3 Anchors to Follow Obama's Trek Abroad

Washington Post ^ | July 17, 2008 | Howard Kurtz

[COUNTrecount]

The three network anchors will travel to Europe and the Middle East next week for Barack Obama's trip, adding their high-wattage spotlight to what is already shaping up as a major media extravaganza.

Lured by an offer of interviews with the Democratic presidential candidate, Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric will make the overseas trek, meaning that the NBC, ABC and CBS evening newscasts will originate from stops along the route and undoubtedly give it big play.

John McCain has taken three foreign trips in the past four months, all unaccompanied by a single network anchor.

Obama has "proven adept at generating excitement," says David Folkenflik, media correspondent for National Public Radio. He said the anchors hope "a little bit of that excitement will rub off on their newscasts if they can convey an American phenomenon abroad, if that's what it turns out to be. Senator McCain is not as magnetic a figure in that way."

Jim Geraghty, a columnist for National Review Online, said Obama's paucity of foreign travel as a presidential candidate makes the trip a natural draw for news organizations, while "McCain has been around forever, and he's probably been to all these places before." But, he says, "the networks will be acting as a PR wing for the Obama campaign if they treat any of these photo ops as truly newsworthy breakthroughs."

The plan is for Williams, Gibson and Couric interviews to be parceled out on successive nights in different countries, giving each anchor a one-day exclusive. (Correspondents could have done the interviews instead, but a certain competitiveness sets in once one or two anchors agree to go.) The Washington Post is withholding the scheduled locations for security reasons.

Some 200 journalists have asked to accompany Obama on the costly trip,

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[RexBeach]

Now, does anyone out there think that Katie, Brian and Charlie have ever voted for a Republican?

I wonder if they’re going to cover Mr. Obama’s black half or white half?

[Old Sarge]

The Washington Post is withholding the scheduled locations for security reasons.

I call BS. If it had been the President, the locations, times, and participants would have been page-one-above-the-fold, with strip maps to the site.

[Mamzelle]

Looks like McCain’s challenge to Obama may have backfired.

[Uncle Hal]

With the MSM fawning over Obama he will probably get a bump in the polls.

[commonguymd]

What? No Bill Oreilly! But he is begging, groveling, and symbolically kissing the new Messiah’s rear. I can’t believe Lord Obama wouldn’t let him on the trip.

[abb]

Those aren’t anchors. They’re Obama embeds.

[AU72]

The junior anchor gets to throw the rose petals in front of The Prophet.

[Allegra]

Oh, goody! Company's coming!

{BARF!}

[webheart]

If it had been the President, the locations, times, and participants would have been page-one-above-the-fold, with strip maps to the site.

They don't want anything to happen to their Golden Boy (2 puns intended).

[Fintan]

The Washington Post is withholding the scheduled locations for security reasons.

 

As opposed to publishing national security info, intelligence leaks, and troop movements on the front page.

[Long Island Pete]

Looks like McCain’s challenge to Obama may have backfired.

You just might be right. I also hear that Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg will be directing.

[keepitreal]

Title should read: Three Drooling Puppies Folllow Their Master on Trip

[Sicon]

I'd recommend having a good supply of barf bags on hand if you tune into watch any one of these 3 @sshats kissing BO's butt.

Lured by an offer of interviews with the Democratic presidential candidate, Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric will make the overseas trek,

Actually, it's the chance to kiss BO's butt and fawn over him like giggling schoolgirls that has them all going over with him.

[GauchoUSA]

I thought there is a clause or law or policy that each presidential candidate must have equal coverage? I’m not sure this is by the book, but then again we’re just pathetic xenophobes, racists, ignorant, backwards, war mongers, baby killers...the list goes on.

You know what I’m hoping for? For a soldier preferably Marine to teach the liberal Messiah a thing or two about foreign policy and war. Of course the big 3 will not think that’s worth covering.

[PUGACHEV]

"With the MSM fawning over Obama he will probably get a bump in the polls."

Maybe not. With so many news prima donas tagging along, there is a great chance that the whole thing will turn into an unseemly circus. In any event, any little slip, the smallest faux pas on Obama's part will receive plenty of coverage.

[lwd]

They’re going to pump this up to be the biggest thing since Geraldo opened Capones safe.

[Snardius]

Hillary’s Opportunity...

Just one tragic plane crash between her and the nomination...

[DoughtyOne]

It doesn’t get more obvious than this does it.

[bert]

Anchors is a euphamism for propagandists.

The three primary propagandists will be part of the team to Iraq where the scales will fall from their collective eyes and they will accept the pronouncement that the war is over and all troops should return ASAP.