What To Tweet When You See a “Both Sides Do It” Story

By spocko, on May 6th, 2014%

When I’m sick and tired of certain media conventions, I write a post about it. If you are like my friend Jimmy Dore you write a funny comedy bit about it. Stewart, Colbert and Oliver all mock the media, but is it making the media change? Is there something we can do besides point and laugh?

Today’s sick and tired media phrase is “Both sides do it.” This phrase is designed as a preemptive answer to the right wing’s screaming about a story and to help show that “the liberal media doesn’t have a liberal bias.” The idea has become internalized by the MSM. My friend Eric Boehlert at Media Matters has written about this sliver in the heart of the MSM for years. Atrios makes a pithy comment about it every few months.

Why “Both Sides Do It” Short Circuits Brains

The magic phrase is destructive because it breaks down math and evidence in the heads of journalists. It converts a complex equation into 50-50! For example, this magic phrase can take a $5 BILLION dollar multi-decade program and make it equal to a $5 Million five year program with the simple incantation, “Both sides do it.” Shazam! . . . → Read More: What To Tweet When You See a “Both Sides Do It” Story

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Trayvon’s Family Might be Required to Pay Zimmerman’s Lost Wages

By spocko, on July 15th, 2013%

My friend Lisa Graves, the executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy and the publisher of ALEC Exposed, was on Disrupt with Karen Finney this weekend. Here is a link to the whole show.

I want to share with you a part of the story I haven’t seen anywhere else.

:..if Trayvon’s family does not prevail in a civil suit and this claim is invoked, under that law, they would be required to pay George Zimmerman’s attorney’s fees and lost wages. It would require the victim’s family to pay the killer. And pay for the killer’s wages. That’s the law in over two dozen states in this country now.”

So, for everyone hoping that the Martin family might have a shot at winning a civil case, it’s not going to be easy.

I also want to point out that the Center for Media and Democracy is a GREAT group, I’ve been a fan for decades. They were responsible for getting 33 corporations to leave ALEC by showing them that the disgusting “Kill at Will” laws pushed by the . . . → Read More: Trayvon’s Family Might be Required to Pay Zimmerman’s Lost Wages

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