To the Source

This week Beth and Kelly check in with Vanessa Otero, the creator of Media Bias Chart. The chart is now of version 4.0 and is working it's way to becoming an interactive web version along with an actual data company that will provide analysis of media sources over time.  Kelly and Beth also discuss the recent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and why the story is important, despite Breitbart's claims. 

Media Bias Chart 4.0

Vanessa Otero, who is also a patent attorney, wanted to create this chart in the beginning to have have a reliable visual for herself and others to use as media sources grew increasingly biased.  She recently changed the name of her website and company to Ad Fontes Media (Ad Fontes means "to the source" in Latin). Her newest challenge is creating the chart into a more interactive design, as well as establishing a team to use her already created rubric, so data analysis of media will be measurable and standardized. To this she has started an Indiegogo campaign, which you can find here: Media Bias Chart: The Next Level.

During their discussion on media, Beth, Kelly and Vanessa briefly spoke about the recent pipe bombs sent through the mail to democratic leaders and public figures whom Trump has called out publicly. Here's one example: 

The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017

And this doesn't even touch on the verbal onslaught he performs every time he attends another rally. The 'Lock her up!' chants, the Trump funded investigation of Obama's birth certificate, as well as years of harassment on Twitter, praising Republican Greg Gianforte for attacking a journalist and the list just goes on and on.

After Beth and Kelly said goodbye to Ms. Otero, they delved into a horrible opinion piece full of fake news from (shocker!) Breitbart.
​
Breitbart’s John Nolte proclaims that the media is pushing the Khashoggi story because they love to put journalists on a pedestal, over and above children going missing and women being murdered and raped. He even believes the story is only important because it follow what he believes is a great left-wing cause - to attack Trump and undermine his “successful (so far) Middle East policy”. 

However, the difference is this case goes a lot deeper than journalists being killed by cartels in Mexico (which is indeed a tragedy, and has been covered by multiple media outlets), no matter what Nolte believes. This action is an act of torture and mutilation possibly ordered by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia while inside the supposed safety of a consulate. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi government officials has been caught in multiple lies throughout this media investigation, from assurances the day after Khashoggi’s disappearance that he had left after a a few minutes or an hour to claiming the 15-member hit squad were simply ‘tourists’ (who came and left within less than 24 hours and only appeared to have visited one place). 

Vanessa's Jam of the Week: My Shot from Hamilton 

Beth's Jam of the Week: Breezeblocks by Alt-J

The song contains multiple references to the children's book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Newman sings, "Do you know where the wild things go?" In addition, the repeated refrain at the end of the song is a modified version of a portion of the book. Breezeblocks' lyrics are "Please don’t go, I'll eat you whole / I love you so". Sendak's words are "Oh, please don't go — we'll eat you up — we love you so!"

Kelly's Jam of the Week: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood.
By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.
How long can one man survive like this?
Credited as an influence by most major horror writers, Matheson's novel is psychologically terrifying, as it posits the age old question - who is the real monster? 

---

Sources Cited:
Media Bias Chart 4.0
Khashoggi misinformation highlights a growing number of fake fact-checkers
Nolte: Establishment Media’s Concern for Jamal Khashoggi Is Fake News
Here's everything we know about the troubling disappearance and death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Jamal Khashoggi: CCTV shows alleged Saudi hit squad's movements
A timeline of events in the Khashoggi case
Prominent conservative activists and talking heads are promoting a conspiracy theory that Democrats sent explosive devices to Clinton, Obama, and Soros
We examined more than 1,300 journalist killings between 2002 and 2013. Here’s what we learned.
'They went to execute him': fourth Mexican journalist killed so far in 2018
Donald Trump's Tweets About Black People, By the Numbers
At Montana rally, Trump praises congressman for assaulting reporter
Number Of Journalists Killed In Mexico Reaches 'Historical High,' Report Says
Trump inciting ‘violence’: More than 200 retired journalists condemn president’s ‘un-American’ attacks on press
Donald Trump attacks 'media hostility' after mail bombs

​Join us bi-weekly for new episodes!  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app!  We are on iTunes, Stitcher, Tunein, Google Play, You Tube, iHeart Radio, and Spotify!  
​Help others find us by giving us a 5 star rating!
​
​And don't forget - Spread jam, not lies.