MSNBC Goes Into Astroturf Mode

Organizes Grassroots Effort of Free Clinics as Gesture to 'Shame' Senators

Remember back just a few short months ago - when thousands, if not millions, of Americans were protesting out-of-control government spending and other policies favored by President Barack Obama's administration?

Surprised by the resounding turnout, the usual lefty talking heads on MSNBC, specifically on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" and "The Rachel Maddow Show," explained the protests away as being fake grassroots aka AstroTurf. Full Story »

Posted by Derek Hawkins - via NewsRack (Health Care)
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Subjects: World, U.S., Politics, Media, Health
Member Tags: health care reform, Insurance industry
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Posted by: Posted by Derek Hawkins - Oct 8, 2009 - 8:16 AM PDT
Content Type: Article
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Derek Hawkins - Oct 16, 2009 - 3:52 PM PDT
Dwight Rousu
1.5
by Dwight Rousu - Oct. 8, 2009

Bias, not comparable cases, guilt by association, and other cheap tricks of partisanship cloud any hint of worthwhile observations here.

See Full Review » (11 answers)
Fabrice Florin
2.5
by Fabrice Florin - Oct. 10, 2009

As a work of journalism, this story is clearly biased. Even if we treat it as an opinion, it's not very insightful, because it is so partisan. There is no nuance, no attempt to look at both sides of the story -- or to condemn Fox News for engaging in the same type of political activism as MSNBC.

I don't think it's right for Olbermann and Maddow to organize political protests on-air while claiming to be journalists. We need journalists to be watchdogs, not activists. I was similarly bothered when Fox News incited people to join tea parties and town hall meetings to voice their opposition to health care reform.

See Full Review » (16 answers)
Jack Dinkmeyer
1.4
by Jack Dinkmeyer - Oct. 10, 2009

A well-written right-wing propaganda piece posing as journalism. Patients United Now is an advocacy campaign to combat healthcare reform organized by Americans for Prosperity—a major shadow group sponsoring National Tea Parties. Cited is a Gallop poll stating over 80% of Americans are satisfied with their healthcare. How satisfied are the 50 million Americans without healthcare? The article’s indignation about Olbermann and Maddow using GE owned TV megaphones for their own AstroTurfing is incongruous compared to FOX’s 24-hour absurd distortions.

It’s impossible to shame politicians protected by thick layers of special interest monies who don't give a damn about America or Americans.

See Full Review » (19 answers)
Patricia Blochowiak
2.1
by Patricia Blochowiak - Oct. 10, 2009

Encouraging health care clinics is not the same as funding and arranging demonstrations.

See Full Review » (19 answers)
Jo Bobenhouse Smith
1.0
by Jo Bobenhouse Smith - Oct. 8, 2009

This coverage is all over the place which makes it too tiring to read. Doubtful in it's intentions. Less than high school grade level.

This was a wasteful use of my poor old grey matter.

The clinics themselves are a worthy endeavor. However, Olbermann, used a long-winded hour-long Oct. 7 “Special Comment” to set this up and encouraged the ... More »

See Full Review » (14 answers)
Judith Davidsen
by Judith Davidsen - Oct. 10, 2009

Since there's no labels over the columns of boxes, I can't tell if ratings get more or less approving from left to right, so I'm doing this in words. In an attempt to appear balanced, the author comes off as schizoid. And he makes it sound as though Maddow, rather than he himself, claims that providing healthcare at free clinics is "blatant exploitation of the poor."

See Full Review » (1 answer)
Jon Raymond
1.0
by Jon Raymond - Oct. 8, 2009

This is yellow journalism. The writer is obviously politicaly prejuduuced aginst MSNBC and sees them as a left wing consiracy of sorts. He also appears to be strongly affiliated or at least in step with the right wing poltical agenda, known to have infamously used "astro-turf" corporate backed organizations to populate town halls with fake "people". What MSNBC is doing is not fake. There's nothing at all fake about real health clinics offering real medical services. This is a great charitable gesture on the part of MSNBC. The right has a history of self projection of their misgivings upon their left opponents as a form of defense.

See Full Review » (5 answers)
Glenn LaBauve
1.0
by Glenn LaBauve - Oct. 26, 2009

biased and juvenile, the quaotr from their home page says it all.

Welcome to NewsBusters, a project of the Media Research Center (MRC), the leader in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias. More »

See Full Review » (7 answers)
Robert B. Elliott
2.1
by Robert B. Elliott - Oct. 10, 2009

This is pure nonsense worthy of the name of the author, Mr. Poor. His false equivalence is terribly revealing of his extreme bias. Olbermann & Maddow are not lying to citizens & trying to exploit their anger & suffering in order to profit personally or to steer profits to corporations & away from those same citizens. They are not trying to influence voters with false info & slanted rhetoric that ignores facts & statistics; their goal is to influence legislators by making it less easy to pretend that the current state of affairs is just hunky dory. Poor shows gross ignorance or willful stupidity by using the 80% statistic regarding staisfaction, which reflects the good fortune of the privileged who have health care & those who ... More »

See Full Review » (6 answers)
Sara Louise Lazarus
3.0
by Sara Louise Lazarus - Oct. 10, 2009

Quality journalism, no. However the point that this is astroturf is not totally off-target. Calling Olbermann and Maddow "lefty talking heads" isn't straightforward journalism, and certainly reveals a bias.

See Full Review » (4 answers)

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