Columbia Journalism Review:
Talk about burying a lede. Some 1,100 words into his 1,400-word piece (“‘Substantive’ Press Is Taken for a Spin”) in today’s Washington Post, uber-critic Howie Kurtz writes, “While some journalists say privately they are censoring their comments about Palin to avoid looking like they’re piling on, pundits on the right are jumping ship.”
The news here is even buried within its own sentence. Again, just to be clear: some journalists say privately they are censoring their comments about Palin to avoid looking like they’re piling on.
Stories like this are the main reason that my attention level immediately drops to nothing when some dingbat commenter or pundit starts yammering about the "liberal media."
People who pay attention have noted for years that the press, until very recently, has bent over backwards to let Republicans and conservatives say any old bullshit they want without bothering to challenge or fact check them. In some cases, like that of the NY Times' Judith Miller, they've become unapologetic cheerleaders for the Bush Administration. It's been heartening to see that, despite some reversion to their bootlicking ways, (particularly whenever McCain's military serice is brought up), the press has actually started asking some tough questions. Unfortunately, with only a few exceptions, they apparently think Sarah Palin's not up to that, leaving it to the right wing pundits to ask the questions about Palin's competence that need to be asked.
5 comments:
Have you heard the rumor that Palin was only able to cite one Supreme Court case (Roe v. Wade) in the Couric interview. I wonder if they'll play that.
Now every time someone asks McCain or Palin a tough question, McCain calls it "gotcha journalism." Blaming others for their own failures is not presidential.
Here's an interesting article written by a guy who has debated Sarah Palin two dozen times. He thinks Biden may have his hands full.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1001/p09s01-coop.html
Because, in thw words of the article: "she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do."
I wouldn't be so sure...
Wait, so you're telling me that a member of the media is claiming that other members of the media are showing restraint?
No way.
Next you'll tell me that parents of High School students are claiming that the reason their children are immature, unmotivated, and refusing to work in school is NOT the way they've been brought up for 14-20 years, but the teachers.
And as far as the master of the general answer, I think Biden will be just fine. After all, he's been training under Obama's flag long enough.
(Sorry, I couldn't resist)
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