Comments on: Times to take legal action against Media Lens website?

By: Marie X

Marie X — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:02:45 +0000

In keeping a close eye on the mainstream media, Media Lens (and its ever growing number of dedicated contributors) has become one of the most important and highly necessary organisations to emerge in recent times, and a real find for people like me who have had a rude awakening to the inherent bias and propaganda that is churned out daily by the likes of the BBC. Journalists and media giants do not like to have their work challenged or exposed, and never has that been more evident than with this latest episode in which Rupert Murdoch’s little helpers have thrown the mother of all tantrums. They realised pretty quickly however, that bullying and attempting to silence an organisation that monitors propaganda and spin would not be the smartest move in the world – the silence that followed the tantrum has been positively deafening..

By: Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:16:53 +0000

Medialens do good work, but their approach is, at times, counterproductive. In criticising journalists, they list things that the journalist +hasn’t+ mentioned, and use this as a stick to beat the journalist. Of course, there is an infinite number of things that one can +fail+ to mention – some important and some arbitrary. Medialens have a tendency to mix the arbitrary with the important – which weakens their case. And I could point out a lot of important things that Medialens routinely fail to mention. But pointing out what people +fail+ to mention is ultimately a feeble form of criticism.

Medialens’s writings also sometimes have an inquisitorial, witch-hunt kind of tone. They, themselves, remain polite, but their followers often pick up this tone in ways which may come across as more threatening. It would be ridiculous to deny this, although it’s not necessarily Medialens’s fault.

Still, none of that excuses the silly and heavy-handed Murdoch legal threat, which should be condemned by anyone who supports free speech.

By: baz

baz — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:29:35 +0000

“It’s not proper behaviour for Media Lens to give out people’s emails…”

Aren’t these emails publicly available anyway? If they are public knowledge then Medialens is doing nothing wrong. If they aren’t, then why not? Aren’t journalists accountable to their readership?

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:32:45 +0000

Outrageous behaviour which should not be tolerated. It’s a shame that Media Lens isn’t big enough to challenge the Times in court. They’d win.