The Supposed Liberal Media

One of the favorite mantras of the right wing, especially of the squawk radio blowhards, is that the mainstream media is liberal.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which runs about 75 different things written by McIlheran is also a supposedly lefty rag.

Well, we know better. And the proof keeps growing.

John Michlig, author of the blog, Sprawled Out (and most recent addition to our Royal Blogroll) has done, to paraphrase Sykes, a flagrant act of journalism.

First he teases us with this post, asking what's wrong with this picture.

Then he answers his own question today. He shows in great logical and chronological order that FranklinNow, which is part of CNI Newspapers, which again is part of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, has a long and sordid history of trying to cover up Fischer's true self, that he is a state aide to State Senator Mary Lazich and that he does fill in work at WISN.

When repeatedly confronted with this act of deception, Mark Maley, FranklinNow.com online editor Mark Maley, reluctantly had Fischer add this information to his blogsite. (As a refresher to the reader's memory, Mike Mathias already had some questions about Maley's decision making.)

Mr. Michlig shows that CNI, subsidiary of MJS, posted a blog entry from Fischer's site, and again willfully fails to publish Fischer's background, which would misleadd the average reader into thinking that Fischer is just another Franklin resident. We'll let Mr. Michlig tell the story from here on out:

No information about his day job work for a Republican state senator. Nothing about his right wing radio fill-in host gig. Kevin Fischer is presented as just another Franklin resident with an opinion.

Which is, of course, hogwash. Let Mr. Fischer go "off-message" just once and you'll see his current livelihood shrivel up rather quickly. That fact provides vital context for anything Mr. Fischer writes, and it is the responsibility of the paper's editor to provide that context in their pages and on their website.

I sent two emails to Mark Maley asking at whose discretion Kevin Fischer had originally concealed the truth of his day job on his CNI blog. He didn't answer either email, so I called him. Mr. Maley's curt response: "I don't even want to answer that question. I did get your email, but I don't even want to answer that question."

Yes, it would probably be better if he didn't answer, as neither possible response flatters him. He was either duped by Mr. Fischer, or he enabled the deceit of his readers by consciously hiding information they needed for context. Now that egregious omission has leaked to the print version.

So, legislative aides to any senator or other representative, get on the stick! CNI-Journal Sentinel is providing propaganda soapboxes - get your "Community Blog" space while they're still available for dissemination of your daily and weekly talking points, unencumbered by silly hindrances like an accurate bio line to provide context for your agenda.

And to Kevin Fischer: Kudos to you for seeing the hole and running through it.

And to Mr. Michlig, we say, "Well played, sir. Well played indeed."