Media Matters Caught Lying About Sarah Palin (Yet Again)

"Boehlert fails to note the story exploded on major news sites on the Web"
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Kristinn Taylor and Andrea Shea King have caught Media Matters Red-handed telling yet even more lies about Gov Palin:

Responding to Palin’s “57 states” comment, Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert wrote “Palin Concocts More Media Sins.” Boehlert uses a search of Nexis to make Media Matters’ disingenuous case that Palin has overblown media coverage of her “We have to stand by our North Korean allies” flub made during the interview with Beck on his radio show last Wednesday.

Boehlert smears Palin, describing her as being nuts in some manner or form, “self-obsessed” and imagining things.

“Fox News’ Sarah Palin is now so consumed with every real or imagined media wrong against her that she’s to the point where she’s attacking the press for stuff they don’t even do.”

Even though Palin’s slip was reported in headlined stories by American and international wire services, as well as major news sites across America and around the globe, Boehlert claims “major American newspaper(s) did not turn the Palin/North Korea gaffe into a “major political headline,” did not treat it as news, and did not even mention it as news when it occurred .” Boehlert changes Palin’s assertion of major political headlines to major newspaper headlines, a sleight of hand that allows Boehlert to use Nexis to list major American news outlets that supposedly did not report on Palin’s slip:

“New York Times; Wall Street Journal; Los Angeles Times; Washington Post; New York Post; Houston Chronicle; Philadelphia Inquirer; Newsday; Denver Post; Arizona Republic; Minneapolis Star Tribune; Dallas Morning News; Cleveland Plain Dealer; Seattle Times; Chicago Sun-Times …”

Boehlert also claims broadcast media did not cover Palin’s slip:

“What other news outlets ignored Palin’s verbal gaffe when it occurred? All three major networks – ABC, CBS, and NBC–as well as CNN, Fox News, PBS and NPR.”

However, Boehlert fails to note the story exploded on major news sites on the Web within hours of Palin’s slip.

Boehlert also conveniently fails to note that the faux scandal was initiated by his fellow Media Matters writer Oliver Willis.

[More]

As Kristinn and Andrea point out, most people are now getting their news from online sources, so the Nexis search, which identifies only reports in the media’s dead tree editions, is an obvious trick which is disingenuous, at best. The pair did a Google search which provided numberous wire service, television network news, newspaper and political sites which headlined the same coverage that Madia Matters says does not exist. Then Kristinn and Andrea back it all up with links to those websites.

In conclusion, the authors state the obvious, that "reporters relying on Media Matters for accuracy are setting themselves up to be played for fools." Sadly all too many reporters are not just willing -- but eager -- to play the fool, proving Lenin's point about "useful idiots."

- JP