The Dog That Didn't Bark

Well, here we go. The right is having a field day with this MSNBC story showing a list of journalists' political donations, far more of which go to Democrats than Republicans.

But Matt Yglesias is right, looking at journalist donations, those who report the news, tells only part of the story.

Meanwhile, to offer the standard liberal counter to this sort of thing, where's MSNBC's report on the political giving of executives at General Electric?

Well, I can tell you that in 2006, GE's PAC gave $807,282 to Republicans and just $474,118 to Democrats. In 2004 there was a similar division of funds, in 2002 "only" 60 percent of it went to the GOP. Indeed, as you can see here essentially every PAC in the media sector backed the GOP over the Democrats.

Let's put some meat on those bones.

Adelphia: $36,000 to Republicans, $5,000 to Democrats.
Clear Channel: $295,750 (R), $196,500 (D).
Comcast: $573,184 (R), $479,300 (D).
Liberty Corp: $5,200 (R), $900 (D).
Time Warner; $232,000 (R), $199,250 (D).
Salem Communications: $51,500 (R), $0 (D).
Sony Pictures Entertainment: $123,149 (R), $100,500 (D).
CBS Corp: $10,500 (R), $8,000 (D).
National Association of Broadcasters: $409,561 (R), $318,283 (D).
National Cable and Telecommunications Association: $795,446 (R), $617,497 (D).
Viacom Inc: $94,500 (R), $54,500 (D).

Etc.

Now who do you think has more power in determining what news we see? The copy editor at The Atlantic (yes, he's on the list)? Or the majority of executives at practically every top media company in America?

By the way, I've worked for Comcast, News Corp, and PBS all within the past year. I've given to Democrats. Does that mean I somehow am running the media and pushing it in a liberal direction?

This is a completely stupid story that seeks to "out the liberal media" without mentioning any of the real players who determine what gets broadcast. Not only that, political donations are, at least for now, not illegal, so I don't understand this attempt to infringe on free-speech rights (money is speech, right, conservative anti-campaign finance reform advocates?).

By the way, will those like Michelle Malkin and Hugh Hewitt and everyone else who jumps on this story disclose THEIR political donations?