As Glenn Reynolds has repeatedly noted at Tea Party Central, the media treatment of the Tea Party phenomenon has largely been a case of studied neglect. Now the picture may be changing.
The Tea Parties scheduled to occur on April 15 will not go unnotced. On his FOX News show tonight Sean Hannity just announced that he will be covering the Atlanta Tea Party live on Tax Day. He will also be checking in on other such parties around the country. I hear we’ll be having a good one here in the Twin Cities as well.
Hannity is tapping into real anger around the country about the massive growth of government that President Obama is orchestrating under the guise of “stimulus” and under his budget. Outside of the blowup over the AIG bonuses, this anger has been ignored by the mainstream media. It doesn’t fit with any narrative that is congenial to them.
Hannity’s coverage of the Tea Parties serves to illustrate the filtering function of the mainstream media. While the MSM talks to and amongst itself, the alternative media including Rush, Hugh Hewitt, FOX News, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, and — once more once — Instapundit are eager to tell a real story of general interest. Hannity’s training his spotlight on the April 15 Tea Parties is an excellent case in point.
JOHN adds: I’m planning on participating in the April 15 event and, if all goes well, posting photos and videos. There will be another anti-tax increase demonstration here in Minnesota on May 2 as well. The movement continues to grow.
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