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TV Show About Censorship is Censored
Here's a taste of what millions of viewers missed last Sunday:
Stuart: "It's called a Fox Blocker. Sold off the internet. You attach it to the coaxial cable on your television and it basically blocks out all Fox News transmissions... My high school principal attached these liberal, left-wing devices to all the televisions in the building. Meanwhile, the kids are free to watch CBS, CNN, NBC, even ABC, but not Fox. It's censorship."
Read on - AlterNet reports that the script for a recent television program on censorship was itself censored, to "protect" the public.
Read the story "ABC Censors Anti-Fox Script of "Boston Legal":
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21463/
Excerpt:
Last Sunday's episode of ABC's Boston Legal focusing on censorship was itself censored, purged of all references to Fox and Bill O'Reilly. And nobody's talking.
David E. Kelley - the Emmy Award-winning creator of such memorable
series' as Picket Fences, Doogie Howser M.D., Ally McBeal, Boston
Public, The Practice, and its current spin-off, Boston Legal - is
probably the most prolific and successful writer/producer now working
in television. Coupled with the fact that he is married to film star
Michelle Pfeiffer, Kelley's talent makes him one of the most
influential people in the entertainment world. But apparently even
Kelley's power pales before the might of Disney and the MausHaus.
Case in point: the next episode of Boston Legal, to be broadcast
Sunday March 13 on the Disney-owned ABC network. AlterNet has acquired
both the original and the revised script for this episode from a
source who prefers to remain anonymous. The original penned by Kelley
focused in large measure on Fox News and its loofah-loving star Bill
O'Reilly. The script also featured substantial excerpts from the
independent film Outfoxed, which documents how the allegedly "fair and
balanced" cable channel acts as a propaganda arm for the Republican
Party and other conservative interest groups.
But the final script - the one that was actually shot for the show
that will appear on Sunday - has been thoroughly scrubbed on orders
from top ABC network executives, and all mention of Fox News and
O'Reilly has been sent down the Memory Hole.
Why was the original script, which ironically centered on issues of
free speech, censored?
Kelley won't say why the changes were made - and no one at his
production company, his producing partner 20th Century Fox, ABC or
even Fox News is talking.
But a comparison of the original script and the censored script speaks
for itself. In the original, Chi McBride (principal of the high school
featured in Kelley's previous hit Boston Public) installs a "Fox
Blocker" on every television set in his school, on the entirely
reasonable grounds that what appears on Fox News is not news but in
fact "hate speech." One of his students, Stuart Milch, believes
McBride's decision to be censorship, and takes his case to the
attorneys of Boston Legal.
It's called censorship, all right - just not on Boston Legal anymore.
Here's what the final, scrubbed-and-censored script says instead:
Stuart: "It's called a news blocker. Sold off the internet. You
attach it to the coaxial cable on your television and it basically
blocks out news transmission.... My high school principal attached
these devices to all the televisions in the building. The problem
is... turns out it only blocks out one network, the most fair and
balanced one. All the others, kids can watch."
Here's another example, this time of an interchange between two Boston
Legal characters - attorney Chelina Hall and Catherine Piper,
secretary to attorney Alan Shore (played by Boston Legal star, James
Spader.) Again, original script first:
Chelina: If you had to watch the news, Mrs. Piper, which network
would you go to?
Catherine (simply): Fox, of course.
Chelina: Can you tell us why?
Catherine: Well. For starters, we're winning the war on Fox. The
economy's better there. And Brit Hume. Sometimes I close my eyes
and...go to him.
And now, the censored version:
Chelina: If you had to watch the news, Mrs. Piper, which network
would you go to?
Catherine (simply): I don't know. I'd probably seek out the station
where we're most likely to be winning the war. Where I can find a
better economy. Maybe some weapons of mass destruction.
And so it continues, page after expurgated page. No Fox. No Bill
O'Reilly. No Brit Hume. ... And no free speech?
No way to know - because no one will speak, not even the articulate,
prolific and powerful Mr. Kelley.
Speaking of free speech, there's another, related issue to consider as
well - the unexplained fact that Robert Greenwald*, creator of the
Outfoxed documentary (which curiously is still excerpted and mentioned
by name in Sunday's episode) was unable to purchase time on the ABC
network to advertise his film.
According to Greenwald's distributor Gary Baddeley, a representative
of the Broadcast Standards and Practices Department at ABC named Joel
Resnicow indicated that ABC would not accept an ad for Outfoxed to run
adjacent to Boston Legal, "although he was reluctant to come out and
say so directly, I suspect for political reasons," says Baddeley.
"I really pushed him hard to say what we would have to do to edit the
ad to make it acceptable and he said he `can't think of anything,'"
Baddeley says. "He also said that `it seems like there are
insurmountable issues' and [he] `wouldn't want us to invest time' in
re-editing. So although he wouldn't actually say `we will not approve
an ad for this film no matter what' - that is the practical effect of
what he is saying. The door has been closed in our face."
In keeping with the overall vow of silence accompanying the Boston
Legal "free speech" episode, neither Joel Resnicow nor indeed anyone
at ABC's Broadcast Standards and Practices Department was willing to
comment. When pressed for an explanation of why the ad was refused,
ABC's media relations rep Susan Sewell said only "No comment." The
non-answer answer was the same even when she was asked for an
explanation - or indeed any articulation whatsoever - of ABC's
"Broadcast Standards and Practices."
And Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes - usually good for at least a quip,
if not an actual quote - also declined comment.
To see the ad that ABC censored, point your browser to:
http://www.outfoxed.org/clips_oreilly_best_qt.php
And while you're at it, why not ask David E. Kelley what pressure was
brought to bear on him to censor an episode of his series - one
supposedly devoted to the issue of free speech. The telephone number
for David E. Kelley Productions is 650.853.9100.
In the interest of free speech, maybe he'll even talk to you.
I wanted to repost this, from Aimzz:
Liberal Bloggers Reaching Out to Major Media
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/technology/14blog.html?pagewanted=print&position=
______________
Even as online pundits criticize traditional news organizations as slow, biased and technologically challenged, a group of bloggers is trying to use old-fashioned telephone conference calls to share their ideas with newspaper and television journalists.
The bloggers, who describe themselves as liberal or progressive, say the conference calls are intended to counter what they regard as the much stronger influence of conservative pundits online. Bob Fertik, president of Democrats.com, the host of the two calls so far, views them as a step toward getting their reports out to mainstream news organizations. . .
--- This article also mentions rightwing bloggers creating stories then getting them out to Drudge, then to the mainstream media.
Check out Raw Story, which has been called "a liberal alternative to Drudge" by some.
http://www.rawstory.com
Sandy posted a piece late last night about ANWR, which is being slid into the Budget within the next 2 days!
There is a special TOLL FREE Number to call your Senators about ANWR and some talking points.
Also there is a list of Senators to target including Repubs who voted for the Boxer Amendment and the Dems who voted against.
This is oh so important!
MORE - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=540
There is also a list of Action Alerts on our Environment Page. We'll have more on this later today...
Big news in the Pensacola News-Journal here in my hometown today- Bush will be coming to town at the end of the week to tout his Social Security reform plan. Surprise, surprise. Joe Scarborough even admitted that W is hunting some sympathetic audiences for the national news to cover while he touts his initiative, and Scarborough said that when Bush came here during the campaign, it was more like an audience watching a rock star than an audience watching a president. The adulation was rampant. So, Pensacolians are happy today- their hero, God's gift to the world , will be here on our local soil before the end of the week. And the news-media will play it just like it's "middle America." There's nothing "middle America" about this town- this is the most Republican area in the country. This is Scarborough Country. But I'll bet you won't be hearing that on CNN on Thursday or Friday.
A couple of good articles on the propaganda machine......
Under Bush, a New Age of Prepackaged TV News
By DAVID BARSTOW and ROBIN STEIN
Published: March 13, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/politics/13covert.html?hp&ex=1110690000&en=13c49ccf73932e2e&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Calif. Gov. 'News' Videos Cause a Stir
The Associated Press
Friday 11 March 2005
Sacramento - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has acknowledged making several videos masquerading as news stories to promote its agenda, creating an uproar from Democrats and labor leaders in a controversy parallel to one ignited by the Bush administration.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/031205Z.shtml
This is OT but very important read from dkos.....
Names and Money Trail of Right Wing Termites in Mainline Christian Denominations
by tikkun
[Subscribe]
Sun Mar 13th, 2005 at 19:19:26 PST
Author Leon Howell, a well respected religious journalist, has written a book for the United Methodists that all serious members of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopal churches would do well to read several times from cover to cover. Those who are serious about connecting the dots between right wing power brokers and their mechinations also need to read the book.
The BOOK!
United Methodism@RISK, A Wake Up Call
In the book, Howell outlines
who is party to this ugly adventure
how the Institute on Religion and Democracy, IRD has organized them to win major victories on key theological and sexuality issues at recent Methodist Church conventions
how they intend to to take over the governing structures of the Presbyterian and Episcopal Churches as well.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/13/221926/133
And back on-topic, more or less.............
Study Finds No Media Bias on War, Hits Fox News As Most One-Sided
By E&P Staff
Published: March 13, 2005 9:00 PM ET
NEW YORK The Project for Excellence in Journalism’s “State of the American News Media 2005,” released late Sunday, disputes charges of antiwar media bias but found that President Bush received more “negative” coverage in the 2004 campaign than did Sen. John F. Kerry.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000837511
Speaking of the propaganda machine, I just received this email. Please take time to read and sign, if you agree...
Yesterday, The New York Times broke a major story outlining how the Bush administration has used millions of dollars of taxpayer money to produce and disseminate fake news programs that support their partisan political agenda.
These government-produced segments have frequently aired on broadcast TV stations across the country without proper disclosure.
Not only is this unacceptable, it is also illegal.
Take action today to help us Start Change:
Send a message to the FCC and ask them to STOP FAKE NEWS http://www.stopfakenews.org/?tr=y&auid=761123
In the end this is very simple.
Our broadcast television media operates on public airwaves.
We have rules about how these airwaves can be used.
We insist that the practice of local news stations airing government funded and produced propaganda without disclosure cease immediately.
Start Change Today: visit www.StopFakeNews.org (http://www.stopfakenews.org/?tr=y&auid=761123) and tell the FCC to stop the Bush Administration's unlawful use of public funds for partisan propaganda.
Thank you for your support,
Arkadi, Marc, Tim and the rest of the StartChange team.
http://www.startchange.org/?tr=y&auid=761135
Madame DeFarge
Thanks! I was just about to post that!
I also got this follow-up to the MoveOn PAC party I went to the other night where Senator Reid & DNC head Howard Dean spoke via internet. Those of us who went have specific things to do, basically to spread the word & get at least 5 people in our neighborhood to call in on Wednesday. Here is some info - not the part about Senator Robert Byrd:
This weekend, we heard from congressional sources that Republicans are closer than ever to the number of Senate votes they need to use the "nuclear option"—paving the way for the appointment of truly extreme right-wing judges. With enough of an outcry, we can stop them. But we need to move fast to get the word out and demonstrate to our senators broad-based opposition to this dangerous measure. So our call-in day comes at just the right time.
This message contains essential info for Wednesday's massive national call-in day (which we described during last week's parties). It also addresses some of the most frequent questions you mentioned in the post-party survey, including how to get involved in Operation Democracy, our big new campaign to fight the right and elect progressives, if you didn't make it to a party. If you're waiting for details on the call-in days—or feeling confused more generally—please read on!
1. The call-in day is on Wednesday. We moved it to Wednesday because Senator Byrd of West Virginia, one of the Senate's most distinguished statesmen, has agreed to headline a MoveOn member rally in Washington, D.C. to coincide with the call-in day (if you live in the D.C. area you'll get a separate message about this event).
2. Materials and instructions are ready. You will find everything you need, including complete call-in day instructions, a flyer for your area with the appropriate senators' names and numbers, a sample script, how-to's and issue info at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/team/0316/
Any one can participate who wants to & you can enlist others. You do not have to have attended a house party.