ABC News Censors Dennis Kucinich

On Aug. 19, a debate for the Democratic contenders for 2008 was hosted in Iowa by ABC news. At the same time, ABC put up a prominent poll on their website, asking the question, "Who is winning the debate?" When candidate Dennis Kucinich took the lead by a very large margin, ABC took down the poll, and then replaced it with another poll: "Who won the debate?"

After Dennis took the lead, again winning handily, ABC dropped the second survey from prominence on its website. Users posting comments in ABC's Politics page reported having their comments deleted, and demanded explanation of ABC's actions. ABC news has still neither posted an explanation nor officially reported the results of its survey.

In ABC's official story of the debates, however, Kucinich gets a whole spot all to himself: the last three paragraphs of the entire piece. Nowhere else is he mentioned.

On the "Politics Page" of ABC's website, the photo of all the candidates was missing Dennis Kucinich. He had been deliberately cropped out of the picture. The original, from an AP photographer, had all the candidates in it.

During the program, Dennis was not asked a question by host George Stephanopoulos until a third of the way through the debate. In the entire debate, Kucinich only accounted for 8.5% of the response times. However, in the crucial first half - crucial because the majority of viewers only watch the first half - he was only allowed 3.4% of the time - the least of all the candidates.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ABC
• News
• Dennis
• Kucinich
• Democratic
• Election
• 2008

[GoldDraconian]

I think he's an awful candidate, but I also think it's unjustifiable to intentionally marginalize him (if that is indeed what occurred).

However, it's not actually ABC's job to help the candidates out, unless I've missed something. If they feel they can maximize the number of viewers they get by focusing elsewhere than Kucinich, they will. It's the candidates' job to make themselves known and the voters' to learn about them.

[LorenzoNF]

It IS ABC's job - under the Equal Time rule, they are required to give equal time to each and every candidate so that that candidate CAN get their voice out there and heard, and so they won't have to spent millions on advertisements. Voters are too apathetic to actively learn about the candidates, and so the candidates have to come to them - mainly on advertisements, but also through the NEWS. ABC's job.

[skingk]

yo, Reagan did away with the equal time rule. Among other things.

[LorenzoNF]

That is simply untrue. Any minor research on google (i.e. about 10 seconds) proves that patently false. The Equal Time rule is still in place.

[thawkth]

Terrifying! Completely, totally, utterly terrifying.

Both Kucinich and Gravel are what the world wants in a US President...What the nation NEEDS.

And because of that, they are belittled, ignored...

Fight!

[mconder]

Notice that the two anti-war candidates Kucinich and Paul have received the same treatment.

[marco1173]

Absolutely. Not only was he the best candidate but the corporate media knew it and went out if its way to make sure he didn't get anywhere in the polls. Does anyone have any doubt who really runs this country?

[saxquiz]

I guess the powers that be didn't want Kucinich in the Oval Office.

[g0thmoth]

Yes, they did delete comments.Thanks for posting the original results here. Thank you for posting all this.

[seivren]

Worse...Disney.

[mihajmi]

American view of freedom...

They already demonized Serbs. What is next?

[RationalLiberty]

they did the same thing with paul

[jackson32]

It's unbelievable what is going on. I feel like our whole society is being dragged down by uninformed and unthinking people. Anyone seeing the way they are treating people like Kucinich, Gravel and Ron Paul should be asking themselves why true anti-war candidates are being censored and smeared. The USA is turning into a joke.

[JapsBane]

ABCNEWS' boss is Zionist?

[nowellian]

Dennis Kucinich was by far the best candidate for the people. He was too big of a threat to corporate rule in our country and that is why he was censored and put out of the race!

[Spazman173]

Paul/Kucinich '08!

Seriously, it would be nice if the media would stop demonizing and ignoring the best candidates.