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Not to mention "potentially"

September 14, 2009 12:35 pm ET by Jamison Foser

From Howard Kurtz's online discussion today:

Bellingham WA: Howard-

How does the media define "many"? Last week the coverage was"'many' school districts did not show Obama's speech to students" and/or "'many' parents kept their kids away from Obama's speech". When did a relatively few school districts, mostly in the South become "many"? When did a few, mostly southern, mostly white parents become "many"? Why was no mention made of the thousands of districts and millions of parents who looked forward to the speech and willingly allowed their children to see it? Thanks

Howard Kurtz: "Many" is a great journalistic dodge, second only to "some." But it is hard if not impossible to quantify something that involves, say, thousands of school districts, or, potentially, millions of parents.

Notice how Kurtz justifies the media coverage by saying the protests involved "potentially millions of parents" -- and does so while talking about "journalistic dodges."  That, of course, is precisely the role "potentially" pays in Kurtz's response.  

So, what of it, Mr. Kurtz?  Did millions of children stay home from school?  Or just potentially millions?

Tags: The Washington Post, Howard Kurtz

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    • Author by wesley (September 14, 2009 12:48 pm ET)
        2
      WITH...
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      • Author by NiceguyEddie (September 14, 2009 12:51 pm ET)
        2  
        Why shouldn't it be? Kurtz is covering for what amounts to a media lie; at best a grossly misleading headline. And this from an alledged media critic.

        So let's ask it again, all together now, "WHAT LIBERAL MEDIA?!"
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        • Author by The_Cat (September 14, 2009 1:56 pm ET)
          3  
          The imaginary liberal media that treats President Obama as a savior, or some kind of mythical figure. Personally, I have yet to see any fawning coverage of Obama in the press, the way I did for, say, President Bush and his wars. You know, the TV and newspaper boys and girls who can only gush about Obama, who only cry up the good things he's done, and never ever point out how he is tipping us inevitably towards socialism/communism/Kenyanism/whatever-it-is-we-don't-want-it-ism.

          Which is kind of funny, because, as I say, I have yet to see ANY examples of this.
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          • Author by NiceguyEddie (September 14, 2009 3:20 pm ET)
               
            But they'll keep on insisting on the liberal bias of the media won't they? No amount of evidence will convince them otherwise will it? How devoid of thought must one be not to be able to admit that given the press's treatment of...

            Pelosi vs. Gingrich
            Gore vs. Coleman
            Gore vs. Cheney
            Kerry vs. McCain
            Bill Clinton vs. Bush
            Hillary Clinton vs. Palin
            Alito & Dem's vs. Sotomayor & 'Pub's
            IRAQ WAR PROTESTER vs. 9-12/Birthers/Angry RW Mobs

            ...that there isn't a shread of evididence left to support the claims of Liberal Media Bias!

            But no amount of evidence will ever convince them otherwise. They'll cling to their conventional 'wisdom' like a life-raft in a raging ocean squall.

            ---------------------------------------------------------------
            They just don't know how to THINK!
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    • Author by NiceguyEddie (September 14, 2009 12:49 pm ET)
      3  
      HAHAHAHA! I almost can't believe he went on to publish it like that! It's like when your writing a piece about projection, and at some point you realize that YOU are, in fact, projecting? (Or you recognize your own hypocrisy in a piece you're writing about hypocrisy?) Don't most people STOP and re-write it so that at least it's no so transparent?! Not this 'professional' apparenlty!

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      My Blog
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    • Author by MickD (September 14, 2009 12:53 pm ET)
      3  
      I give credit for Kurtz for meeting the "public," but he is really dismissive when direct criticism is leveled his way.
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