Tony Snow: 'Thank God for Blogs!'

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"Thank God for blogs," said White House Press Secretary Tony Snow this afternoon, commenting on the Bush administration's communications efforts. The comment came in the course of conference call for bloggers in which I participated, conducted by Snow and Brett McGurk [pictured here], the National Security Council's Director for Iraq, giving a preview of President Bush's speech of tonight on Iraq.

Snow described the problem with the traditional media - generously I would say - not in terms of bias but as a function of the "if it bleeds it leads" tendency.

In any case, it's clear that the White House sees blogs such as NewsBusters playing an important role in cutting through the MSM clutter. Snow also described the frustration of military people in Iraq with media coverage that does not comport with the reality they experience in the field. Snow predicted that service people would begin using their own video cameras and sites such as YouTube and LiveLeak to get the word out. Along those lines, I can say that one of the most empowering aspects of my recent trip to Iraq was the ability to put video up on NewsBusters, at times within an hour of events in the field, as with this report on a training exercise of Iraqi soldiers on the Euphrates river in Anbar province.

Among the encouraging details emerging from the conference call was the plan to have combined Iraqi and US forces remain in Baghdad neighborhoods "24/7" once they had been pacified, to ensure that security gains would be enduring.

Those interested in an advance look at what the President will be discussing tonight are encouraged to review this Q & A on the speech released this afternoon by the White House.

Finkelstein was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net Tony Snow: 'Thank God for Blogs'

[California Patriot]

I've seen it before. It's inside-baseball stuff about the Middle East. Again, I doubt LGF has had an impact on public opinion, or elite opinion. It's just conservatives (and pro-Israel people) talking to themselves.

[StarFan]

CONGRATS ON BEING ONE OF THE BLOGGERS CHOSEN BUMP.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Many thanks, SF: it was gratifying to be invited to participate.

[phillyfanatic]

Lazy is the Left's watchword since they replay not only the DNC but Kos et al. The media uses the same framework ala Nam, and other military incursions the USA has made in the last 50 years. In fact, Kennedy , Leahy, et al are using the same lingo they used to help us lose in Nam. Of course, blogs which actually do investigations of new items are a God-send.

[SauronOfMordor]

There's also, probably, a factor of laziness. Reading some of the MSM's reporting is like reading a "rip-and-read" version of DNC talking points. I wonder how many reporters don't actually do the work of investigating a story, but rely upon the latest propaganda dump from their allies on the left?

My daughter worked at a small local paper at one point. A good portion of what went in was copy/pasted from press releases from one group or other

Reporters like having their work easy. If somebody will hand them a pre-written story, it gives them more time to hang out in the bar. And if they can avoid going out on the street, they feel safer

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Snow described the problem with the traditional media - generously I would say - not in terms of bias but as a function of the "if it bleeds it leads" tendency.

That is a false dichotomy. The "if it bleeds it leads" tendency is a reality - and that tendency is a bias. The tendency can be "justified" on grounds of the self interest of journalism to attract attention - but the self interest of journalism is a special interest.

Journalists have no qualms about criticizing and condemning the NRA and the gun manufacturers, yet the Second Amendment comes closer to saying that I should have a gun - for a "necessary" militia - than the First Amendment comes to asserting that the Sultzberg familiy should have a printing press. Journalists work overtime when bad things happen to the rest of us. Journalism is a special interest.

[RedRover]

Thought you'd want to see this.

[tanuki]

George Bush has got to be the luckiest man to ever hold the office of POTUS. He just happened to come in just as a communications revolution took off.

On the other hand, whoever handles his communications has to be the lamest bunch of arrogant imbeciles ever. If his paid staff did half the work bloggers do for free, his record on the economy, the real progress in Iraq, all these things would be out there. The drive-by media would be playing catch-up.

Instead, he and we are lucky this isn't 1974 still. The media would have eaten him alive and we would be talking about President Gore.

[pinkpanther111]

Thanks for the ping. I had started reading this thread earlier and never finished!!!

[traviskicks]

interesting contrast with the dem attitute towards the blogs, there are statements form Dean, Kerry and Hillary against them.

[nutmeg]

Tony Snow ping!

[nutmeg]

FoxFan ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my FoxFan list. *Warning: This can be a high-volume ping list at times.

[nutmeg]

Congrats to you, FRiend! :o)

[SevenofNine]

OHH rack itt NUT

I think going back to original Freeper I wouldn't be surprise some IP number come from WH maybe now Dubya himself I think West wing folks

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[nutmeg]

Wouldn't that be cool if we find out Dubya is a FReeper? ;-)

[SevenofNine]

I think I hear once that IP came from the Kremlin so somebody on Vlady staff may be surfing FR I don't think VLADY is freeper he probably throw a diva fit everytime we goof on him

That be cool if Dubya may be lurking on FR

[CWOJackson]

"Wouldn't that be cool if we find out Dubya is a FReeper? ;-)"

The way he's talked about around here? You really want to think your President is a masochist?

[AmeriBrit]

Then pray tell.....why has hitlery threatened to try and limit or shut forums such as FR down if they're only a toy?

A large majority of the right wing news wouldn't get out to the general public if it wasn't for the 'toy' here at FR.

[Danette]

No, Tony, it IS BIAS.

[fish hawk]

I'd pay to see that. Even if just on a video.

[California Patriot]

I would say that less news would get out to the right wing. Blogs inform the right wing, but if they weren't there, older methods would be used. Blogs do not expand the number of conservatives, and as far as I can tell, they don't make conservatives much more active. They're a bit more than a toy, but are more accurately described as a toy than a major weapon for conservatives.

As for Hillary's interest in shutting down conservative blogs -- if that's the case, there are two explanations. One, many socialists are totalitarians, hating anything that is outside their control. In short, control freaks.
Two, people like Hillary fear that blogs could become significant. I'm not saying they can't, but I haven't seen it and don't foresee it in the short term at least.

[bmwcyle]

Jim Robinson (free news site not blog) is on a mission from God.

[Proverbs 3-5]

The blogs are a drop in the bucket. They influence the handful of people who read them. They do not influence the vast herd of sheeple. The Big Three networks and the big newspapers are still the name of the game, and that's why the liberals still rule.

Perhaps, but I have to wonder how much worse things might be without the blogs.

I'm also thinking the reason "the liberals still is rule" is not that blogs are ineffective but conservatives lose their nerve and start rubbing shoulders with the dark side. Like Rush says, once they get there they want to be liked and not constantly attacked...

[maica]

and that's why the liberals still rule.


&&&&&

Along with all the other disappointments since last November, I was very depressed when I checked the Alexa.com rankings of various internet sites and learned that the Washington Post had 10 times as many hits per day as FreeRepublic. So even in the blog world we are just talking to each other.

(A link to Alexa is on FRs home page.)

[maica]

I will never understand why conservatives have so readily adopted the acronym MSM. It implies that we are out on a wing, separated from most people. Yet voting patterns show that there is a left wing in the US the same size as the right wing.

Liberals use language all the time as one of their most potent weapons. We must learn to defend ourselves from this kind of preemptive attack - in this case by saying dominant media or drive-by media or leftwing media or partisan media or legacy media or dinosaur media but not MainStream.

Libs do control most means of communication but we should not make it easy for them when we can resist their power.

[okie01]

They'd never get away with it if most Americans weren't so gullible.

True. Some Americans are gullible. In viewing your comment, I immediately thought of the elderly -- like my mother-in-law -- whose only national and international news comes from the networks. It's all she's ever had...and she has swallowed the media's line totally.

Then...I had a flash of insight.

This morning, I'm sitting here listening to the morning talk show on WBAP, Dallas/Fort Worth. And I am hearing liberals -- young and middle-aged liberals -- calling in.

They are absolutely irate about the President's speech last night. They won't even give his plan a chance -- since it's Bush's plan, it MUST be wrong. They are unable to articulate a single coherent thought regarding Iraq or the President.

Instead, they are speaking out of anger and totally out of reflex -- parroting the Democrat talking points that the MSM has been shoveling into their skulls for the past three years. They won't entertain any other opinion, much less respect it.

Yet, they have nothing in the way of facts to support their position -- other than "Bush bad". Talk about "gullible"...

The most gullible Americans of all are the moonbat liberals.

[dinasour]

     Tony Snow Ping

 

If you want on, or off, the Tony Snow ping list, please FReepMail dinasour.
 

---

I was holding this article in anticipation of a regular briefing thread, but it is looking more and more like there won't be one today.

It would seem Tony thinks that is time might be better spent communicating the President's message to the people, rather than to Helen and Dave. (I could have told him that.)

My vast network of spies informs me that FNC (tv) is advertising that Tony will be on John Gibson tonight between 5-6Pm.

HT: FOXFANVOX

[SE Mom]

Thanks ( as always) for the ping- and yes- I heard on FNC that Tony will be on Gibson's show this afternoon:)

[RasterMaster]

[Bahbah]

LOL. Yup.

[sarasota]

ping and pass it on!

[Chuck54]

You're the best.

Thanks for the ping. I am setting the DVR as we speak.

Thanks,
Chuck

[California Patriot]

Blogs are ineffective partly because most conservatives have little nerve. If conservatives used the knowledge they got from blogs to DO and SAY more in the public arena, I'd say blogs were very important. But they don't and they aren't.

[LUV W]

Thanks for the ping, Dina!

I was hoping for a briefing, too, since I am off today, but will settle for him being on John Gibson's show this afternoon.

He of all people in the administration understands how blogs have changed the whole landscape of news....no matter what SOME PEOPLE might say.

Go, Tony!!!!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[SWEETSUNNYSOUTH]

Call me crazy, but I would vote for Tony for president over anyone else I have heard mentioned for 08. He is one who can turn the tables on the MSM and smile while doing it.

[MonicaG]

Point well taken. I agree about "newspeak" weapon, and agree about the need to be diligent in resisting their power. Thanks Maica.

[Proverbs 3-5]

I find them quite useful in getting info for discussions with my liberal brother and acquaintances. I also find them useful for backup info when I write letters to the editor and my congressmen.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

[GoldwaterChick]

Thanks for the ping, dinasour. Where would we be without our Snowman?

[LUV W]

Tony for President in '08

[California Patriot]

I agree that blogs can make our letters to the editor, our conversations with liberals, etc., better informed. But I don't see that more conservatives are speaking up or speaking out than formerly. That's what matters most. And presumably the liberal blogs are matching us by providing the liberals with more info, too.

[Texagirl4W]

Thank God for Tony Snow. I wish he had been working for President Bush 6 years ago. (thanks for the ping, d)

[Salvation]

Thank God for FR!

[Salvation]

Tony Snow or someone with that name used to be on the forum.

[Jim Robinson]

Tell that to President Senator Kerry or mr. Gore.

[Chena]

Call me crazy, but I would vote for Tony for president over anyone else I have heard mentioned for 08. He is one who can turn the tables on the MSM and smile while doing it.

I've been gone for a few days so I just now saw your post to me. If you're crazy, I'm crazy...and THAT is simply NOT acceptable. LOL I have often thought about what a great president he would be. He's as pure as the driven snow as far as I know (pardon the "snow" pun). He's educated and intelligent (there IS a difference between the two), and he's a well-spoken, sincere man who knows what's right in our world and what's wrong with it. If he were to run for office, I'd vote for him too.