Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?

by digby

Will Bunch reports on the young fellow who was tased down in Florida:

“I am a far more reasoned individual than I was a short while ago, and the reasoned response of the university has helped me a great deal,” Meyer wrote.

Shorter version: He loves Big Brother.

Yep, a little electroshock therapy for someone who tries to ask difficult questions of an elected official — now that’s we call a good journalism education! Now that his thought process has been cleared up, we can expect to see Andrew Meyer asking questions from the White House press room in about 12 years or so. (Just kidding, most reporters on the presidential beat only look like they’ve been lobotomized.)

I’m laughing, but only because it’s easier than crying. One of the things that has obviously worked very well on the press in recent years has been sheer, thuggish intimidation. When they aren’t in actual agreement, they are clearly frightened.

Greenwald discusses this in today’s update on the public affairs officer (and future Michele Malkin contributor) Colonel Stephen Boylan:

The ultimate significance of this matter, which goes far beyond the specific question of what Col. Boylan did or did not do in this case (though that is important in its own right), is articulated perfectly by Zack in this comment. The type of hostility, pseudo-intimidation, and stonewalling expressed by Col. Boylan here (in the emails of undisputed authenticity) is the type to which reporters are frequently subjected when they step out of line, particularly with war reporting. That is one reason why so few of them ever do.

And just survey the long list of media outlets and journalists which have been the target of swirling, right-wing lynch mob campaigns for perceived offenses in reporting about the war — The Associated Press, Reuters, Eason Jordan, The New Republic, Ashleigh Banfield. There is a clear attempt to create strong disincentives for any journalist or commentator to do anything other than cheerlead loudly and deferentially.

“Don’t tase me bro” could be the DC press corps’ motto. As you can see, it works very well. After a while you don’t even have to do anything — taming the press corps now is as easy as simply threatening to deny them access. The people who don’t comply tend to be the older guys like Seymour Hersh, who have become immune, and certain younger, iconoclastic types who are just temperamental rebels. A real tasering may be required for them at some point.

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