Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, is ramping up its campaign against the "left-wing, so-called news media" to the tune of a planned $5 million dollar "Tell The Truth 2012" campaign that Bozell says will include paid TV, radio and Internet advertising. The group launched a similar effort in 2010, but he told reporters the spending on this campaign will be more than double.
Citing Newt Gingrich's most recent criticisms of the media during a Republican presidential debate, Bozell said it was "time for Americans to take a stand, once and for all against the leftist media." At that debate, Gingrich said: "I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office..." He was responding to CNN John King's first question about allegations of infidelity lodged by Gingrich's former wife on an ABC Nightline interview.
But Bozell also said the thought that King was a good reporter who had made a mistake by asking that question and said CNN, overall, had done a good job hosting debates.
But he also said he was tired of the "elite media" protecting the president by attacking Republicans. Bozell said he was not likely to be buying any TV ads on CNN, or MSNBC, or the broadcast networks -- feeding the hand that he says bites Republicans, as it were -- but said that was because he was confident they would never run ads criticizing the news media.
The campaign began with "Don't Believe the Liberal Media" signs on the campaign trail, similar to in 2010, but Bozell says there will be a new wave of bumper stickers, buttons and billboards like "Honk if you don't believe the liberal media," as well as what he calls the biggest social media effort by conservatives on Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.
He says over $3 million has been raised so far. Bozell says his "demand" of the press: "Tell the truth, be fair, honest and honorable."
