ExxonMobil owns the media’s convention coverage.
By on Aug 15th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
ExxonMobil owns the media’s convention coverage.
As ThinkProgress noted yesterday, ExxonMobil is sponsoring CNN’s coverage of both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. We also noted that CBS’s political coverage is sponsored by ExxonMobil. Now, it appears that National Journal has also opened its doors to Big Oil sponsorship, announcing on its website that its coverage of the 2008 conventions will be “presented by ExxonMobil”:
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Maybe that's why I watch the convention on C-SPAN (I only can stomach to watch one of the conventions)
August 15th, 2008 at 3:44 pmI guess we should be prepared to never see anything disparaging about McDepends; the folks who own him now own the coverage as well.
Sigh!
August 15th, 2008 at 3:45 pmLadies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present to you the next President of the United States as appointed by ExxonMobil!
August 15th, 2008 at 3:47 pmGotta buy something with those record profits, so why not the next president?
August 15th, 2008 at 3:51 pmBe interesting to note how much coverage of energy policy at the Dem Convention gets left on the directors floor!
August 15th, 2008 at 3:51 pmI can see it now at the republican convention, someone starting the chant (and of course it would be on a never-ending loop on CNN and FAUX) "Drill now! Drill here!".
Bunch of shiny lobotomized faces all chanting away.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pmAnd all the green screen backgrounds will show the pristine wilderness with the caribou rubbing up against the Alaskan pipeline.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:01 pmupside; hey those caribou like them warm pipelines, you know.
Michele said so.
snark
August 15th, 2008 at 4:03 pmIt's like a Two Minutes Hate...
They don't even know what the meaning of the words are, they're just caught up in the emotion.
Very effective.
All commentary on the Dem convention will be negative. And when the agent provocateurs from the FBI and CIA stir up the craziness outside and people start getting put in the cages we just heard about, that will dominate half of the Dem coverage.
All commentary on the Rep convention will be neutral or positive. Nough said.
Move along, move along, nothing new to see here.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:04 pmUnka,
Yea and she should know, she flew over them at 15,000 feet, looking out the window, kinda like Dubya did flying over Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:05 pmNow we know what all those obscene profits are needed for.... They're plowing them under, and hoping for even bigger harvests in the years to come (and as oil demand irreversibly outstrips supply, there will be plenty of money to be had for whoever "owns" the oil ... they'll have us over a barrel, so to speak, if we don't reform our ways).
Cheers,
August 15th, 2008 at 4:06 pm#10 upside99:
Yea and she [Bachmann] should know, she flew over them at 15,000 feet, looking out the window, kinda like Dubya did flying over Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
Too bad she didn't tour it on the ground. If we got lucky those black flies would have eaten her alive ... completely ... in a minute or two. Anyone who says that the North Slope is a desert simply hasn't ever dealt with the insects up there -- particularly the Canadian black flies.
Cheers,
August 15th, 2008 at 4:10 pmYea, they can pay for the Presidency, but don't froget about Congress bought and paid for as well. Someone has to pay for them to skip vacation ofr a political stunt.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pmFunny, I put this on the other Exxon thread at 11:30 am. That and information on ExxonMobil's Citizen Action Teams. I'm glad Ryan found it as well.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:13 pmZuch,
Exactly! I have been to Prudhoe Bay in both winter and summer, and think the winter is better, as there are no flies (outside anyway).
August 15th, 2008 at 4:13 pmisn't it nice seeing a corporation take an active role in democracy? let's give them ANWAR to show them we appreciate it.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:14 pmEvery Democrat that speaks at the convention should SPEAK OUT AGAINST BIG OIL...while they pay for it!!!!!
August 15th, 2008 at 4:15 pmJust this week TP assured us that its content would not be influenced by its advertisers.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:16 pmExxonMobil: "Taking on the world's toughest energy challenges"
- - And reaping the profits. (Or, raping.)
August 15th, 2008 at 4:17 pmAny Democrat that does not speak out against BIG OIL should be considered enemies within!
August 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pmliberal traitor said:
All commentary on the Dem convention will be negative.
I'm thinking that most of the focus will be on the division caused by the Hillary supporters not being able to move on.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:20 pmIt is my opinion that it won't make a bit of difference. Contrary to the Superbowl, the Olympics, an OJ Trial, etc. where the subject matter is essentially a "no-brainer" the Conventions will draw, generally, those people who are interested in politics. Those people will be influenced by the context of the presentations and not the presentation, or lack of same, itself. I say let Exxon have at it and spend all the money they can spend because I still will not buy their product. That, basically, is my philosophy for all sponsored events. I will essentially steal the sponsor's money, if the sponsor is on my shit list (along with Exxon, et al), by enjoying the show but boycotting the product.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pmCheck out who they are recruiting to cover the election. The fix is in.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200808150002
August 15th, 2008 at 4:24 pmExxonMobil owns the media’s convention coverage.
great headline...
...
jeez... they're not even shy about it...
wonder how many others will be coming out of the woodwork...
so, how's that privatization coming along, folk?
August 15th, 2008 at 4:31 pmsure makes everything simple, dont it.
#23 - pete,
It's sad but true. The fix is in and we are all screwed!
August 15th, 2008 at 4:35 pm.
So, who still thinks the TWO-PARTY system isn't owned by one giant Corporation?
"Drill-Drill-Drill"
.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:42 pmCrusty Old Bastard Says
August 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
"...the Conventions will draw, generally, those people who are interested in politics. Those people will be influenced by the context of the presentations and not the presentation, or lack of same, itself."
_______________________________________________________
I agree with you that the average convention viewer will be less likely to absorb utter crap without question than the average person. And I doubt that the speeches and the actual processes of the convention itself will be influenced by the media sponsors. What WILL be influenced is the spin from the commentators -- if ExxonMobil wants to get their money's worth, they will likely make sure the media spin doctors they are paying for make their agenda as attractive as possible.
I am going to try to watch as much as I can on media least likely to be massaged by corporate interests -- C-Span and PBS. But I may tune in to the spin machine just to see what it's spinning.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:43 pmHow does it affect the content?
August 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pmdixie blood Says:
#23 - pete,
It’s sad but true. The fix is in and we are all screwed!
August 15th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I'm not convinced we're screwed. On good days.
The unique nature of the problems with Bushco and the neocon movement make it impossible to predict if, and how, the damage can be undone. The fact is that there are strengths in our system that haven't been brought into play because the Reichwingers have so successfully thwarted oversight.
Personally, I'm willing to wait until after the election to write off all hope. If the Dems get the predicted numbers in Congress and the Senate? They could even mitigate the damage of a McSpin Presidency. I happen to think that the World would be a very different place if the Dems had a "veto-proof" majority.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:47 pmACME_Democrat Says:
How does it affect the content?
Hey Repug troll,
If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer.
Go back to Redstate or Newsmax, and leave the adult discussion to the grown-ups, K.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:48 pmThe same way Suzanne Malveux's snickering "wimp" remark (in reference to Obama's deal with Hillary) impacts the Democratic National Convention. There's content and the subsequent spin.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:50 pmBTW. I have no illusions about the nobility of Democrats. I'm merely cognizant of the fact that a united opposition is the only way to stop an out of control cabal.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:51 pmit may not *cough* be that the reporting *cough* will be skewed,
but at least you know what the commercials will be...
and won't THAT special sales job be interesting...
EXXON = Earth Mother...
August 15th, 2008 at 4:53 pmACME_Democrat Says:
How does it affect the content?
August 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
From yesterday's entry on this topic:
August 15th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
upside99
Hey Repug troll,
If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand the answer.
Go back to Redstate or Newsmax, and leave the adult discussion to the grown-ups, K.
Typical Left hack rebuttal, instead of answering the question just resort to name calling in hopes of getting someone with a slightly different view flagged. .
August 15th, 2008 at 4:56 pmACME_Democrat Says:
"Typical Left hack rebuttal, instead of answering the question just resort to name calling in hopes of getting someone with a slightly different view flagged"
Snitty little troll when she gets exposed, isn't she?
August 15th, 2008 at 4:59 pm#28 ACME_Democrat Says:
I'll keep it as simple as possible...
"Mary had a little lamb, who's fleece was white as OIL."
August 15th, 2008 at 5:00 pmCorporate sponsorship is anathema to a free press. Only a stupid troll would fail to realize that. The problem is that whoever pays the bills chooses the content. ALWAYS!!!
One of the ways they can do so is by "suggesting" various commentators. Then they can impose limits on how their contributions are spent. And, ultimately, they get to frame the debate.
This state of affairs is bad enough in normal times but, when our nation is facing it's arguably most important election ever, it's downright criminal to have partisan interests financing the press coverage.
And anyone who can't see that, regardless of affiliations, is profoundly stupid.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:01 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACME_Democrat Says:
How does it affect the content?
August 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
From yesterday’s entry on this topic:
As the Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson noted yesterday, CNN’s senior business correspondent Ali Velshi recently joined Congressional conservatives on a trip to Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for a pro-oil drilling propaganda tour. In a subsequent interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), an ardent drilling advocate, Velshi never once questioned any of her false statements on drilling.
We have been drilling for oil long enough for everyone to know the good and the bad. The problem you have is passing off everyday Americans as if they were complete idiots. They can make up their own mind on the issue and they want to drill.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:01 pmi thought it was an unfortunate "over the top" rebuttal also...
August 15th, 2008 at 5:02 pmone sentence too many...
ACME_Democrat Says:
"The problem you have is passing off everyday Americans as if they were complete idiots. They can make up their own mind on the issue and they want to drill."
if they think drilling in ANWAR will effect gas prices within the next five years they ARE idiots according to the department of energy. you might want to keep that in mind next time you'tre listening to rush limpballs.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:04 pmAlso. Exclusive coverage is a huge danger in and of itself. There's a very good reason why, once upon a time, all debates were carried by every station.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:05 pmproblem is, drill is all they WANT to do...
August 15th, 2008 at 5:05 pmthat does make them idiots.
Leaving aside the idiocy of granting additional leases today in light of falling demand, what about this statement from a industry think tank?
"In addition, new hydrocarbon fields are increasingly found in deep-water regions that are arduous to exploit. The paucity of the specialized equipment needed to extract oil from such new reserves has created a bottleneck in future offshore production. The world's current fleet of specialized drill ships is booked until 2013. The price of building such a vessel has taken a five-fold jump to $500 million in the last year. The cost of crucial materials -- such as steel for rigs and pipelines -- has risen sharply. So, too, have salaries for skilled manpower in the industry. Little wonder then that while, in 2002, it cost $150,000 a day to hire a deep-water rig, it now costs four times as much".
The big question isn't if we drill or even where we drill. The question is, where will the equipment come from?
August 15th, 2008 at 5:10 pmBozo The Neoclown Says
If you think in 5 years we will need no more Plastics, Unleaded Gasoline, Lubricants, Kerosene, Diesel, and countless other products of Crude Oil, you My Friend are the IDIOT!!
August 15th, 2008 at 5:11 pmTanqueray Says:
"This still sucks. Why don’t the correct thinking, highly profitable “progressive” companies step up and at least sponsor the democrat convention? "
you mean like warren buffet assclown?
August 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pmThen, of course, there's the utter idiocy of Crazy Shelly when she claims AMWR is a great place to drill. She manages, unsurprisingly, to deal with the fact that the logistics and weather alone makes Northern oil among the most expensive on Earth.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:15 pmACNE democrat, must post said
"if they think drilling in ANWAR will effect gas prices within the next five years they ARE idiots according to the department of energy"
I didn't mention plastics assclown. i believe the point i was making is the underinformed such as yourself seem to think drilling in ANWAR will immediately drop fuel prices.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:16 pmFunny the troll should mention the plastics and other things we get from petroleum. In light of all it's uses, isn't burning it just about the most ridiculous idea Mankind ever conceived of?
August 15th, 2008 at 5:17 pmSo Acme and Tanq would have no problem if the conventions were owned by George Soros, right?
They would not be concerned about ANY content censorship?
Waiting ........
August 15th, 2008 at 5:18 pmpete Says:
"Funny the troll should mention the plastics and other things we get from petroleum"
Not really, pete. poor little troll is wondering what his george w bush/grampy mclame diouble headed dildo will be made of if there's a shortage of plastic.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:19 pmHow much time, and precious industry profits, would it take to man and equip drilling in the far North? Which companies are stepping forward to assume the up-front costs?
August 15th, 2008 at 5:20 pmMcGrampa has shored up the racist, bigoted, uneducated, white trash, anti-American, reich-wing voter base. > ACME_Democrat
Bears repeating again.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:23 pmRecent industry studies have shown that an across the board modernization of refineries could save as much as 25% (that's more than we import from the Mideast) of all petroleum consumed. Wouldn't it make more sense to update refineries BEFORE we start pumping more crude?
August 15th, 2008 at 5:26 pmBathtub Gin Says:
upside99 Says:
Tanq would have no problem if the conventions were owned by George Soros, right?
Ok, were is he then? All you do is p iss and moan about Exxon, why don’t your guys step up then?
waiting…
It's not surprising that someone like Gin would completely fail to understand that party conventions in a republic should not be "owned" by corporate interests or the wealthy, no matter who they are.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:26 pmSo Tanq doesn't think Exxon will have ANY impact on the content, either direct or indirectly?
If you believe that, you are a typical 23%er, gullible or just ignoring reality.
Does the fact that McDepends has well over a million dollars from Big Oil?
If Obama had even half that much, you would be shatting all over your self.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:28 pmmisshusseinmolly, you are right about the spin and the spinners, but contrary to the belief of the Republicans, here are still a few educated, informed, and intelligent voters out here. The spin is now an everyday occurrence on any issue from the local dog-catcher to the White-House, the problem and the redeeming factor of the spin is that we all spin the spin. In the end it really doesn’t make any difference. Every post here on TP basically talks to the spin of one side or the other. If we agree we clap if we differ we slap. The same will be true come November. There isn’t anything, repeat anything, Exxon can do to the Conventions and/or the presentation and spin, that will have a positive effect for the Republicans. They are history and they know they are history. McSham is out there for one reason. He is the sacrificial goat. His only purpose is to draw attention to himself as an utter fool so a few Republicans can sneak through the election. Let us see that that number is a minimum. (If this one is subject to moderation I am gone!)
August 15th, 2008 at 5:32 pmWell Gin Says:
And quite frankly I would love to see “the democrat convention brought to you by George Soros”, at least he would be right out there in the open. He can’t be spending all his money on this web site, open up George!
Of course, if the republic convention openly advertised that it was "brought to you by the corporate elite", it would be greeted by yawns. "Wow! Really?"
Gin does appear to be obsessed with the subject of George Soros. Why so skeered, Gin?
August 15th, 2008 at 5:32 pmWTF does George Sorros have to do with ExxonMobile? You kids really need to stop huffing paint.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pmtiny tanq has a mancrush on george soros. he has for years.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pmAll this discussion is horsehit anyway, as the REAL owners of Amurrika is China.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:36 pmWhen I was a young lad my parents taught me to respect my elders. Now with my knowledge, experience, and (fortunately) age I don't have to respect many people anymore, especially John McFake. If I want to refer to him in a less than complimentary manner it is my perogative. He should respect me, his elder, and crawl under a burning bush somewhere.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:46 pmWell, all these profits that have been generated at the oil pump by oil giants need to go where it can generate more profits for the companies.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:48 pmOil companies decided to invest some of these huge profits in the media and in politics to make Americans feel happy about what they have been paying for gasoline at the gas pump then sell Americans the fairy tale about 'Offshore Drilling'.
They aren't over willing to discuss increased utilization of natural gas reserves. We could replace most of our gas/diesel if the energy industry would invest in infrastructure. Sadly, they find it cheaper to just burn off the gas from many wells.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:57 pm.
I didn't know Corporate sponsord Politics is an American Principle...
"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
- Benito Mussolini
.
August 15th, 2008 at 6:01 pmACME Demon,
What does the petroleum industry have to do with politics...
...besides trying to control politics for their profit?
So, having big corporations intertwined in American politics is a principle to support and strive toward?
... REALLY?
Or are you arguing for a pro-Fascist State of Amurica?
.
August 15th, 2008 at 6:05 pmWhat secret spin is Miley Cyrus putting on Toilet Paper now that her video is on the site? Toilet Paper is being bought a sold by the machine!!!
August 15th, 2008 at 6:10 pmACME_Democrat Says:
What secret spin is Miley Cyrus putting on Toilet Paper now that her video is on the site? Toilet Paper is being bought a sold by the machine!!!
That is about the stupidist comment we have had here. First of all, I haven't seen any video of her on an ad here and if it was, how TF is Cyrus the same as Exxon/Mobil? What is her political agenda? DOes she give millions to the Repugs?
Try another tack.
August 15th, 2008 at 6:20 pmI've been doing some research on ExxonMobil myself, and the more you look into the situation, the worse it gets.
@ upside99 and others, on the subject of George Soros, there's some information here about his possible role in supporting both Mikhail Saakashvili and Barack Obama.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:58 pmEverything is bought and paid for. We the people are just pawns in the never ending game of power and control. Been reading The Shock Doctrine and this is just the same song millionth verse. We need a new television network, we need new leadership, we need to demand our rights. But we the people are too separated by fear, by economic intimidation, by stupid hatred, to come together to demand change. Weakness creates a vacuum and nature and the power structure rushes in.
August 15th, 2008 at 9:52 pmThe 2008 World Series brought to by the:
The Carlyle Group
August 15th, 2008 at 10:49 pmSweet justice. The media is in the pocket of the democrats but the sponsorship is in the pocket of the republicans.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:58 pmACME_Democrat Says:
How does it affect the content?
In the same way a Fox guarding the henhouse effects the safety of the chickens. Does this REALLY have to be pointed out? Did you think you were actually making a point?
August 16th, 2008 at 10:22 amACME_Democrat Says:
Typical Left hack rebuttal, instead of answering the question just resort to name calling in hopes of getting someone with a slightly different view flagged. .
Typical conservative troll snivelling WWWAAAAAHHHHHHH stop treating us moron conservatives the way we have been treating liberals for decades WWWAAHHHHHHHH.
August 16th, 2008 at 10:24 amACME_Democrat Says:
Well lets be serious no one in their right mind cares what this mindless moron has to say. When I read her posts all I can think is THE STUPID, THE STUPID, it hurts my head.
August 16th, 2008 at 10:34 amLets start a movement to cap all oil and natural gas wells. Global warming would reverse. Here in South Dakota, where this past winter was a bit colder than in many years, we could use love to keep us warm in the winter. Who needs heating oil or natural gas for heat. We can replace diesel fuel to power our farm equipment with more manpower and horses as we did in the 1800's. We can create the movement of people from cities back to rural areas to grow food for nearly 10 times the population we had when horses powered our farms.
What do you think, green enough?
JIm
August 16th, 2008 at 3:19 pmjimoase Says:
What do you think, green enough?
JIm
I think it was stupid. The rightwing strongpoint. You didnt really think that ignorant strawman argument made a point did you? I mean not even a wingnut of your vintage stupidity could believe that could you?
August 17th, 2008 at 1:35 amEugeneDebs Seyz: I think it was stupid, in response to jimoase's comment "....We can create the movement of people from cities back to rural areas to grow food for nearly 10 times the population we had when horses powered our farms".
Obviously EugeneDebs is a city boy who doesn't have a clue about self-sustainability. I grew up on a farm that used horse power for many years. We produced about everything we needed. We had several massive gardens, an orchard with an assortment of fruit trees, horses, cattle, pigs, chickens, etc. We even had fields where we grew the hay to feed the cattle.
Of course city boy, Eugene, would be like my grandchildren. They really don't have a clue what I am talking about. The grandchildren think it's a fairy tale.
This country & the world may eventually end up back where we started IF we survive Exon-Mobile and other greed mongers.
August 17th, 2008 at 9:58 amObviously Maggincat is a country hick and not very bright. Sure millions of people could just leave cities like NY Chicago LA and simply move out into the country onto small farms because there is PLENTY of farmland so everyone in the world can just support themselves on their own farms. When their equipment breaks in their wells for instance we dont need anyone in a city with a forge fabricating metal or doing anything else that needs electricity or oil in any way and we can do that next week. The post was STUPID not only that it was MEANT to be stupid it was a parody of the left evironmental movement which is WHY it was stupid.
Talking about Global warming reversing and not needing petroleum for heat was a jab at environmentalists and the post was impractical. The bottom line is we have the world we have. We arent next week going to turn back the clock to the 1800's. We need to do the research and make the engineering breakthroughs to make solar, hydrogen and wind viable and end our being hostage to the politically powerful oil companies. Moving toward sustainability is a great idea pretending we can just move to the country use horses and fix all our problems next week is stupid and more than city boys understand this everyone with a functioning cerebral cortex understands this. Try to keep up.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:25 pm