For reporting that is an embarrassment to the profession of journalism, and for being beholden to corporate paymasters rather than the citizens of America.
Wealthy progressives have not really caught on to the
importance of media ownership in influencing public opinion. One need just
look at Rupert Murdoch
to understand how financial investments in news outlets yield enormous power
to shape American public opinion.
Of course, many people don't realize that the mysterious Rev. Sun Myung Moon
has poured millions and millions of dollars into The Washington Times in
order to offer a right wing outlet in Washington -- and, of course, to curry
favors from Republicans as a result. When Republicans want to leak something
damaging to Democrats (whether true or not) -- or helpful to a Republican
White House or Congress -- the Washington Times is one of the "go-to" media
outlets.
For Rev. Moon, The Washington Times isn't there to make money (he does that
through a large number of international businesses, some of them on the shady
side). It's there to enrich him through political favors, and to advance
the right-wing cause of making the wealthy wealthier by providing misinformation
that is transmitted to America's working class via secondary news pickup.
Media Matters noted that
The Washington Times ran a story on February 5 about Sen. Barack Obama's
presidential candidacy and the "galloping horse
of history" ran under the headline "Black horse." On
the front page of the same edition were two of what are called "hang
dog photos": one each of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Because the
photos were "above the fold," they appeared in news boxes throughout
D.C.
In a February 1 editorial, The Washington Times, according
to Media Matters, "falsely
claimed that Sen. Barack Obama 'argu[ed] cold-bloodedly on the Illinois Senate
floor that babies who survive botched late-term abortions should not be considered
'persons' because this would be tantamount to admitting 'that they are persons
that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a
-- a child, a 9-month old -- child that was delivered to term.' In fact,
he was not discussing 'late-term abortions' in the remarks the editorial
highlighted; Obama was asserting that the bill in question, which was not
limited to late-term abortions, would 'essentially bar abortions.'"
This was in regards to a floor debate during Obama's Illinois state Senate
days. The bill in question was one of those anti-choice strategies to have
state legislatures pass laws that would define a fetus as a person. Thus,
if an abortion was committed, the physician could be charged with murder.
That is what Barack Obama was opposing. But never let the facts get in the
way of a propaganda megaphone for the right-wing agenda, masquerading as
a legitimate news organization.
Rev. Moon is one of the weirdest, creepiest, most mysterious Republican patrons,
with longstanding ties to the Bush family in particular. He tends to keep
a low profile, except for when he wants to be coronated by elected officials
(but that's another story).
The Washington Times does have occasional articles of interest written by
journalists doing their jobs, but mostly it's as fair and balanced as FOX
News.
One thing The Washington Times does well, however, is save the Republican
National Committee a lot of money. The RNC doesn't have to print a daily
paper itself in the nation's capital; it's got Rev. Moon with deep pockets
to cover the cost for it.
And The Washington Times more than deserves this week's BuzzFlash
Media Putz Award.
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