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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

MSNBC, CNBC refuse "Freedom's Watch" ads

Although the reasoning isn't altogether clear from this side of the conversation, I would hope that MSNBC/CNBC are refusing the "Freedom's Watch" ads for their use of the visual juxtaposition of the World Trade Center burning and a message supporting the Iraq war clearly intending to assert that Iraq had something to do with 9/11.

Unfortunately, I doubt it's that journalistic.

posted by mikevotes at 9:01 PM

6 Comments:

  • This is interesting.

    In the past I've mentioned -- perhaps obtusely -- how networks have refused to air 527 ads from VoteVets and MoveOn.org. While MSNBC and CNBC is cable small potatoes, I'm glad to hear they're not going to be enablers of this filth (Freedom Watch).

    By Blogger -epm, at 9:37 PM  

  • I was thinking of that last round of discussion we had about 527's, media, and politics as I wrote this.

    Unfortunately, it's not really clear at what level the decision was made.

    The letter is to the NBC corporate ad sales guy.

    (And they used Freedom's Watch in their letter, so that's what I used.)

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 10:07 PM  

  • During the '04 election cycle, at least one ad was refused at the network level because it was supposed to air during the Super Bowl. Others were refused by the local ABC affiliate (WMUR, Manchester, NH). You bring up a good point though: not all the ad decisions are network decisions. Nor even broadcast station owner decisions, who often own more than just one station. Some are made by local management.

    I don't know anything about the Freedom Watch ads and MSNBC, CNBC beyond what I've read here.

    By Blogger -epm, at 6:48 AM  

  • You have to wonder about the reasons behind these decisions, going both ways.

    The refusals often seem to mirror the current political sympathies and polling.

    How much of it is an ad sales decision based on likely viewer reaction.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 7:55 AM  

  • Of course the right is howling that this is definitive proof of a liberal-biased media.

    Interesting angle you posit in this last comment.

    I watched some of the ads: horrible.

    By Blogger Praguetwin, at 4:43 PM  

  • Yes, but the only factual objection I would have is the inclusion of the WTC on fire.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 4:55 PM  

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