July 15, 2004
CONSERVATIVE BIAS IDENTIFIED
Those geniuses at Air America don’t miss a thing. The Houston Chronicle’s Ken Hoffman received a phone call last week from American Airhead Mike Papantonio:
Papantonio challenged me about why the Houston Chronicle "ignored the Jon Matthews story."
Matthews, a former conservative talk show host, pleaded guilty last month to indecency with a child.
Papantonio said, "We're doing a story on the coverage of Matthews. First of all, the story was pulled from the Chronicle's archives, and you covered the story exactly one time since it happened.
"There was no mention that he was the most conservative, right-wing talk host in Texas.
"We're taking the angle that the Houston Chronicle just looked the other way. It looks like you ignored the story, and I'm really interested in why you pulled it from your archives."
Why was this terrible injustice committed? For what reason did the Chronicle ignore this story? Read the whole story.
Posted by Tim Blair at July 15, 2004 02:43 AMWow, first the Super Bowl comes here. Then the All-Star game. Now it turns out that Tim has accessed our local rag.
We are the world. We are the children.
Posted by: Steve in Houston at July 15, 2004 at 03:03 AMWhy pick on Air America? Here's a recent example from the New York Times:
There was no mention of the loss ... when White House officials released hundreds of pages of the President's military records last February in an effort to stem Democratic accusations that he was "AWOL" for a time during his commitment to fly at home in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.Followed by this correction:
An article yesterday about the destruction of some payroll records of National Guard members, including President Bush, misstated the record of White House acknowledgment of the loss. The White House indeed took note of the missing information last February when it released hundreds of pages of Mr. Bush's military files. In a briefing paper for reporters on Feb. 10, summarizing those files, it noted that payroll records for the third quarter of 1972 had been lost when they were transferred to microfiche [a decade ago].There went a day's worth of Bush-coverup blogging from the usual suspects. Posted by: Bruce Rheinstein at July 15, 2004 at 03:15 AM
Vegemite isn't related to Catamite, is it?
I hope not...
I just saw EvilPundit's map of Vegemite conquest. It looks like we have no choice in the matter. It will be like a cracker-spread dhimmitude.
Posted by: Steve in Houston at July 15, 2004 at 03:19 AM(...) the outrage from listeners was amazing.
Wow, Air America listeners were outraged...I thought that was pretty much a prerequisite for listening to the station.
Posted by: PW at July 15, 2004 at 04:00 AMI can see why Air America isn't doing very well if this is what they consider big news. I've never heard of Jon Matthews. If I turned on a radio station that was doing a segment on him, I'd switch stations because I don't know, or care, about Jon Matthews.
I'm not a media person, but I would guess that if Jon Matthews is a local talent, only the people who know who he is would care. I wouldn't think his story would be of interest much beyond Texas? (Perhaps I'm wrong and Matthews is well known?)
I think Air America would do better with topics that have a broader appeal. With a presidential election, release of the senate 9/11 docs., and a half dozen other hot topics I'd think they would do better to concentrate on these.
Talking about Matthews and using him as a spring board to 'prove' some point about US conservatives nation-wide is what the objective was, it seems. So perhaps to their target audience it was of interest. I just don't think it has the broad appeal they need to hook more listeners. They should be concerned about attracting more listeners.
Posted by: Chris Josephson at July 15, 2004 at 04:06 AM"(...) the outrage from listeners was amazing."
Yeah, I heard both of them were completely twisted.
Vegemite memo to Texans:
This stuff can be purchased in small jars at your local HEB Central Market. In Dallas at least; do they have Central Market in Houston?
Posted by: Truly at July 15, 2004 at 05:05 AMWhat a bunch of utter dolts.
Does Air America even have a station in Texas? So they're griping about a guy both of their listeners probably have never even heard.
No doubt because they keep looking for him on a "Huston" radio station.
Posted by: Posse Incitatus at July 15, 2004 at 05:38 AMAnybody who thinks the Chronicle is a conservative paper is delusional.
Although today there was an op-ed by Marwan Bishara entitled "UN must now stand with Palestinians against wall". And then they'll be offered a last cigarette and a blindfold.
(The actual article had other ideas.)
Posted by: Angie Schultz at July 15, 2004 at 05:59 AM
I take it, then, that Air America won't be giving credence to anything said by arms-inspector-turned-antiwar-Burger King-kiddie-diddler Scott Ritter.
Yes, HEB Central Market is in Houston. I am sure the rest of the world is fascinated by this.
Posted by: Don at July 15, 2004 at 08:11 AMA Seinfeld moment, maybe?
"He spells it with an 'h'... my name is Jerry, but sometimes I spell it with a "g"... and an 'i'!
"Look -- it's Gregory Peck's bicycle! And Barbara Mandrell's skateboard!"
The Air America staff should all get out of the car and walk the rest of the way home as penance.
Posted by: geezer at July 15, 2004 at 08:46 AMCome to think of it, the gayest line's at the end of the article, with Paul Simon begging for the return of Roger Clemens.
Even if you don't like baseball, the sight of "Rocket Roger" getting pounded in the All Star game last night by Yankees & Red Sox, all the while with Mike Piazza catching, well... maybe there really is a God after all.
How the mighty arsehole is brought low... makes one drool to think what's in store for Michael Moore!
Posted by: geezer at July 15, 2004 at 08:59 AM