Friday, January 21, 2005
Inauguration Notes:
Just thought I would jot down a few thoughts watching the media coverage of President George W. Bush's inauguration. I was amazed at the range of emotions I had-- just seeing the celebration on television. As I watched the president take the oath...I felt tremendous happiness and pride--hubris, if you will..(ha!) although it was difficult--yet inspirational-- to watch Chief Justice William Rehnquist administer the oath of office. I also became really angry and frustrated as I watched the protesters in action...not so much that they were protesting--that's their right...but the ridiculous amount of coverage that 500-1000 people could generate when thousands more were there SUPPORTING the President. I wanted to know...every time I saw John Kerry's face on the news....did BOB DOLE get this much coverage?! Did disgruntled Republicans in 1993 and 1997 get any attention? I wondered how the media would spin the parties and the "lavish", "excessive" celebration if it was John Kerry being sworn in. I know how they would do it. They would herald the next four years as the re-introduction of America to the world and the time to rebuild broken alliances and almost like a "Welcome Back" party. The media can frame any topic. A positive Bush story can become negative. A negative Democrat issue can become positive. It's all in the spin. I thought about how critics...the Rolodex Rangers, as Secretary Powell called them once on "Meet the Press"--these critics want the Republicans to reach out to the Democrats. Does a winning baseball team emulate the team that beat them in The World Series...or do they continue to strive for their continued success and do what's working for them? I also thought...okay...the Republicans are in power and Dems in the minority nationally...but it's actually the opposite here in Illinois. Do we ask the Democrats to modify their agenda to work with us? No..we accept their win and try best we can to rebuild the party so that we can beat them next time. Finally, as I watched President Bush and First Lady Laura dance and watched Anderson Cooper and Hannity and Colmes broadcast live--I was so jealous! I kept thinking of how much fun The Republican National Convention was in New York and I was jealous of Cisco who was there partying in DC with the Illinois delegation. If I had been there, I would have really given it to those protesters and then...of course... dance the night away at the ball (s!) Of course, now that the snow is about to hit...maybe I'm better off here in Chicago. I wouldn't have been able to see the coverage if I had gone! But I would have had the chance to interview Don King one more time! Did you see him with Greta Van Susteren? He is the easiest interview. One question...he talks for five minutes. GEORGE WALKER BUSH. GEORGE WALKER BUSH. You go George! Congratulations. To the media...I'll save it for another story.
Just thought I would jot down a few thoughts watching the media coverage of President George W. Bush's inauguration. I was amazed at the range of emotions I had-- just seeing the celebration on television. As I watched the president take the oath...I felt tremendous happiness and pride--hubris, if you will..(ha!) although it was difficult--yet inspirational-- to watch Chief Justice William Rehnquist administer the oath of office. I also became really angry and frustrated as I watched the protesters in action...not so much that they were protesting--that's their right...but the ridiculous amount of coverage that 500-1000 people could generate when thousands more were there SUPPORTING the President. I wanted to know...every time I saw John Kerry's face on the news....did BOB DOLE get this much coverage?! Did disgruntled Republicans in 1993 and 1997 get any attention? I wondered how the media would spin the parties and the "lavish", "excessive" celebration if it was John Kerry being sworn in. I know how they would do it. They would herald the next four years as the re-introduction of America to the world and the time to rebuild broken alliances and almost like a "Welcome Back" party. The media can frame any topic. A positive Bush story can become negative. A negative Democrat issue can become positive. It's all in the spin. I thought about how critics...the Rolodex Rangers, as Secretary Powell called them once on "Meet the Press"--these critics want the Republicans to reach out to the Democrats. Does a winning baseball team emulate the team that beat them in The World Series...or do they continue to strive for their continued success and do what's working for them? I also thought...okay...the Republicans are in power and Dems in the minority nationally...but it's actually the opposite here in Illinois. Do we ask the Democrats to modify their agenda to work with us? No..we accept their win and try best we can to rebuild the party so that we can beat them next time. Finally, as I watched President Bush and First Lady Laura dance and watched Anderson Cooper and Hannity and Colmes broadcast live--I was so jealous! I kept thinking of how much fun The Republican National Convention was in New York and I was jealous of Cisco who was there partying in DC with the Illinois delegation. If I had been there, I would have really given it to those protesters and then...of course... dance the night away at the ball (s!) Of course, now that the snow is about to hit...maybe I'm better off here in Chicago. I wouldn't have been able to see the coverage if I had gone! But I would have had the chance to interview Don King one more time! Did you see him with Greta Van Susteren? He is the easiest interview. One question...he talks for five minutes. GEORGE WALKER BUSH. GEORGE WALKER BUSH. You go George! Congratulations. To the media...I'll save it for another story.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Show Listings
We've been up and running for a little over two weeks now. I am pleased to note that the mainstream media is now catching up to a lot of the topics that we have already discussed between 9am-11am on NewsTalk 890AM. Please email me with show ideas of your own and if you'd like to throw in your two cents on some of the subjects already discussed. Thank you again for all of your support and feedback! I'm trying to respond to every email. Please be patient. I will pass on to Jay this week all of your good wishes. I just read his blog and learned he is back from vacation! Thanks again!
Monday, January 3, 2005: Is the US stingy in aiding victims of the tsunami?/Woman files yet another frivolous lawsuit. She objects to being called "kemosabe" at work.
Tuesday, January 4: The Mexican government distributing a "how-to" guide to cross the border, with special guest from the INS.
Wednesday, January 5: New 'user fees' on the Tollway, with Jack Hartman/The legal case against George Ryan/Should women fight back against a rapist? According to the Chicago police, it depends on the circumstances.
Thursday, January 6: Two teens allegedly take a baseball bat to induce a sixteen year old's miscarriage. Local Detroit reporter joins us to discuss the gruesome case and why the parents are NOT being charged.
Friday, January 7: Amber Frey: Hero or media whore?/Andrea Yates conviction overturned. Why it DOESN'T matter what the expert witness said. Evanston school officials find a loaded handgun in the restroom and don't immediately call the cops.
_____________________
Monday, January 9: SunTimes readers revolt against the "bastard" New Year's baby. Doesn't this baby need the most compassion of all? /CBS and Armstrong Williams
Tuesday, January 10 : Tim Graham of the Media Research Center discusses why Dan Rather should be fired./ Should children of gay parents be allowed to attend Catholic school.
Wednesday, January 11: The bogus "family feud" between Dick Mell and Governor Blago. Jason Gerwig of the Illinois Republican party wonders what's next for the Dems./ Pregnant woman unable to obtain a divorce
Thursday, January 12: CONFESSION HOTLINE--Father leaves his child in the car while trying to buy an I-Pass and is arrested. Have you left your offspring in the car...even if it was "just for a minute"! Kraft cutting back on marketing junk food to your kids. CONGRESSMAN RAY LAHOOD talks about running for Governor!
Friday, January 13: School District Attorney, Linwood Gunn talks about the court ruling religion vs. evolution down in Georgia./ Indonesia wants the US out of the country by March/Randy Moss --did the media overblow his "mooning"
__________________
Monday, January 16: An adoptive couple loses their three year old to the biological mother. Saying prayer at the inauguration: is the government endorsing religion?
Tuesday, January 17: Wearing red or blue bracelets to show how you voted. Will that further divide the country. State legislator in CT wants movie theaters to show the times of the movie, the previews and the commercials. Is this a waste of time?
We've been up and running for a little over two weeks now. I am pleased to note that the mainstream media is now catching up to a lot of the topics that we have already discussed between 9am-11am on NewsTalk 890AM. Please email me with show ideas of your own and if you'd like to throw in your two cents on some of the subjects already discussed. Thank you again for all of your support and feedback! I'm trying to respond to every email. Please be patient. I will pass on to Jay this week all of your good wishes. I just read his blog and learned he is back from vacation! Thanks again!
Monday, January 3, 2005: Is the US stingy in aiding victims of the tsunami?/Woman files yet another frivolous lawsuit. She objects to being called "kemosabe" at work.
Tuesday, January 4: The Mexican government distributing a "how-to" guide to cross the border, with special guest from the INS.
Wednesday, January 5: New 'user fees' on the Tollway, with Jack Hartman/The legal case against George Ryan/Should women fight back against a rapist? According to the Chicago police, it depends on the circumstances.
Thursday, January 6: Two teens allegedly take a baseball bat to induce a sixteen year old's miscarriage. Local Detroit reporter joins us to discuss the gruesome case and why the parents are NOT being charged.
Friday, January 7: Amber Frey: Hero or media whore?/Andrea Yates conviction overturned. Why it DOESN'T matter what the expert witness said. Evanston school officials find a loaded handgun in the restroom and don't immediately call the cops.
_____________________
Monday, January 9: SunTimes readers revolt against the "bastard" New Year's baby. Doesn't this baby need the most compassion of all? /CBS and Armstrong Williams
Tuesday, January 10 : Tim Graham of the Media Research Center discusses why Dan Rather should be fired./ Should children of gay parents be allowed to attend Catholic school.
Wednesday, January 11: The bogus "family feud" between Dick Mell and Governor Blago. Jason Gerwig of the Illinois Republican party wonders what's next for the Dems./ Pregnant woman unable to obtain a divorce
Thursday, January 12: CONFESSION HOTLINE--Father leaves his child in the car while trying to buy an I-Pass and is arrested. Have you left your offspring in the car...even if it was "just for a minute"! Kraft cutting back on marketing junk food to your kids. CONGRESSMAN RAY LAHOOD talks about running for Governor!
Friday, January 13: School District Attorney, Linwood Gunn talks about the court ruling religion vs. evolution down in Georgia./ Indonesia wants the US out of the country by March/Randy Moss --did the media overblow his "mooning"
__________________
Monday, January 16: An adoptive couple loses their three year old to the biological mother. Saying prayer at the inauguration: is the government endorsing religion?
Tuesday, January 17: Wearing red or blue bracelets to show how you voted. Will that further divide the country. State legislator in CT wants movie theaters to show the times of the movie, the previews and the commercials. Is this a waste of time?
Thursday, January 13, 2005
"Oh Say It IS So....Dan"
Who could have predicted the importance of a web log in a presidential election year? The answer, it turns out, the bloggers themselves.
I have to admit, I hardly paid any attention to some of the rants of left and right wingers, as they spewed truths and half-truths online. I knew that if I did most of my research based on what some bloggers wrote, I wouldn't be getting a full and fair view of the subject matter I was interested in. But then again, you're not going to get that objective reporting on the evening news either, and to be more specific, the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.
The other day, the 224-page report of the independent panel on the disputed September 8th "Sixty Minutes Wednesday" story about President Bush and his National Guard service was released. The panel said a "myopic zeal" to be the first news organization to broadcast a groundbreaking story about the president's Guard service was a key factor in explaining why CBS News had produced a story that was neither fair nor accurate. Four staffers were fired as the result of the investigation, none of them included Dan Rather. I have to thank the bloggers for bringing the "truth"--or in this case, the inaccuracies of this story to light, including immediately discovering errors with the four documents "written" by Lt. Col Jerry Killian. They questioned, within minutes, whether the typefaces used were available within the 1970s, whether experts could really authenticate the documents and whether the person credited with supplying the network with copies of the documents was credible and without political agenda. If it weren't for the bloggers--from Powerline and from other sources, CBS might still be sticking to their story.
But wait! If you further read the panel's report, CBS IS still sticking with their initial National Guard report on "Sixty Minutes." First of all, Dan Rather still believes the story is basically true! Maybe the documents didn't prove that George W. Bush was AWOL and unpatriotic, but he still believes that and still defends the merits of the story and its producers. In addition, the panel believes that a rush to air the story contributed to the problem. Producer Mary Mapes worked on the story, it is said, for FIVE YEARS! Some of your kids were in diapers five years ago. In newsroom terms, that is a lifetime to work on one story. Thirdly, "the Panel cannot conclude that a political agenda at 60 Minutes Wednesday drove either the timing of the airing of the segment or its content." Okay. The story aired right after a very successful convention for the Republican party and 55 days before a presidential election. Most importantly, you had Mary Mapes in touch with and coordinating with Joe Lockhart of the Kerry campaign and, coincidentally, a new Kerry ad campaign about Bush's service to his country airs a day later. But the panel faults Ms. Mapes for only creating "the appearance of political bias".
I'm glad that CBS is pretending to learn their lesson and sticking with their bias. Because it reminds all of us of the importance of alternatives. If you're not getting the full story on the news, whether it's Sixty Minutes or any of the networks evening newscasts, you can turn to talk radio and the internet and the web logs. Dan Rather says: "I have read the report, I take it seriously and I shall keep its lessons well in mind." I don't think anything will change as the result of this story. Scratch that. For me, one thing will change: my bias against the bloggers. A blog allows all of us to voice our opposition to the establishment. I'm happy to become their newest member.
Who could have predicted the importance of a web log in a presidential election year? The answer, it turns out, the bloggers themselves.
I have to admit, I hardly paid any attention to some of the rants of left and right wingers, as they spewed truths and half-truths online. I knew that if I did most of my research based on what some bloggers wrote, I wouldn't be getting a full and fair view of the subject matter I was interested in. But then again, you're not going to get that objective reporting on the evening news either, and to be more specific, the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.
The other day, the 224-page report of the independent panel on the disputed September 8th "Sixty Minutes Wednesday" story about President Bush and his National Guard service was released. The panel said a "myopic zeal" to be the first news organization to broadcast a groundbreaking story about the president's Guard service was a key factor in explaining why CBS News had produced a story that was neither fair nor accurate. Four staffers were fired as the result of the investigation, none of them included Dan Rather. I have to thank the bloggers for bringing the "truth"--or in this case, the inaccuracies of this story to light, including immediately discovering errors with the four documents "written" by Lt. Col Jerry Killian. They questioned, within minutes, whether the typefaces used were available within the 1970s, whether experts could really authenticate the documents and whether the person credited with supplying the network with copies of the documents was credible and without political agenda. If it weren't for the bloggers--from Powerline and from other sources, CBS might still be sticking to their story.
But wait! If you further read the panel's report, CBS IS still sticking with their initial National Guard report on "Sixty Minutes." First of all, Dan Rather still believes the story is basically true! Maybe the documents didn't prove that George W. Bush was AWOL and unpatriotic, but he still believes that and still defends the merits of the story and its producers. In addition, the panel believes that a rush to air the story contributed to the problem. Producer Mary Mapes worked on the story, it is said, for FIVE YEARS! Some of your kids were in diapers five years ago. In newsroom terms, that is a lifetime to work on one story. Thirdly, "the Panel cannot conclude that a political agenda at 60 Minutes Wednesday drove either the timing of the airing of the segment or its content." Okay. The story aired right after a very successful convention for the Republican party and 55 days before a presidential election. Most importantly, you had Mary Mapes in touch with and coordinating with Joe Lockhart of the Kerry campaign and, coincidentally, a new Kerry ad campaign about Bush's service to his country airs a day later. But the panel faults Ms. Mapes for only creating "the appearance of political bias".
I'm glad that CBS is pretending to learn their lesson and sticking with their bias. Because it reminds all of us of the importance of alternatives. If you're not getting the full story on the news, whether it's Sixty Minutes or any of the networks evening newscasts, you can turn to talk radio and the internet and the web logs. Dan Rather says: "I have read the report, I take it seriously and I shall keep its lessons well in mind." I don't think anything will change as the result of this story. Scratch that. For me, one thing will change: my bias against the bloggers. A blog allows all of us to voice our opposition to the establishment. I'm happy to become their newest member.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Hi. Welcome to Eileen's Blog, the official blog of "The Eileen Byrne Show". That makes me laugh, actually....the title....because I just look at my air time at WLS 890-AM as our time. It's your show as much as it is mine and I hope you see it that way too. I welcome your feedback and your emails. Please send on your thoughts to eileen@wlsam.com
I'm very excited to write the new blog because writing is one of my favorite hobbies. I'll be posting new thoughts at least twice-weekly. Check back for new items.
My first item is to thank you for donating to the Chicago Media Tsunami Relief fund. We were able to generate over $1.7 million between the hours of 5am-11pm. That is fantastic! I know that one listener emailed me and had donated $500 which was then matched by his employer! Thank you so much! If you haven't donated, please do what you can...and especially keep the families of the deceased and those who are looking for their loved ones in your prayers. The power of prayer is truly awesome. Friends of mine emailed often last year to ask for prayer when their mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. They continued to send updates after the tumor was removed and their mother consequently had a stroke. The improvement, though, was remarkable. My girlfriend wrote in her letter: "Your prayers are working! The doctors are amazed at Mom's recovery." Please pray whenever you think of the victims and their families. God Bless you and thank you!
My second item is about today's program on the teenagers taking a baseball bat to force an abortion. It is a truly shocking story and I was speechless to hear from "Mary" who had done the same thing when she was sixteen. To further hear that she had no problem with her sons having sex in the near future because ...well..."they're boys" and you don't have to worry about pregnancy with boys?! How did she get pregnant in the first place?! The other issue that I have with this story is that it is just another example of society not valuing life. A twenty-five week old fetus is just an appendage, as one caller stated. It's the result of abortion, partial-birth, no parental notification required and the embryonic stem cell debate that causes us to further devalue life. If you have thoughts on the subject, I'd love to hear from you.
Up next, Amber Frey.....to be admired and treated as a hero? She had first date sex with a murderer and was able to tape his phone calls. Great that she complied with the police and did a citizen's duty...but Oprah gushing?! Give me a break! We'll debate it.
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks again. I will also be sending Jay Marvin your good wishes too. I hope you will continue to tune in and participate in our debates. --Eileen Byrne
I'm very excited to write the new blog because writing is one of my favorite hobbies. I'll be posting new thoughts at least twice-weekly. Check back for new items.
My first item is to thank you for donating to the Chicago Media Tsunami Relief fund. We were able to generate over $1.7 million between the hours of 5am-11pm. That is fantastic! I know that one listener emailed me and had donated $500 which was then matched by his employer! Thank you so much! If you haven't donated, please do what you can...and especially keep the families of the deceased and those who are looking for their loved ones in your prayers. The power of prayer is truly awesome. Friends of mine emailed often last year to ask for prayer when their mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. They continued to send updates after the tumor was removed and their mother consequently had a stroke. The improvement, though, was remarkable. My girlfriend wrote in her letter: "Your prayers are working! The doctors are amazed at Mom's recovery." Please pray whenever you think of the victims and their families. God Bless you and thank you!
My second item is about today's program on the teenagers taking a baseball bat to force an abortion. It is a truly shocking story and I was speechless to hear from "Mary" who had done the same thing when she was sixteen. To further hear that she had no problem with her sons having sex in the near future because ...well..."they're boys" and you don't have to worry about pregnancy with boys?! How did she get pregnant in the first place?! The other issue that I have with this story is that it is just another example of society not valuing life. A twenty-five week old fetus is just an appendage, as one caller stated. It's the result of abortion, partial-birth, no parental notification required and the embryonic stem cell debate that causes us to further devalue life. If you have thoughts on the subject, I'd love to hear from you.
Up next, Amber Frey.....to be admired and treated as a hero? She had first date sex with a murderer and was able to tape his phone calls. Great that she complied with the police and did a citizen's duty...but Oprah gushing?! Give me a break! We'll debate it.
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks again. I will also be sending Jay Marvin your good wishes too. I hope you will continue to tune in and participate in our debates. --Eileen Byrne