Friday, January 18, 2008
Now it's Kucinich who is not allowed to debate
NBC uninvited Dennis Kucinich from its Tuesday night Democratic candidate's debate, claiming he didn't fit new rules the network had established for qualifying for the debate. Question's linger as to whether network officials changed the rules to exclude him because they don't like his stands on the occupation of Iraq and nuclear power. (He is against both. NBC is owned by General Electric.)
I admit that NBC as a private company has the right to invite whomever it wants on its programs. However, I'm also concerned about the public's right to know and the impact of the media in choosing presidential candidates. When the media narrow the field of candidates by excluding some from debates or from commentaries, they select the candidates the public considers.
(Agenda-setting theory suggests that the media don't tell us what to think but rather what to think about. If there is no coverage of some candidates, the public doesn't think about them nor their positions.)
It seems strange to me that the media covers Rudy Giuliani who constantly polls after Ron Paul, and they give very little coverage to Ron Paul.
Recently, Congressman Duncan Hunter said the constant question he gets from the media is when he is going to quit the presidential race. He said he's in it for the long haul. Good for him.
For more information, read http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3246
I admit that NBC as a private company has the right to invite whomever it wants on its programs. However, I'm also concerned about the public's right to know and the impact of the media in choosing presidential candidates. When the media narrow the field of candidates by excluding some from debates or from commentaries, they select the candidates the public considers.
(Agenda-setting theory suggests that the media don't tell us what to think but rather what to think about. If there is no coverage of some candidates, the public doesn't think about them nor their positions.)
It seems strange to me that the media covers Rudy Giuliani who constantly polls after Ron Paul, and they give very little coverage to Ron Paul.
Recently, Congressman Duncan Hunter said the constant question he gets from the media is when he is going to quit the presidential race. He said he's in it for the long haul. Good for him.
For more information, read http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3246
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