Big-Name Journalists Spar Over Sources at NYC Gathering (Big Media & Judith Miller)

Editor and Publisher via Yahoo ^ | 8/17/05 | Jennifer Saba

[Libloather]

Big-Name Journalists Spar Over Sources at NYC Gathering
Wed Aug 17, 6:35 PM ET

From l., panelists Richard Cohen (Washington Post), Nicholas Lemann (Columbia), First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams and Time honcho Norman Pearlstine

NEW YORK This morning, Court TV gathered a group of columnists, editors, attorneys, and academics to discuss the rule of the law vs. the rule of journalism" at the popular media haunt Michael's in mid-town New York.

With panelists Norman Pearlstine, Floyd Abrams, Nicholas Lemann, Richard Cohen, Michael Goodwin, Michael Wolff, Paul Holmes, and moderator Catherine Crier, the allotted hour was barely enough time to kick around complicated issues -- like the unfolding of the Plame story and other related concerns about confidentially and anonymous sources.

During his opening remarks, Henry Schleiff, chairman and CEO of Court TV, tried to sum up the theme of the breakfast panel as "Sophie's Choice for the mensa group."

With that, Court TV's Crier threw out the first question, seized by the call-'em-as-he-sees-'em Vanity Fair Contributing Editor Michael Wolff.

Crier: "When is a source not a source?"

Wolff: "When the source is a story. That's a softball question."

Wolff, whose column in the September issue of Vanity Fair sharply hit the role of journalists in the Plame story, pushed his argument even further this morning over a plate of scrambled eggs and pancakes. He posited that if Time magazine had run the Matt Cooper story -- i.e. Rove as the leaker and master puppeteer -- a year ago, President Bush may not be in office serving a second term or we may not have had as many deaths in Iraq.

Further, Wolff called this the "biggest story of our age."

First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams, who is representing jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller in the Plame case, dismissed Wolff's remarks as pure hyperbole. "Reporters should keep their word to their sources," he said.

Washington Post Op-Ed columnist Richard Cohen seemed to enjoy sparring with Wolff the most: "This is not a major story. It's a crappy little crime and it may not be a crime at all," he said. "The issue is this: You gave your word, you stick to it."

"Let's focus on what the big deal is here," Wolff responded. "It became a story when Rove lied." Wolff maintained that because Bush pledged to fire whoever leaked the story, and the leaker could well turn out to be Rove, "that's a f------ big story."

Later in the panel, Time Inc. editor-in-chief Pearlstine reaffirmed his decision to hand over Cooper's notes, adding that he would have handled the source status differently. He also said that at one point he (as well as Time Inc. attorneys) had a copy of the notes.

At the time that we first received a subpoena from the special counsel on Matt Cooper," Pearlstine said, the question was asked was this a confidential source relationship and Matt says that it absolutely was, and that's what it comes down to.

If I were to try to rewrite things at all, I think I would come out somewhat closer to Michael's position and say that, if you will, a 90 second conversation with the president's spin doctor who is trying to undermine a whistle blower probably didn't deserve confidential source status."

Crier asked Pearlstine whose interest does a corporation serve if shareholders are involved? Pearlstine responded that it never got to that point in the Cooper case.

Wolff jumped in saying that part of the problem with the case is that "no one seems to be a straight shooter." The Time Inc. board, he said, would never allow Pearlstine to make any other decision than the one he made.

He also said that news organizations have failed the public by getting the Iraq story wrong all along.

Cohen said that everybody got it wrong, that reporters are not CIA agents, and that you have to rely on your sources. "I don't fault reporters for getting it wrong," he said.

--Jennifer Saba (jsaba@editorandpublisher.com) is associate editor at E&P.

[Libloather]

A basket of notes sits next to a picture of NY Times reporter Judith Miller at the National Press Club, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005 in Washington. The sign says the notes will be delivered to her jail cell. Miller is serving a sentence for refusing to testify before a grand jury about the leaking of a CIA officer's name. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

From left, President of the Inter American Press Association Alejo Miro Quesada, President of the Freedom Press Committee Gonzalo Marroquin, and Washington Post Vice President Diane Daniels leave the Alexandria Detention Center after visiting New York Times reporter Judith Miller on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., third right, meets with members of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), from left, Diana Daniels, of the Washington Post and IAPA Vice President, Julio Munoz, executive director of the IAPA, Alejo Miro Quesada, President of the IAPA from the El Comercio of Lima Peru, Gonzalo Marroquin, of Prensa Libre of Guatemala and chairman of IAPA's Freedom of the Press Committee, and Ricardo E. Trotti, Director of Instituto de Prensa, at the Hart Senate Office, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005, in Washington. The IAPA delegation planned meet with New York Times reporter Judith Miller Wednesday night at the Alexandria Detention Center in suburban Virginia, where she has been since July 6. The delegation hoped to tell Miller she was sending an important message to Latin Americans by refusing to disclose her sources in the Valerie Plame case. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Sen. Richard Lugar , R-Ind., right, meets with Directors of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), from left, Ricardo E. Trotti, of Instituto de Prensa, Julio Munoz, executive director of the IAPA, Diana Daniels, of the Washington Post and IAPA Vice President, Alejo Miro Quesada, President of the IAPA from the El Comercio of Lima Peru, at the Hart Senate Office, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005, in Washington. The IAPA delegation planned meet with New York Times reporter Judith Miller Wednesday night at the Alexandria Detention Center in suburban Virginia, where she has been since July 6. The delegation hoped to tell Miller she was sending an important message to Latin Americans by refusing to disclose her sources in the Valerie Plame case. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

[Semper Paratus]

First class passengers promenading on the deck of the MSM Titanic.

[squarebarb]

Thank you for the post but these people come across as sooooo boring.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Trying to come up with the best spin to save Miller's posterior.

[abb]

Who are these people? Didn't they used to be big? Or did the pictures just get smaller?

[norwaypinesavage]

"Didn't they used to be big?"

They never were big. They just thought they were. They were looking their reflection in a carnival house of mirrors (the MSM).

[federal]

Here is a group of liberal media people, they probably never leave their little snobbish, elitist circle jerk. All the people they interact with think just like them.

They represent everything that is screwed up with the liberals in the world today. They along with their comrades have cast all pretense to neutrality aside and are responsible for the complete destruction of media credibility.

They have thrown overboard their nationality and have no interest in thinking about or doing what is best for the USA, they pursue their liberal political agenda and are willing to sell any distortion and promote any lie to regain power for their corrupt butt brothers of the democrat/socialist ideology.

The American people increasingly reject their radical, wrongheaded ideology and refuse to purchase or support the news organizations they represent. Yet they state the major mistake they have made is being to soft on their coverage of the War on Terror in Iraq. Yet every poll and indeed the very distribution of their news mediums tell them that the American people don't agree with them and they think they are biased and pushing a agenda instead of America's interest.

Now there is a message enclosed here about who in this country is living in a fantasy world and in denial, unfortunately the self proclaimed intellectual elite haven't realized for whom the bell tolls. They are the misguided and delusional, its just that they have no friends other than people just as foolish as themselves and are unwilling to see the handwriting that is all over the wall.

[geezerwheezer]

Jeepers Man!! I can't add anything to what you wrote because you touched all of the bases. I'll tell you what is scary to me....that being,,you think like I think. Are you my clone or long lost brother or something? If you are my brother, will you loan me $50.00 'till payday? :)

[Wally_Kalbacken]

A federal shield law for journalists is a terrible idea. If it were enacted all you would have don is created a convenient class of "cut-outs" for the dissemination of leaks and information which could be used to attack one's political enemies. Judith Miller is right where she belongs. What if she heard about Plame from a neighbor and has started this chain of events by speaking to other journalists, some of whom obliquely and some directly confronted Rove? Is she allowed to sit on the sidelines and refuse to answer questions while the Democrats take endless shots at Rove? If a federal shield law is enacted both parties will use the press as an untouchable conduit of information to trash their opponents. We don't need it.

[federal]

LOL! well man I can send you a check as long as you don't try to cash it............

Thanks for the comments about my rant I just had to get it off my mind.......

[federal]

I agree 100% and I have written all my Congress critters to let them know I think a shield law would be a poor idea..

[Libloather]

Who are these people?

Since they have each other on speed-dial, I believe they're the ones who collaborate to get you the story they're most comfortable with...

[johnny7]

First class passengers promenading on the deck of the MSM Titanic... and burning their life-jackets in a fit of absolute arrogance!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Wolff, whose column in the September issue of Vanity Fair sharply hit the role of journalists in the Plame story, pushed his argument even further this morning over a plate of scrambled eggs and pancakes. He posited that if Time magazine had run the Matt Cooper story -- i.e. Rove as the leaker and master puppeteer -- a year ago, President Bush may not be in office serving a second term or we may not have had as many deaths in Iraq.

If this is billed as a "mensa" group, I am glad our side is dumb.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

They along with their comrades have cast all pretense to neutrality aside and are responsible for the complete destruction of media credibility.

I can't decide if they think they are now home free or if they see the end is near and are making one last desperate attempt.

[Luke21]

Very well stated. These people are both stupid and delusional.

[CaptainK]

The end must be near when I agree with Richard Cohen

[cyncooper]

They are the misguided and delusional

Wolff sounds downright certifiable. What a loon.

[CyberAnt]

"Wolff called this the 'biggest story of our age.'"


NOOOOO! it's not! The biggest story of the age is that senate democrats of the senate select committee on intelligence have committed TREASON by using their positions of power within their own govt to try to bring down a sitting president; through their usual lies and deceipt.

[denydenydeny]

Totally delusional if they actually believe that (as everyone on DU seems to) Judith Miller is in jail to protect Scooter Libby.