New York Times: Agenda driven news

It's amazing this newspaper still has influence

Published on December 2, 2006 By Draginol In Politics

It's the beginning of December 2006.

What are the big news items today? I mean REAL news?

Using Google News as a source which is based on consensus it would seem to be:

Radiation detected in body of Italian KGB expert. This radiation poisoning of former KGB spy is pretty interesting and pretty newsowrthy.
Phillipine typhoon may have killed more than 450 people. Definitely newsworthy. That's a huge storm.
Iraq Study Group latest leaks. This is an interesting story too as it may affect what's happening in Iraq.
Obama speaks on faith, sexuality. Obama may be a Presidential candidate. Certainly legitate.

Now, let's look at the NEW YORK TIMES today:

This is in order of what they focus on and their titles:

Afghan District Makes Dela with the Taliban. This anti-US article is bizarre both in its obscurity (this is front page news) and it's irrelevancy. So some tiny area of AFghanistan made a deal with the Taliban. That might be worthy of an international news backpage but as the top story?
Next Chairman for Intelligence Opposed War. This is such a biased headline as to be ridiculous. A Democrat is going to be the chairman of intelligence and statistically, yea, nearly all of them oppose war. So why this news headline?
Families Torn by POlice Shots, reunite in grief. This is an anti-cop story (nice that the New York Times can take time from its busy anti-US schedule to slam the police).

Other articles on the New York Times front page:

Article about Chavez "coasting" to victory.
Bush to meet with head of Shitte party.

The front page of the New York Times reads like a propganda piece. It's disgusting not because they have written such partisan pieces but that they write such partisan pieces while trying to claim to be the "newpaper of record".

It's slowly losing its influence on the media because it has gone so far away from being relevant. Certainly, every item they list is news. The question is whether these are the top stories. The weird Taliban one being the lead story was the one that really struck me. That's the biggest news story in the world today? Good god is that transparent.

Comments

Noumenon72

on Dec 02, 2006

Next Chairman for Intelligence Opposed War. This is such a biased headline as to be ridiculous. A Democrat is going to be the chairman of intelligence and statistically, yea, nearly all of them oppose war.

Opposed the Iraq war, not war in general. 58% of Democrats in the Senate and 40% of Democrats in the House voted in favor of the war resolution. Harman didn't oppose the war, and voted yes:

"There's a strong intelligence case that Iraq has not destroyed its weapons of mass destruction and is building the capability to use them," said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House intelligence committee. "There's a growing al Qaeda presence in Iraq, and I think the case can be made that there is a growing affiliation" between Baghdad and terrorist groups.

She didn't get the job.

ThinkAloud

on Dec 02, 2006

Draginol: Afghan District Makes Deal with the Taliban. This anti-US article is bizarre both in its obscurity (this is front page news) and it's irrelevancy>

So when an Afghani District makes a deal with the REAL terrorists, that is not NEWS that is worthy of front page? I thought we are at war with them .... or am I mistaken here? I would have thought that our military would be on their way to bomb both that district and their partner. or did we forget that Taliban is where 9/11 was financed, planned and directed? This is irrelevant? obscure? !!!! Are we supposed to ignore the re-emergance of the Taliban? Virtual Reality is sure a nice place to be .... Specially for a high-techi

Very sad indeed that we soon forget and get distracted .....

Draginol

on Dec 02, 2006

So when an Afghani District makes a deal with the REAL terrorists, that is not NEWS that is worthy of front page? I thought we are at war with them .... or am I mistaken here? I would have thought that our military would be on their way to bomb both that district and their partner. or did we forget that Taliban is where 9/11 was financed, planned and directed? This is irrelevant? obscure? !!!!

The biggest story in the world? No. Maye you should get some perspective. Do you even know the story?

First, the Taliban is not Al Quaeda. In what way are they "real terrorists"?an Secondly, how does a British unit making a local deal with a unit of Taliban constitute front page news?

Ever read a book on World War II? This sort of thing happened regularly in Europe in World War II. Local commanders would make a cease fire or a deal with local Nazis for a period of time (and vice versa). Never heard about it? Because it wasn't widely reported because it's not news because it's been done in wars since the start.

ThinkAloud

on Dec 02, 2006

Draginol: the Taliban is not Al Quaeda. In what way are they "real terrorists?>

If you dont know that by now, there is no way in the world that I or anyone else can convince you otherwise.

Dr Guy

on Dec 02, 2006

People still read that rag? I had an online subscription, but let it go. The National Equirer was more honest.

Pogen

on Dec 02, 2006

You should see FoxNews, nothing more than a 100% full brainwash network. Nothing NYT could do would ever top the daily spew from FauxNews.

Island Dog

on Dec 02, 2006

You should see FoxNews, nothing more than a 100% full brainwash network. Nothing NYT could do would ever top the daily spew from FauxNews.

Examples of brainwashing?

Draginol

on Dec 02, 2006

Draginol: the Taliban is not Al Quaeda. In what way are they "real terrorists?>

If you dont know that by now, there is no way in the world that I or anyone else can convince you otherwise.

Lol. So faced with a simple question you do the "Oh well it's so obvious..."

The Taliban is certainly an enemy regime to the United States. But they're not terrorists. They're allies of terrorists but not terrorists in themselves any more than say, the Mullahs of Iran.

You should see FoxNews, nothing more than a 100% full brainwash network. Nothing NYT could do would ever top the daily spew from FauxNews.

Feel free to go to www.foxnews.com and point out which stories are brain washing. Amazingly, they are similar to the ones on Google News.

bakerstreet

on Dec 02, 2006

Brainwashing is the game of three card monty that the quasi-Liberal propaganda machine plays, fooling their blind little followers into believing that they are any different than FoxNews. People like to hear what they already believe. That's why the little bots here like their media outlets.

Pogen

on Dec 03, 2006

Go to outfoxed.org.

Also check up on the unbiased PEW study, that found Fox Viewers significantly have a distorted view of the facts.

Of course you could also read up on the leaked FoxNews memos that instruct people on what to report and how to report it, based largely off this administrations talking points.

Clearly, there is overwhelming evidence Fox news isn't in the business of reporting news, but are in the business of distorting perceptions.

crooksandliars.com/2006/11/15/the-fox-news-memo-explored/

Seems to me though, now the right wingers are turning to the name calling. Isn't it funny how a single election can change the rhetoric of an entire part?

Draginol

on Dec 03, 2006

Pogen:

How about YOU actually provide your own real examples rather than ignorantly pointing people to read assertions made by others (Who aren't here to be questioned).

I provided the headlines from the New York Times front page of that day and compared it to the Google based news items (which are based on what everyone else is reporting).

You come on and proclaim Fox is propaganda without a shred of evidence. You simply proclaim there's evidence because left wingers don't like it.

SHOW US your own examples. Use your own words. I could have written a blog that quotes plenty of studies showing the left-wing bias of The NYT, Washington Post, LA Times, CBS, NBC, and ABC. But I didn't. I let the New York Times home page speak for itself.

If you're not bright enough to participate in the discussion, then waddle off and go elsewhere.

MourningWould

on Dec 04, 2006

NYT = Expensive Toilet Paper

My opinion with My facts is that NYT buried Mel Gibson when he made his stupid drunk comments. They did this, in my opinion, because Gibson went against Hollywood and made 'The Passion' and showed his Christian support. When DeVito went on The View and made some of his own stupid drunk comments, the NYT didn't mention it... They did this because DeVito was trashing Bush, and they agree with what he said.

Their circulation is dropping... that proves that more and more people are catching on.

Daiwa

on Dec 04, 2006

The Times Company cable division is also out there proselytizing - they are in the process of deifying the Dem military vets who got elected to Congress last month ('Gimme 100 men & I'll take the Hill'). They are so transparent & insulting at times I wanna puke. The paper's not even good enough for birdcage liner.

No News Dick

on Dec 22, 2006

Draginol:

You have the right question: "What are the big news items today? I mean REAL news?." Your answer is not wrong --"New York Times: Agenda driven news," but I would suggest another one. Regardless of the news outlet, there are no big news items today or any day for that matter --just many small news items, each of no real interest or importance except to a limited number of people. In fact. in the 21st Century, very few things are of interest or importance to many people --at least to the point that anything is done about them. It is hard to think of even one right now. In sum. since nothing is done about most news items, it is reasonable to conclude that most are not very interesting or important.

Good topic, happy holidays.

No News Dick

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