Beat the Press

The following was posted on the National Review's weblog, the Corner:

Aug. 2, 2004 - U.S. News and World Report (8/9, Bedard) reports in its "Washington Whispers" column, "Reporters, beware: The Democratic Party is revamping its lovey-dovey approach and telling campaign press secretaries to come down like a ton of bricks if you screw up or slip in a little attitude. 'When it comes to the media,' suggests Democratic strategist James Carville, 'intimidation works.' He offers a tactic: 'Send E-mails to the press. They do respond to pressure.' That message was part of the training new campaign press secretaries were given in Boston last week during the party's convention." Press secretaries were urged to "bully the reporter and cow the newsie into tossing you a bone, or hit hard and scare him into changing his tone and coverage."

It looks like Kerry has decided he won't get "Gored" like the last Democratic nominee was. As anyone with the correct opinions knows, the media has been giving the Democrats a pretty hard time ever since Reagan and it has only gotten worse in recent years (just read the incomparable Daily Howler to see for yourself). The conservatives have known for a long time how to work the press, establishing partisan news outlets and mericlessly beating them up for supposed "liberal bias". Now with this new aggressive strategy for dealing with the fourth estate the left could be on its way to getting better, fairer coverage.