Newberry is Shrill! And not without reason:

Why is the Post printed on paper?

To wipe the drool off their chins when talking about reactionary racist Republicans.

Michael D. Shear and Tim Craig turn in an unprofessional, biased and blatantly inaccurate piece on “The Rise and Fall of George Allen”, blaming “Washington” and not Allen.

Note that there is not one quote from anyone to the left of Attila the Hun. Note that the entire series of “accusations” are framed as being absurd - when, in fact, they were given reality by the lies Allen told trying to explain away the remark. It wrapped racism along with bigotry along with ignorance - the target was a young man born in the United States - in a way that made it clear that not only has George Allen not caught up with Virginia’s changing politics, he hasn’t caught up with the 20th century.

Allen’s rise to power in Virginia came at the hands of people like Shear and Craig - the kind of people who cover up for the clear defects in character that Allen has, and don’t ask too many questions. Allen had never really been pressed before, never really had to hold the spotlight. He’d never been on the defensive, and Shear and Craig are an example of why.

The “bullying” they allude to - but do not have the integrity to detail - involved Allen supporters bashing a constituent to the ground - one who has legitimate media access, and the second time, when there was a plan to frame him, a reporting assignment. It is chilling when reporters cover up for a candidate being the focus for violence against the press itself. The Shear and Craig’s account of the Mike Stark affair amount to “who are you going to believe, us or your lying eyes?” Because in both cases, the incidents were videotaped.

This kind of hard right wing bias among reporters - and the more common soft pedalling where “both sides” are at fault - is no longer acceptable. The public voted for real balance - not the Gop talking to itself after a borrow and squander bender - and for real discussion. It is clear that the Washington Post’s news room, its editors and its owners are out of touch - not just with the current political mood, but with the basic and essential aspects of news coverage, with the basic techniques of analysis. It is clear that they lack basic integrity, that they are incapable of even stating basic facts with clarity. Propaganda of the kind that Shear and Craig are pushing, and which the Washington Post pimps on the front page as if it were thinking, shows how long and hard a road we have in front of us. There is going to be a fight every step of the way, and at each point.

I don’t really have a solution for our fine, racist, blatantly biased SCLM other than tarring and feathering. I wax angry, horrified, depressed and just plain pissed off every time I open a “news” magazine or major dead tree publication. It’s not like one has to look far for the latest example of truthiness-filled goodness.

But whining never solved anything, and so I guess we have to take Newberry’s advice to heart. The fight will be long and hard, and as I have advocated elsewhere, the first step is to turn it off. Cancel those subscriptions, tell the editors and cable broadcasters why, and convince your friends to do the same. And read blogs. As always, I’m struck by how different our perspective is when compared to consumers of the mainstream press.

Also, I’d really like to see a serious discussion of media reform by the Democratic leadership. I’ll keep talking about it, but without a return to the Fairness Doctrine and some regulation of out-of-control media conglomerates, this kind of shit will go on and on. I wouldn’t mind some of the more progressive organizations in this country organizing a sit-in at Fox News HQ, either.