On the September 21 edition of Miami radio station WTPS' James T. and Tamara G. , which featured an interview with Media Matters for America senior fellow Eric Boehlert, Joy-Ann Reid, a blogger who regularly appears on the program, said that the station “tried to get someone from the Media Research Center [MRC] on as well,” but “interestingly enough, they would not come on with Eric. They would not come on with anybody from Media Matters. They were scared! ... They were scared of him.” Reid added that the MRC “said they had a policy that only Media Matters for America -- that's the only organization they will not spar with -- won't go on the air with them, not even the same day.”

Boehlert is the author of Lapdogs: How the Press Rolled Over for Bush (Free Press, May 2006).

From the September 21 edition of WTPS' James T. and Tamara G.:

JAMES T. (co-host): OK.

REID: Now, there's a little story behind this one. When we first -- when we first booked Eric, because he came to us through Media Matters, we tried to get someone from the Media Research Center on as well, because we figured, well, they kind of are counterparts, and interestingly enough, they would not come on with Eric. They would not come on with anybody from Media Matters. They were scared!

JAMES T.: Ohhh! This is --

REID: They were scared of him.

TAMARA G.: So, it's like that, Eric, huh?

REID: They said they had a policy that only Media Matters for America -- that's the only organization they will not spar with -- won't go on the air with them, not even the same day.

JAMES T.: Why? Wait, Eric, what's up with that?

BOEHLERT: What's up with that is right!

JAMES T.: Yeah, what's up with that?

BOEHLERT: I mean, you know, we do the same things. Actually, we do our research factually; Media Research sort of fantasizes about what --

TAMARA G.: Ohhh!

JAMES T.: Ohhhh!

BOEHLERT: -- so maybe that's why we do -- that's why they have a problem.

JAMES T.: I see Eric is a bad man.

REID: Oh no, you didn't. Oh no, you didn't.

JAMES T.: OK.