LETTERS: Different standards for NY rapper
In these letters to the editors of the Enquirer one can see the effects of media illiteracy. These readers and TV views are not able to see beyond the surface of the dramatic story the media paints about issues that can gain readers/viewers.

This harsh response to the coverage and defense of the rapper parallels that received by radio talkshow host Jay Love from 1230 the Buzz on Tuesday and Wednesday. His callers were very irate and according to Jay were cussing out the show's producer without waiting to get on the air, all in defense of Jay's comments criticizing "50 Cent."

With fans as rabid as these, and with the prior problems at "50 Cent" shows, the police preparation was warranted. This comment from Melissa Meyer deserves a response:

Were such extreme security measures warranted in this situation? Why is there the assumption in Cincinnati that gatherings of black citizens equal violence. Would a concert by Eminem, Insane Clown Posse, or Marilyn Manson have brought out the SWAT team?

The reason is simple Melissa. None of those acts have had recent violence at shows. None of those acts are admitted former drug dealers currently under pending weapons charges. None of those acts have been shot 9 times within the last couple years. Rap music lives on a reputation of violence, anger, and associate with crime. If they don't want to live the life of "gangsters," then don't act like it.

What's in a Number?
After posting yesterday about the "50 Cent" concert I was encouraged to reexamine the number of people attending the concert. I posted that there were 300, while the venue held 1,250. I based my information on Larry Nager's review of the concert in the Enquirer. The relevant quote was:

After paying as much as $100 for VIP tickets ($35 for general admission) and being thoroughly frisked for weapons, the crowd of 300 or so milled around the club waiting for the star.

What I missed was in the article by Jane Prendergast where she noted:

By midnight, the club was full. Capacity is 1,250. Earlier, hundreds had lined the sidewalks waiting to get in.

After emailing both reporters I was able to surmise the reason for the difference. Larry was inside and states that the crowd was not more than a few hundred. He has been in the same venue for several other events where the number of attendees was firmly known, and the "50 Cent" concert did not meet those numbers. I think Jane's number was based on the information from the promoters who were going to provide an answer to best suit the act and the venue. I don’t know how the inter-workings of newspapers work, but one might surmise that editors might see that basic difference in articles that relate to the same subject in the same edition of the newspaper. This is a minor issue, but it is one that if the event had any problems would have been key to understanding correctly what occurred.

Rap's Newest Star Performs; No Problems Reported
Ok, above is the headline from the WLWT story. Here is a quote from the story:

Cincinnati police reported only a few minor problems.

Now I think there is a difference between "no problems" and a "few minor problems," ya think?

CalPundit on Post War Iraq
Kevin Drums indicates that efforts for democracy and stability in Post-War Iraq are withering on the vine, and I agree. Here is what I hope happens if a Japan/Germany type post-war effort is not made.
1. I hope all of the protestors fight for democracy in Iraq. I hope they get the numbers out again, this time I will join, and keep fighting until Bush offers a Marshall Plan for Iraq, and a Plan to create a democracy.
2. I hope the media do not become Bush's bitch again. It would be nice if the television news outlets would get a pair of balls and hold Bush's feet to the fire on at least one lie or broken promise.
3. I hope the voters of America vote Bush out of office in such a landslide to make 1984 seem like a barnburner.

If Bush does make a democratic Iraq, or at least makes a full effort to make it so, I will give him credit. I will then start complaining if he does not immediately start pushing out every other dictator, fascist or theocratic government in the world. This would include the theocracy George himself is trying to creep us into.

UPDATE: Paul Krugman chimes in and is right, as usual.

50 Cent draws hundreds with hot rap, cool tats
It appears the event went off with only a few minor fights. I say only because no one reportedly was hurt. The reviewer from the Enquirer panned the concert. I am not a fan of rap, so I would have not had a favorable report under any circumstances. The big issue is that the bar can hold 1,250 people, but only around 300 were there.

Chris Anderson also had a few comments on the event, and rightfully pans the media for being race car fans, looking for wrecks.

Tom Ridge Media Coverage
Good from WCPO and WLW. The rest was typical or absent. WDBZ needs a real news team if it going to be a source for real news, they did not carry the speech live. WCPO gets a special kudos for offering a streaming video of the entire Tom Ridge speech.

Dog on Ice Flow trumps Tom Ridge
Today FOX News and MSNBC cut away to live coverage of a dog being rescued from an ice flow during Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge’s speech here in Cincinnati on a new effort to prepare the country for terrorism and war.

WLW’s Mike McConnell gets credit for noticing this fact. He did not mention what CNN was airing. I would guess they only have two TV’s and did not have on CNN, I hope their right-wing slant is not so crass to shun CNN.

I am sure some conservative will blame PETA or the SPCA for this misplacement of priorities. The reason for this lopsided coverage is simple, DRAMA. Cable news networks care little about news and information, unless it has DRAMA. DRAMA in today’s terms is only the visual. This is an example of what makes the Television news media horrible today. It is not a social or political bias; it is a focus on ratings, not on providing quality journalism. The real problem with this is that no one in the public, outside of the few readers I have, will see this problem with TV news. Since they control the curtain, they won’t let you behind it

The kicker has to be a caller to WLW who said “liberals” should be happy FOX News showed it was warm and fuzzy by caring for animals. It is not quite blaming PETA, but it is close enough. It goes to show that if you make it stupid, people will not care, or will not know the difference.