Posted on 09/03/2015 8:46:21 AM PDT by MarvinStinson
I’m the ombudsman at PBS and I don’t want to be glib or dash off something on Twitter that I would quickly regret, or that could easily be misunderstood, or could be used to either discredit me and my work or PBS. I had the same policy about pre-social media venues when I was the ombudsman at The Washington Post.
So that brings me to the real self-inflicted wound, which was a tweet by PBS NewsHour co-anchor Gwen Ifill on Wednesday—after it became known that President Obama had secured the necessary number of Democratic backers in the Senate to ensure that the nuclear agreement with Iran could not be blocked by opponents—that said: “Take that, Bibi.”
That was a reference, of course, to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has strongly opposed the agreement and came to Washington at the invitation of Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner to argue against it in front of Congress.
Ifill added the comment when she retweeted an illustration from an Obama administration Twitter account that is designed to support the case for an agreement.
As they say in today’s world, her tweet instantly went viral, picked up by bloggers, websites and a large number of Twitter followers and it quickly produced a lot of angry emails in the ombudsman’s inbox.
I asked Ifill and the NewsHour for a response and explanation. She explained, in an email to me and in a tweet to many others, that she was “RT'ing a @TheIranDeal tweet,” and added that she “should have been clearer that it was their argument, not mine.”
One would have to lean way over backwards to give her the benefit of the doubt that she was simply shedding light on the administration’s view of portions of Netanyahu’s arguments.
But to personalize it by saying, “Take that, Bibi” is, in my book, inexcusable for an experienced journalist who is the co-anchor of a nightly news program watched by millions of people over the course of any week.
It is not the first time that I have written about Ifill and tweets. Three years ago a tweet supporting a former colleague, who made an inflammatory remark apparently unaware that his microphone had not been turned off, also brought about lots of criticism.
Ifill is a highly experienced journalist, very quick, alert, knowledgeable, and with an engaging on-air personality. She also has a talented eye for the ironies and political turnabouts in the daily flow of news that contributes to her presence. But PBS and the NewsHour are bigger than any individual and tweeting does not appear to be a tool, in these cases, that is appropriate for maintaining credibility, which is the bedrock for news organizations.
“From Gwen and 34 Bolshies.”
Bolshies?
Not bad : )
Republicans on the house committee have voted to fund PBS/NPR at the same level as last year. @$$hats.
The US government at the current time is INSANITY.
You’ll have to forgive them. PBS is still mourning the loss of their senior pastor.
” PBS is still mourning the loss of their senior pastor.”
Who is that?
All she did was take off her poorly disguised mask.
Nothing ever happened to Candy Crowley after she worked as an Obama stooge in the 2012 debate.
And nothing will happen to Idol - other than a pay raise.
Hadn't heard of this, wow! But I see it didn't keep him from being confirmed as ambassador to South Africa - because we just don't have votes I guess.
Anybody who depends on the Progressive Broadcasting System for unbiased news deserves Gwen Ifill.
NPR - another bolt in the armor or progressive movement, once again funded by the US Government.
Hey Ombudsman, is she going to be fired, suspended, or punished in some way? No? Then this is all meaningless nonsense.
Thanks MarvinStinson.
“No it was not a shot at Prime Minister Netanyahu, even though it has become apparent that, in certain circles, it was taken as one,” Gwen Ifil explained.
“TAKE THAT, BIBI, “ Ifil wrote.
We always knew Gwen Ifil was a political stooge.
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