Doesn't that hurt your brain?

by folkbum

This post by Jessica McBride is a perfect example of what for most people would be mind-splittingly painful cognitive dissonance:

Here's a thought on the "it's the public's airwaves" argument touted by those who want to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine.

The public's spoken. They want largely conservative talk.

Since it's "their airwaves", their wishes should be paramount, right? If the public wanted other views on the air, they'd get their news/opinion elsewhere. (McBride's italics and poor comma usage.)

Here's why it's gotta hurt: For 35 years, people of Jessica McBride's political orientation have been telling us that the media (newspapers, wire services, network and cable TV, etc.) are liberal--that liberal voices dominate the media because the media elite control the message and the means of distribution.

I disagree with this assessment (Chris Matthews, for example, is not liberal, but a sexist pig), but I doubt McBride--or most of her readers--would. In fact, some of the most ardent commenters on her site (and on that post) spend time on their own blogs decrying the liberal media.

But when they speak about conservative dominance of talk radio, it's the result of the "market"--the "public" wants conservative hegemony on the AM dial.

Who's to say that if there is liberal bias or dominance in the rest of the media--and, again, I don't think there is--it's not because of the "market" or because the "public" wants it?

Apply a consistent standard, people.