Media frenzy
Close coverage of US presidential candidates in mainstream media and on the internet.
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| Media are scrutinising every word candidates say but some feel John McCain is getting an easier ride |
This week on The Listening Post we focus on the media frenzy around the run up to the US presidential election and the coverage each candidate is getting in the mainstream media and on the internet.
Now that the competition to be US president has thinned to three principal players the media are hanging on every word they say and scrutinising every detail of their lives.
Hillary got into trouble for embellishing her experience of war zones as first lady and Obama came under fire when video of his preacher Jeremiah Wright’s distinctly off-message sermons went public.
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| Videos highlighting US presidential candidates like Yes We Can are hits on sites like YouTube |
The media seem to be giving Republican hopeful John McCain an easier ride despite some clunking gaffes on his self-proclaimed strong suit, foreign policy.
With the candidates in the spotlight, Richard Gizbert assesses the accuracy of its beam.
In part two we look at some of the US election viral ads that are racking up the hits on sites like YouTube.
The candidates have been assiduous in maintaining their own websites, but the most popular videos like Obama Girl and the Yes We Can song, are out of their control.
Should the candidates be worried or is it helping their cause? And will the campaigns catch up and produce hit videos of their own?
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| A Reporters Without Borders activist interrupts the lighting of the Olypic flame in China |
In this week’s Newsbytes, Yahoo causes consternation once again by helping China in its search for Tibet protestors, Reporters Without Borders activists interrupt the lighting of the Olympic flame, CNBC’s Jim Cramer gets it wrong over Bear Sterns – or does he? And two more journalists are killed in Russia – both with strong links to Dagestan.
Our internet video of the week is an example of the sort of videos lampooning the media efforts of the US candidates. It is a spoof by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Walt Hendelsman of Hillary’s It’s 3 am commercial – with an unexpected caller!
Watch part one of this episode of The Listening Post on YouTube
Watch part two of this episode of The Listening Post on YouTube
This episode of The Listening Post aired on Friday, March 28, 2008
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