Bush's Disdain For The News Media Puzzles, Angers Many Journalists

USA Today ^ | 12-22-2003 | Peter Johnson

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Lyndon Johnson got so angry watching Walter Cronkite's CBS Evening News that he'd call during the broadcast and demand to speak to the anchor right then, while Cronkite was on the air.

In person, Johnson would get right in Cronkite's face, sometimes lifting up The Most Trusted Man in America by his lapels.

"He was a strong man," says Cronkite, 87. "I was sure my suits would give way before he did."

Today, President Bush's relations with the media are no less tense than Johnson's were during Vietnam, Richard Nixon's during Watergate and Bill Clinton's throughout Whitewater and the Monica Lewinsky affair.

But unlike his predecessors, analysts say, Bush openly brags about not reading newspapers, watching TV news or TV newsmagazines - dismissing the news media as unworthy of his time.

"I get my news from people who don't editorialize," Bush told ABC's Diane Sawyer last week. "They give me the actual news, and it makes it easier to digest, on a daily basis, the facts."

"It's the old MBA thing: 'Give me the five points, the nut graph,' " says veteran CBS White House correspondent Bill Plante. He says this is one of the most secretive administrations ever - highly distrustful of the media.

Bush's wife, Laura, told Sawyer she read newspapers and columnists and tells her husband what they are saying.

CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller says that getting the news from his wife or aides seems to work for Bush. "We very rarely catch him unaware of something in the way that we used to catch Ronald Reagan. He is a very well-informed president."

And a deliberate one. Questioned at a recent press conference about a critical New York Times editorial about Vice President Cheney, Bush dismissed that influential editorial page, saying he never read it. And at last week's ceremonies honoring the Wright brothers' first flight, Bush took a dig at the Times, noting that it opined after the first flight that man was not destined to fly. "He enjoyed that a lot," Knoller says. The Times had no comment.

Bush may in part be playing to people who have distrusted the media ever since the Watergate days, when Vice President Spiro Agnew railed against the media's "nattering nabobs of negativity."

Cronkite thinks Bush may be exaggerating how little attention he pays to the media. "It's a defensive move. It must be very hard to have every move you make put under the microscope."

But that goes with the job and "it's difficult to understand why a president who spends so much time promoting the virtues of democracy would want to insulate himself from one of democracy's most important institutions, namely, a free and independent press," says Stanford University journalism professor Ted Glasser.

"One of the great ways to learn about America is by reading a newspaper on your own, whether it's the letters to the editors or anything else," says Tom Rosenstiel of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "It makes you wonder if the only people he is talking to are people who work for him or agree with him and whether everything he sees about America he learns through them or through the window of a motorcade. One of the few ways to not do that is to read a newspaper or watch TV."

Says Playboy editor James Kaminsky: "It's appalling to think that the man who runs the country somehow finds time for a long gym workout each day, but can't muster up the intellectual curiosity to peruse the newspaper. Is it laziness, arrogance or a willful combination of the two? Does the president really need a human filter to deliver only news the White House staff thinks he wants to hear? Do gossip items sometimes get thrown into the daily 'readings'? How about the funnies? How hard is it to watch the damn TV news, even while working out?"

[Southack]

Lets take the press at their word for a moment and give them the momentary benefit of the doubt. After all, perhaps President Bush really doesn't read the "mainstream" news papers or watch the broadcast networks' TV news.

OK, but if that's the case, then Bush doesn't seem to really be missing much. Time after time President Bush is proved to be correct, and the news media is left (pun intended) to admit that its ellipses mutilated a Presidential "quote," that a sandstorm in Iraq wasn't really a "quagmire," that other dictators in the Middle East really *did* shake in their boots about their WMD programs after Bush kicked Hussein out of power, etc.

So time and again President Bush outwits and outmaneuvers the print and broadcast news.

Which brings up the obvious question: what is the winner doing wrong if he can beat the loser by *not* listening to his active opponents? What is *lost* by not reading the NY Times and by not listening to Dan Rathers?

Based upon our President's unfailing, unwavering, always-winning track record, one can only honestly answer: nothing.

[TASMANIANRED]

"But, but they have degrees in journalism, wear cool tweed jackets with elbow patches, and smoke pipes with a nonchalance that says "I don't care how much I stink." Their hairy arms are covered in tatoos, and they like to get into fights in bars. And then there's the men ..."


The deeply feeling men with waxed chests and lacy drawers are either blairly making up the news or hanging out in all the smart places to get the gentler perspective on the news.

[suzyq5558]

oh and one last point sir, i'am not solely relying on the word of this administration. but this administration is sure a heck of lot more forthright than that last creep who occupied the white house. i spend a good portion of my morning here not hanging onto all news bulletins from the boob tube or running out to buy a paper that is chock full lies.

[Cultural Jihad]

I guess this accounts for the vast majority of the 'many angry journalists:'

Walter Cronkite said...
... analysts say ...
... CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller says ...
... says veteran CBS White House correspondent Bill Plante ...
... says Stanford University journalism professor Ted Glasser.
... says Tom Rosenstiel of the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Says Playboy editor James Kaminsky ...

[Jeff Gordon]

Cronkite thinks Bush may be exaggerating how little attention he pays to the media.

I love Cronkite. He speaks so clearly for the liberals of the world. I will never forget Cronkite's total disgust the night Reagan was first elected. I have never seen such naked hate as shown that night. That night, Cronkite made my day, my year and my decade of the 90s.

[Tamzee]

The news editors and directors gatekeeping mainstream media can only drool at the thought of having access to the top level info that Bush does.

This is just another tantrum hit-piece by the rotten brats who've grown to think they're the center of the universe.

[TheMole]

That night, Cronkite made my day, my year and my decade of the 90s.

Hey, that was the 80s. You what made me laugh about the article? The whole thing is a Bush-bash, but the only other presidents they actually mention are Lyndon Johnson and Beelzebubba. Well, let the average reader compare and contrast.

[lepton]

Many of the major newspapers consistently misquote, or write articles about a debate between two sides, but only quote what one side is saying about the others comments - without quoting the original comments. It takes a lot of reading to get around that - or just reading the transcripts.

[Cultural Jihad]

"Stanford University journalism professor Ted Glasser"

From his bio pages at Stanford:
http://www.stanford.edu/~glasser/positions.htm

... where this position is listed:
"Member, advorsory board, Media and Peace Institute, University for Peace, Paris, France, and San Jose, Costa Rica"

Here's the website for the "Media and Peace Institute":
http://www.mediapeace.org/

And here's the website of the "University For Peace":
http://www.upeace.org/

Oddly enough, there's a link for a "virtual tour" of the U. For Peace, but most of it centers on the little town in Costa Rica which is occupied by these foreigners, who have to drive through quaint coffee plantations and local flora to reach it. Lucky for them, they can find fresh fruits from wage-slaves as they strive for peace!

Fresh tropical fruit can be bought from street vendors.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[Political Junkie Too]

They're just annoyed that their influence doesn't influence him. The First Amendment gives the media the right to speak -- it doesn't force anyone to listen.

It's the age-old existential question: If an anchor pundits in the woods, but nobody is there to hear, does spin occur?

-PJ

[fly_so_free]

Did anyone in the media notice how Diane Sawyer behaved during her "interview" with the President of the United States? She was rude and obnoxious the entire time. She interrupted President Bush constantly and every question she asked seemed to come straight from the DNC. I didn't feel this was an "interview" at all. It seemed more like a debate with Diane Sawyer playing for the Democrat party.

Perhaps if the press would behave like journalists,(instead of Propagandists' for the democrats), and treated President Bush with the the same respect they gave to Bill Clinton, the maybe Bush would be more accommodating to them.

[1FreeAmerican]

It doesn't take intellectual curiosity to read the newspapers- it takes a 10 gallon barf bag.

[gr8eman]

It is called "Control+C, Control+V" or cut and paste!

[freebilly]

Says Playboy editor James Kaminsky: "It's appalling to think that the man who runs the country somehow finds time for a long gym workout each day, but can't muster up the intellectual curiosity to peruse the newspaper. Is it laziness, arrogance or a willful combination of the two? Does the president really need a human filter to deliver only news the White House staff thinks he wants to hear? Do gossip items sometimes get thrown into the daily 'readings'? How about the funnies? How hard is it to watch the damn TV news, even while working out?"

Yeah, Dubya should be reading P-Layboy for the hard news....

Is this guy insane or just a moron...?

[DeepDish]

"But that goes with the job and "it's difficult to understand why a president who spends so much time promoting the virtues of democracy would want to insulate himself from one of democracy's most important institutions, namely, a free and independent press," says Stanford University journalism professor Ted Glasser."

The press is free but it has never been independent. The stories reported as news are edited to conform to the world view of the ownership. The problem with the press in the United States is that the press has been goose stepping to the same beat for years. If you read the New York Times there is no reason to pick up any other major paper; they all report from the same playbook.

I am not surprised that Laura reads the paper and then tells George if there was anything interesting in it. If this was the Clintons, USA today would put it on the front page as an example of the first lady's involvement in the political process. Instead they spin it as a president too intellectually dim to participate in the paper's overblown sense of relevance.

I hope Laura does this on her own. I would consider a man who forces his wife to read the New York Times to be engaging in spousal abuse.

[malia]

The others in the newsroom are still playing catch-up on issues and events days after I've heard "all about it"! I must also say THANK YOU, JIM ROBINSON!

If they ever catch-up on important issues it will be on page 16 small corner.

I can hardly stomach C-SPAN anymore, but Lamb did teach me to read the last paragraph first. JIM ROBINSON, I also thank you!

[malia]

"Says Playboy editor James Kaminsky: "It's appalling to think that the man who runs the country somehow finds time for a long gym workout each day, but can't muster up the intellectual curiosity to peruse the newspaper. Is it laziness, arrogance or a willful combination of the two? ........ How hard is it to watch the damn TV news, even while working out."

To answer the question - I would say it is because of intelligence!!!

IMO it would be appalling to think President Bush read the newspaper! As for First Lady Laura Bush reading and relaying info to President Bush, I can just imagine the rolled eyes, shaking of the head and the smiles knowing the media will have to eat their words on many pieces. Or just spin some more!!!!!

[Qwinn]

"Does the president really need a human filter to deliver only news the White House staff thinks he wants to hear?"

Does this mean that the media themselves aren't human? I mean, they filter the news at least as much as anyone on his staff would.

The newspapers and TV news aren't fed by some computer chugging out unbiased reporting. It's humans filtering news. Bush just decided that he prefers his own filter to theirs.

Either that, or the media isn't really controlled by humans, it's run by aliens. Which, considering how wrong they always are and how absolutely clueless they are about human nature, wouldn't surprise me a bit.

Qwinn

[kittymyrib]

I used to watch C-Span every morning. I haven't watched in about 18 mos. It has nothing to recommend it...just a forum for Michael Moore wannabes.