For those who rightfully claim that there is a mainstream media blackout of Bernie Sanders in the United States they are underestimating the issue. There has been media blackout here in Europe too. The BBC have finally acknowledged that Hillary Clinton no longer leads in New Hampshire and Iowa and that her campaign has hit a ‘blip’. Clinton is however, according to BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, “The only serious candidate”. No policy discussion, no justification for the Sanders surge, no mention of the massive grassroots movement underpinning his miraculous campaign. No mention of it being funded entirely without donations from corporate giants. What followed after her comments was a seven minute interview on why a Clinton presidency would be great for America and the world.

Even here in Ireland, if you listen to the national broadcaster RTÉ, you would believe that Hillary Clinton was the only Democratic candidate on the ticket.

This trend is worrying and it is intellectually dishonest.

“I think you can watch television 24/7, and not get a feeling that what you are seeing is the reality of American life, in many respects”. – Bernie Sanders

The establishment in the Democratic Party have long sought another Clinton coronation. Hillary Clinton’s supporters are still wary of the mistakes of the 2008 campaign and even though all the cards are in her favour in 2016 things are changing. The DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was campaign co-chair for Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in 2008 against Barack Obama. She has limited the number of debates and deliberately scheduled debates on public holidays and huge sporting events. Limiting viewing figures and muffling the appeal of her opponents. This has been hugely successful against a very capable candidate in Martin O’Malley.

Bernie Sanders is a different beast however…

“Millions of people lost their jobs, millions of people lost their homes, millions of people lost their life savings. Today in America, you have a middle class which is disappearing. You have in some cases, peoples’ life expectancy going down, massive despair. Is that reflected on television”? – Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders is not only up against establishment Democrats, he is fighting against the media establishment. Between January and November 2015, ABC World News devoted 81 minutes of prime-time coverage to Donald Trump. Bernie Sanders received just over 20 seconds. In fact if you were to combine the coverage Trump and Sanders received between ABC, CBS and NBC, Trump has received 234 minutes compared to Bernie’s 10.

Blatant media bias. A blatant Bernie Sanders media blackout.

“Half of people 55 years of age or older, have zero savings for retirement. Got that? You’re 57 years old, you got nothing in the bank. How do you think you’re feeling? You’re scared to death. See that on television? CNN? NBC? ABC? Soap operas? Not so much”. – Bernie Sanders

What makes this all the more astounding is that Bernie Sanders has as much support amongst the Democratic base as Trump does with Republicans. In a Presidential poll between Sanders and Trump Real Clear Politics (01/26/16) has Sanders winning by 5%. This makes not a ripple on the airwaves, print media or primetime TV.

“We are a country where millions of people are in despair. Black, white, brown. They want to see a reflection of their life, of their reality, in media, and in many respects, they are not”. – Bernie Sanders

This media blackout is unravelling.

Clinton who rarely mentioned Bernie Sanders by name is now attempting to discredit his campaign by talking about his policies. Her donations from the financial sector and media moguls are coming under the spotlight whilst her Super PAC’s have turned their turrets from Trump to Sanders. All playing into the hands of a mainstream media starved Bernie Sanders campaign. A campaign which does not have a Super PAC and has received record numbers of individual donations.

It was eight years ago when the good people of Iowa caught the attention of the world by catapulting a relatively unknown Illinois Senator into the spotlight…

Now it is the time of a democratic-socialist from Vermont.

Author:

Patrick Jay

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