issues, a similar percentage (70.9%) said the same media should be free from government involvement and allow the market to determine programming demand.

"The results once again show that Americans are not getting what they expect from the major news outlets, yet they don’t trust the government to fix the problem," says Dr. Castonguay.


ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP…
Nearly three-quarters, 71.0%, believed it is very (31.8%) or somewhat (39.3%) important that limits be placed on how many media outlets one company should own. Another 24.7% believe such limits are somewhat unimportant (8.4%) or not at all important (16.3%). Some, 4.4%, were unsure.

Over half of all respondents, 56.7%, believed it’s "bad for democracy" that six companies currently own almost all the major media outlets in the United States. Another 30.4% suggested it does not matter while 7.8% indicated it was good for democracy.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed, 62.9%, suggested that these media ownership companies provide news that mostly generates ratings and advertising income over those (22.3%) who suggested these companies provide news that mostly informs the public about issues and policies.

Dr. Castonguay suggests that "many Americans feel that the news media are not giving them what they want as consumers or citizens, and are concerned about the effects of media ownership on the health of our democracy."


ON THE FUTURE…
Nearly two-fifths of all respondents, 38.1%, said they are reading newspapers less often than they did five years ago. And, nearly half, 45.0%, agreed that the internet is adequately covering for failing newspapers, while 35.6% disagreed.

More than three-quarters, 77.9%, disagreed with a statement suggesting tax dollars be used to prop up failing newspapers.

Two-thirds, 64.1%, agreed that the health of our democracy is directly tied to the health of journalism. And, 67.9% agreed with a statement that read: "Old-style, traditionally objective and fair journalism is dead." Just one quarter, 26.5%, disagreed while 5.6% were unsure.


ON MEDIA BIAS…
Poll results found 83.6% saw national news media organizations as very or somewhat biased while just 14.1% viewed them as somewhat unbiased or not at all biased. Some, 2.4%, were unsure.

A large majority, 89.3%, suggested the national media played a very or somewhat strong role in helping to elect President Obama. Just 10.0% suggested the national media played little or no role. Further, 69.9% agreed the national news media are intent on promoting the Obama presidency while 26.5% disagreed. Some, 3.6% were unsure.

Over half of Americans surveyed, 56.4%, said they agreed that the news media are promoting President Obama’s healthcare reform without objective criticism. Another 39.3% disagreed and 4.3% were unsure. Further, a majority, 57.6% of those surveyed agreed that the news media appear to be coordinating efforts to diminish the record of former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin. One third, 34.6%, disagreed and 7.9% were unsure.

“It is sad,” suggested Jerry C. Lindsley, director of the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, “when we find that only 55.9% say they expect the media to tell them the truth today.” He added, “This perception of bias will eventually catch up with the news media outlets – we found 45.9% have permanently stopped watching a news media organization, print or electronic, because of perceived bias.”


ON THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA…
A large majority, 85.3%, of those polled suggested they were very or somewhat aware of the term “mainstream media.” Respondents saw the members of the mainstream media as: NBC (37.6%), CBS (32.6%), ABC (29.5%), CNN (27.8%), Fox News (19.9%), and MSNBC (12.6%). Over half of those surveyed, 56.1%, suggested the “mainstream media” are mostly or somewhat liberal while 16.7% suggested somewhat or mostly conservative. Some, 19.7%, saw the “mainstream media” as neutral and 7.7% were unsure.


ON LT. BRADSHAW AND THE WARS…
The poll found that, by a six-to-one margin, Americans would prefer to have their national news media cover the life of 1st Lieutenant Brian Bradshaw who was killed fighting in Afghanistan than that of entertainer Michael Jackson following their deaths on June 25, 2009. Another 14.6% suggested they would have preferred an even balance of coverage and 8.0% were unsure.

“The overwhelming result is not at all surprising,” Lindsley suggested. “We found 70.4% agreeing that the national news media are not as responsive to consumer preferences and market desires as they claim to be. Just 25.5% disagreed.”

The poll of 800 Americans also found 57.4% saw too little news about the men and women fighting the wars while 7.3% saw too much and 31.3% suggested there was about the right amount. Overall, 45.1% saw too little news on the wars while 9.8% saw too much and 41.3% suggested war coverage was about right. Negative news on war development was too much for 31.3% and too little for 33.5% while 30.3% said there was about the right amount.

And, majorities saw too little truthful reporting on the wars (59.6%), news on successes (60.8%), and objective/unbiased news reporting (57.0%).


EXPERTS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT


* Dr. James Castonguay, associate professor, Media Studies and Digital Culture
* Jerry C. Lindsley, director, Sacred Heart University Polling Institute
* Dr. Gary Rose, professor and chair of Government and Politics

To speak with these experts, please contact Funda Alp at 203-396-8241 or alpf@sacredheart.edu or Tracy Deer-Mirek at 203-371-7751 or deer-mirekt@sacredheart.edu.


How the Poll Was Conducted
The Sacred Heart University Polling Institute completed 800 surveys nationally. All telephone interviews were conducted between September 8 and September 11, 2009. One survey instrument was used to elicit information from all respondents. Statistically, a sample of 800 completed telephone interviews represents a margin for error of +/-3.5% at a 95% confidence level.

# # #

About Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University, the second-largest Catholic university in New England, offers more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Connecticut, and satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. Approximately 6,000 students attend the University’s four colleges: Arts & Sciences; Education & Health Professions; University College; and the AACSB-accredited John F. (Jack) Welch College of Business. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its “Best 371 Colleges: 2010” and “Best Business Schools: 2010” and U.S. News & World Report ranks SHU among the best master’s universities in the North in its annual “America’s Best Colleges” publication. As one of just 23 institutions nationally, SHU is a member of the Association of American Colleges & Universities’ (AAC&U) Core Commitments Leadership Consortium, in recognition of its core, “The Human Journey.” SHU fields 31 division I athletic teams, and has an award-winning program of community service. Welcome to Sacred Heart University, Fairfield CT - Sacred Heart University

For additional Sacred Heart University news, please visit News & Events - Sacred Heart University.
SHU National Poll: Trust and Satisfaction With the National News Media - Sacred Heart University

__________________
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

dippin

And how is the fact that you are referring to tapes where "nothing happened" contradict my statement that "how can anyone defend at the same time the ideas that ACORN as a whole is to blame for this and that the videomakers shouldn't release their entire footage at the same time is beyond me?"

What fight? My position has been, from the start, that I believe in due process, and that I won't form an opinion on acorn as an organization until the full tapes are released. I have no problems finding what the individuals did indefensible, but I need more to consider this an organizational feature. That you think that this is akin to an endorsement of acorn or a fight in its behalf tells more about just how hellbent you are on condemning them than anything else. And so much resistance on the videomakers' part in releasing the rest of the footage tells me something is not right.

Cimarron29414

I would agree with you if this was the only evidence of ACORN corruption. I'm done. I'll be back when the convictions are read.

__________________
Gives a man a halo, does mead.

"Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly."

dippin

Where is the other evidence? And please don't use the voter registration forms that acorn flagged themselves as evidence.

Cimarron29414

I said I'm done. I'm wasting my time.

__________________
Gives a man a halo, does mead.

"Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly."

dippin

Nice of you to come back to reiterate that you are done. And Im amazed at this desire to constantly play the victim. Who knew that asking for full disclosure, or asking about the so called abundant evidence, would be considered such an egregious attack on you...

Cimarron29414

It isn't an egregious attack. I am not going to convince you of anything no matter what "evidence" I provide. I'm not a victim - I'm just not going to waste my time trying to convince someone of something with a 0% chance of success. When we reach an impasse I stop - and we have come to that here. It's not personal, it's just time to quit.

__________________
Gives a man a halo, does mead.

"Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly."

roachboy

__________________
a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

-kamau brathwaite

Xazy

More acorn news.

article
I assume some will feel it is more bias, but does not change that the organization has lots of problems and needs to be shutdown from federal money and audited for fraud.

Willravel

Honestly, there's not an overall bias or some conspiracy. It's a matter of corporations being squeamish about ratting out their friends or reporting something unpopular, and journalists bringing their own particular biases to their work. Any journalist that says he or she is 100% objective is either lying or doesn't understand him or herself.

After 9/11, it was financially prudent to back the wartime president. The last thing they wanted was to be labeled unpatriotic... and there's a lot of money in patriotism. Those few media members that dared speak up were, just as predicted, labeled as un-American or unpatriotic (two completely meaningless terms), and were marginalized as the acquiescing media outlets gladly gobbled up information from the wartime administration. I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces as millions of Americans protested against the war back in 2003. I'm sure they were doing advertising math, trying to pick sides, all along many journalists were falling into the same trapping of vengeance that many people were feeling.

Fast forward, and we see that wartime corporate position slowly morphed into the status quo for many because it was quite profitable. From there, corporate interests aligned themselves with either progressives (centrists, actually) or conservatives because there's a lot of money to be made in the us-vs.-them game. Just look at sports.

Is there a conservative media bias? Kinda. There are generally two camps, centrists that think they're liberal, and right-wing extremists that think they're right-center. In reality this averages out to a conservative bias, but it's a bit of an oversimplification.

Derwood

Bachmann warns of abortions at school - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Just thought I'd throw out the weekly Michelle Bachmann insanity here

The_Dunedan

The media is neither Conservative nor Liberal, rather STATIST. All major Media are owned by, or own, large defense contractors. You know, Raytheon, General Dynamics/Electic, Lockheed Martin...they know where their bread is buttered. The media support whoever is, or will be, in charge of their parent company's (or subsidiaries, in the case of AOL/Time/Warner) paychecks.

Rekna

I don't know if anyone has been paying attention to fox news lately but here is the jist of one story over the last few days:

Yesterday: Obama is bad because he is trying to get the Olympics in Chicago.
Today: Obama is bad because he failed to get the Olympics in Chicago.

Willravel

Tomorrow: Obama's Olympic gold medal win proves he's Kenyan.

Derwood

the Olympic spin was obvious weeks ago. It was lose-lose from the start

dippin

One of the random douches from ESPN published an article earlier this week about how he was against the olympics in Chicago, how it doesn't really generate improvements for the city, and etc. Today, after the decision, he wrote about how Chicago was "snubbed" and said he hoped the infrastructure aspects of the Chicago proposal are not forgotten and take place.

The general media attitude seems to be "we didn't want it, but damn you for not offering it to us." Some of the usual suspects even brought up "anti-Americanism" as the culprit, apparently oblivious to the fact that the US has hosted 4 olympics in the past 29 years...

Rekna

As someone who lives in a recent Olympic city (SLC) I can tell you that there are a lot of benefits for having the Olympics. We had a ton of infrastructure upgrades to roads and they even added a light rail. I think cities that host the Olympic's need to make a big investment upfront but that investment pays off dividends in the long run.

Kingruv

If I understand everything in preceding posts it is like this:
EXTREME RIGHT
Fox News
DEAD CENTER
NBC
ABC
CBS
MSNBC
CNN/HLN
DAILY KOS
ET AL

EXTREME LEFT
NOT APPLICABLE


I would have to conclude there is definately bias here. There is also an unfair power so-called conservatives seem wield over all others.
I'm not sure how that works. Maybe I can bottle it. (I'm looking for something to do as pick-up work so I can have a modicum of pocket money for retirement)

Rekna

I would actually say

Extreme right: Fox news

Center ABC NBC CBS CNN

Left: MSNBC

Extreme Left: Daily KOS

The problem is fox news yells the loudest and is trying to say it is the center and everything else is extreme left. Which we all know is bullshit.

Baraka_Guru

Daily KOS is hardly the extreme left. I wouldn't even call Fox News the extreme right. .

I think Fox News is well into the right, and that Daily KOS is essentially liberally progressive. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't regularly read/watch either, but this is what I surmise from my general understanding of what I have seen or read.

I don't tend to view Daily KOS as a source of workers-unite type stuff.

The voices on the far left in the U.S. virtually fall on deaf ears.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Rekna

Did you know the bible is liberally biased?

Conservative Bible Project - Conservapedia

YaWhateva

Oh wow.

__________________
“If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again.” - Bill O'Reilly

"This is my United States of Whateva!"

dc_dux

There is currently a commission of "educators" in Texas to make recommendations on social studies curriculum. Several commission members (an evangelical minister and the former vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party) evidently want to remove Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall from the curriculum.

Conservatives say Texas social studies classes give too much credit to civil rights leaders

But this recommendation really cracked me up:

Barton, a former vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party, said that because the U.S. is a republic rather than a democracy, the proper adjective for identifying U.S. values and processes should be "republican" rather than "democratic." That means social studies books should discuss "republican" values in the U.S., his report said.

Ah....that conservative concern for our kids education is touching!

__________________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire

Tully Mars

Don't like history or the Bible? Rewrite it! Yeah!

Gotta admire their efforts... never let the facts get in the way of what you think.

__________________
I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo

Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club