Comments on: The NSA Bill in the Mainstream Media vs. the Blogosphere

By: NOTR

NOTR — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 05:34:01 +0000

OMG! The NSA might read our blogs too! Oh the horror!

By: Demon Princess

Demon Princess — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 23:36:42 +0000

As you’ve noted, it would be nice if Specter’s bill even required the Administration to observe the law already on the books, but it goes FAR beyond that by also providing for consolidation of any private suits in a court most friendly to Bushco, besides other obsequious provisions. For instance, recognizing the autocratic impetus inherent in those “unitary executive” Art. II arguments without any semblance of Congress having looked very carefully into it. And that’s not all.

Roll over & play dead, Arlen. It’s Xmas in July–a fire sale, or somethin’ for the separation of powers doctrine & democratic government–& George goes home with a big bagful of new toys.

I can’t even express how disgusted I am. Is this America or a 3rd world country? Moreover, it saddens, but does not surprise, me that bloggers caught on before the media did. The one thing that keeps me blogging is the chance, however, remote, that someone in the Capitol will take note of the news analysis & critiques coming from the blogosphere generally.

By: Benjamin Weatherwax

Benjamin Weatherwax — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 16:18:06 +0000

Marty Lederman has two more brilliant posts this morning (Sat, July 15) over at Balkinization, taking apart a Time Magazine story and a disconnect at the Washington Post.

By: Doug H.

Doug H. — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 04:18:49 +0000

Lazy, herd mentality reporting from the MSM? Are you truly surprised?

I think you hit on an important point: expertise. Most journalists not only don’t have the expertise to accurately assess these types of stories, they also don’t recognize who the real experts are.

By: Danny Glover

Danny Glover — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 23:09:59 +0000

“How can it be that they all seem to have almost identical news stories” — and that bloggers have a far different take?

Because the MSM by and large still refuse to recognize bloggers as legitimate sources whose opinions are worth reporting as those in officialdom like Specter, etc. And that’s a shame, too.

One good way to get appropriate balance in news stories is for journalists to broaden the scope of who they contact for comment. Maybe one of these days my colleagues in the press will show a little more initiative and stop calling the same three or four officials and three or four talking heads. Until they do, the stories are going to continue sounding largely the same.