Sunday's New York Times included a story detailing Urban/Black Radio's support for Sen. Barack Obama. The article suggests this is payback (thought the word isn't used) for a couple of decades of right-wing radio supporting Republican candidates. Reporter Jim Rutenberg writes: "Rush Limbaugh, meet your black liberal counterprogramming."
He may be right, and that's too bad.
There used to be something called the Fairness Doctrine governing broadcasters. It required the holders of FCC licenses to treat controversial issues fairly on-air. The Courts and Limbaugh's ilk destroyed all of that in the mid 1980's, and the right wing talk hosts went on a rampage that helped elect Presidents and Senators and Representatives. Those elected officials then appointed and helped elect judges who upheld the complete dismantling of the doctrine.
I was saddened to see the Limbaugh's of this world ignoring the doctrine even as it was being dismantled. And I am no happier to see today's black broadcasters blatantly supporting Senator Obama. Both sides of the political spectrum have now agreed to a kind of air-war. And that means if you have enough money to buy enough stations and hire talk-hosts and D.J.'s you know will support your candidate, you can virtually elect people to office.
The black hosts eagerness to support the likely Democratic nominee may help him win the White House, but in the long run it will be destructive too.
There's no question that mainstream journalists completely adore McCain and cover him favorably." So said a founding member of the organization at the Unity Conference of The National Association of Black Journalists,a ccording to a column by Mary Mitchell in today's Chicago-Sun-Times. The columnist says Sen. Obama got a more hostile than expected reception at the meeting.
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"Because cheering for Obama at Unity is not evidence of Obamamania infecting the ranks of professional journalism. It's evidence that the journalists at Unity are passionate about finding equal opportunities for people of every ethnicity and race." Commentator Kelly McBride's column about journalists at the conference applauding Sen. Obama in Chicago, on PoynterOnline, the web presence of a professional journalism organization.
(The N.Y. Times story details the departure of Tavis Smiley from the Tom Joyner Radio Show after Smiley criticized Senator Obama on some issues. Joyner is holding a contest to replace Smiley, and one of the eight finalists is Montgomery City Councilman and former For The Record host Tracy Larkin.)
*The Monday Morning Media Memo is a regular feature on this blog.
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