Totally agree. BTW, I heard that ACORN was behind the strategy of fake balance.

This is the biggest reason I quit watching CNN early last year.

Sacrificing fact and truth for the sake of "balance" is ridiculous.

The corporate media didn't try hard enough. Next time they should give me a call.

MSM: "The issue we are debating is supply side economics with Dr. Krugman."
Me: "That hack! I have my Reagan Bible Version 11 on my coffee table. Lets do this!"
MSM: "Yeah ummm....Can you make an intelligent argument for 10 minutes?"
Me: "Intelligent? No. Sorry, but I can scream very loud and talk over the professor while waving a tea bag."
MSM: "Perfect! That is the exact response we were looking for, not on piece of empirical evidence will do just fine."
Me: "Happy to do my part."
MSM: "You are on in 5..4..3..2.."
Me: "Wow! Do I have wear pants?"
Krugman: "Are you people fucking kidding me?" *storms off to his vintage 1960s batmobile*
Me: "The last 3 decades of wealth creation are do to Reaganomics."
MSM: "Cut. You did great, sir."

Atleast this is the why it played out in my mind.

It enables the right wing to kick up dust, and confuse.

It is Fox News who is to blame--Fair and Balanced was their trojan horse, and since they get ratings--the rest of the BBQ MSM adopted the approach that the truth has two sets of facts.

Notice that the network canceled the segment because it had no one to provide a opposite viewpoint and no talking head that could at least articulate the opposing viewpoint well enough to have a discussion with Krugman. The talking head was too stupid to do it and there would be no fireworks between Krugman and a right wing crazy.

I'm really shocked. The Republican Party is essentially the opposition party. It has nothing left but opposition. They couldn't find even one that was willing to go up against Krugman? They don't have to actually know anything, just sit there and tell him he's wrong. About everything.

I blame Pat Buchanan and "Crossfire." He who shouteth the loudeth gets treated as if he has some credibility on an issue.

There's been a lot of talk and outrage about Huffington Post reporters being allowed in the WH Press room. I now listen to the news and for verification of stories...I definitely head to the blogs. Even the late nite comics. No way will I take corporate medias word for it anymore. Keith and Rachel are about the only ones I trust anymore. And Link TV Democracy now..not corporate funded.

My sister told me that she saw a promo this morning on MSNBC where Dylan Ratigan say's that a journalist's job is to harass the politicians or something to that affect. First of all what the hell does he know about journalism? I'm sure Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow adhered to that same strict code of "journalistic standards". Riiiiiight! What fucking idiots these network tools are. Attentions Stupidass "Journalists"! There are no opposing views on the truth. Either you have the facts on your side or you don't! The opposing view with these idiots seems to be the denial of truth which has no counter weight! The media really sucks! Thank goodness for bloggers like Bob, Lee, and coutless others who are workig circles around these incompetent assholes!

By the way, I'd ad Ed Shultz with Keith and Rachel as the only truth tellers on MSNBC or any other cable or network "news" shows. The rest of them are all full of shit!

News flash: There are not, in fact, two sides to every story.
I think we should start demanding that for every minute the MSM gives to Birthers (actually to them, not debunking them) they should givet he same amount of time to Mook landing fakers, JFK conspiracy theories, psychics, witches, and anyone else whose ever had an idea.

@roxsteady

Regarding the silly thing Ratigan said on his program: Who watches the Watchmen? Read the comic or watch the movie to get where I'm going with that question.

It is obvious Ratigan and his ilk are on a power trip because they're on television programs. I mean having televised advertisements and billboard does something to their psyches. They liken themselves to...superheros.

Spot on Lex! These people lost all contact with reality a long time ago. I can't watch MSNBC during the day. At 6:00pm it's like a whole other network. They're worse than the god awful soap operas that some women watch. A complete mind fuck! Personally, I'm a big fan of the Animal Planet Channel, The Discovery Channel and National Geographic. The rest of tv is all fake ass "reality" shows and ignorant cable show host and "analysts". Ugh!

I still occasionally watch some of these "news" programs when I'm with friends, but I've been reading a bunch during my off time this summer, and playing some X-Box games. The one I watch mostly is Maddow. She's doing yoeman's work exposing the pious zealots in our government and their enablers. It's a very important story that sort of gets lost in all the redundant political scuttlebutt that passes for news on the network. These people are working to dismantle American government from within, and all people seem to be concerned with is news about the petty squabbles fostered by bitter, power-mad Republicons.