Sharyl Attkisson and "Smear" at 9:00 PM and Midnight EDT on C-Span2

C-Span2 | 2 July, 2017 | Intolerant in NJ

[Intolerant in NJ]

Sharyl Attkisson will be the guest discussing her book "Smear" on C-Span2's "After Words" tonight at 9 and midnight EDT. Attkisson was a journalist for CBS who resigned a few years back because she felt her reporting was being micromanaged and shaped by management there. Her book looks at how journalists use false and misleading information to push their agendas instead of reporting the story. Attkisson does not define a "smear" as necessarily being untrue, but rather as being a story which is amplified beyond it's normal importance and having an underlying political or financial agenda which is not revealed by those covering it. As an example she uses the Imus story of a few years back; she acknowledges that what Imus said was objectionable, but says it was used to drive him from the air, not just to criticize his behavior. Similarly she talks of the smear of Trump after the infamous "pu$$y' tape was released; he obviously said something he shouldn't have, but it was played out of proportion to try to destroy his candidacy. Attkisson spends considerable time on David Brock's left-wing smear empire, with some fifteen related organizations spinning false journalism and talking points to attack conservative interests. The program is an hour long.

[Intolerant in NJ]

C-Span has developed a nasty habit of pairing conservative authors with leftwing interviewers (see the interview of Heather McDonald a few months back when she had to contend with some crackpot leftie professor praising Black Lives Matter rather than discussing McDonald's book), while the leftie authors still get leftwing interviewers (such as the recent Naomi Klein-Medea Benjamin pairing, a leftwing folie a deux if ever there was one). So it is with Attkisson, who has to contend with somebody named Erik Wemple, a media critic for the Washington Post, who spends much of the hour hectoring Attkisson about her definition of "smear" and examples. She handles him very well, and toward the end of the hour turns the tables on him, bringing him up short because of a incident where he called a political friend to get information on Attkisson instead of calling her for direct input. Some good viewing.

[KC_Lion]

Ping to Sharyl's List Upchuck.

I re-read "Smear" this weekend.

I have learned so much.

[I am Richard Brandon]

Any names actually named?

[upchuck]

Thanks for the ping KC.

Sharyl Attkisson Ping!

Now available: Sharyl's latest book Smear.

Watch Sharyl host "Full Measure," a Sunday morning talk show on the Sinclair network. More info.

Want on or off this ping list? Just drop me a FReep mail.

[Lysandru]

This book is next on my reading list.

[rodguy911]

I hope Sharyll is making the rounds with her book,all the right people will want her on their shows from Hannity on down.Rush should have her as well but I doubt he will.

[WHATNEXT?]

You are so right! I watched the interview/interrogation. She stayed calm, smiled and batted every aggressive comment away with facts.

I had not noticed the pairing of conservative with liberal before. Makes no sense for C-SPAN to do that. We see enough of that on TV and C-SPAN was a safety zone...maybe not anymore.

[The_Media_never_lie]

I would really like to know if the interviewers are usually hostile to the author, like this interviewer is. This Erik Wimple is antagonistic.

[Freee-dame]

C-Span is not a safety zone. It is run by the cable companies of America. I think CNN when I watch C-span. It does show Washington House and Senate meetings, but it’s commentary shows are very biased in favor of Dems.

[Intolerant in NJ]

It’s not hard and fast, but it seems to me that about half the time a conservative is on, he/she is paired with some lib who spends much of the time debating rather than exploring and discussing the author’s work. I can’t remember ever seeing a leftwing author being put in a similar spot by a conservative interviewer - of course, I don’t usually watch liberal authors, so maybe it’s just my imagination.....

[FreedomPoster]

Thanks for the heads up, just set it to record.

[upchuck]

You’re welcome. I included Intolerant in NJ since that’s who has to take the blame for this thread :)

[Intolerant in NJ]

Guilty, and proud of it....