CBS News Producer COACHES Kerry (MAJOR bias alert)

EIB ^ | 2-19-04 | Rush Limbaugh

[jmstein7]

You have to read Patrick Healy's Boston Globe piece, "As Kerry Surges, Feistiness Seems Slipping," to believe it. The headline leads one to believe Kerry is relaxing, having less anxiety and not being as provocative with the media. That has nothing to do with the story. It begins saying Kerry is "wrangling with rival John Edwards over jobs and trade" two things neither of them know diddlysquat about.

The story goes on to publish this quote: "The administration promised America several million jobs over the course of the next months, and I immediately said that those predictions would fall short, based on the promises they made with respect to the tax cut, which was supposed to give a million jobs. It cost a million, and the next tax cut was supposed to produce a million jobs, and it lost a million." The Globe writes that this is what "Kerry told reporters."

But that's not how it happened. "Kerry's remarks lasted three minutes," the Globe reports, "yet it left TV reporters without a soundbite until one CBS News producer asked the Massachusetts senator to try again. 'They don't know what they're talking about in their own economic policy,' Kerry said of the Bush team. 'Today it's one thing, tomorrow it's the next.' Take two was the one that was used."

The headline of this story has nothing to do with its body: CBS News producers are coaching Kerry to keep talking till he gets it right. Imagine saying, "Senator, it's a little too long. Can you try it again and make it a little shorter for us?" He does so and that's the take they use. This piece goes on to talk about Kerry's "new style," asking if it's thanks to his advisors. It ends by gushing that his best performances come when Kerry's "an underdog." And when he gets a little help for his diarrhea of the mouth from CBS.

[jmstein7]

Tell CBS how you feel about this.  Click HERE, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "feedback".  Viola!

[jmstein7]

CCRM BUMP*

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[NeonKnight]

Thats probably not really a political bias. They would try to do the same with Bush, but he would just stare at them like they were stupid or something.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Nope.

With Bush, Cheney, or any other republican, they would play the worst of the lousiest soundbite they could find.

If they played anything at all.

Right now, they'ed rather put a few minutes of Mel Gibson's father on the national news.

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[ArcLight]

I agree. I'm a print journo, and I admit there's a deal of bias in our biz, but I don't think that's what's at play here. They just wanted an easily conveyed, punchy quote. More than once I've re-asked a question, not seeking to get a particular answer, but just one that didn't make the speaker sound like an utter twit.

[LADY J]

It's hard to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

CBS is giving it their best shot!

If Kerry can't talk about being a war hero - what else has he got going for him?

[Peach]

Timesink -

Here's a media bias article that's so clear it should be impossible for people to ever again deny it exists.

I know you don't keep your "file" anymore but thought you'd be interested.

[Peach]

Done.

[Quick1]

"Senator, it's a little too long. Can you try it again and make it a little shorter for us?"

I'm not seeing how this is bias. They're crunched for time, and want the soundbyte, not a speech.

[Defender2]

CBS = Communists Bull Sh*t!!!!

[elli1]

They just wanted an easily conveyed, punchy quote.

IOW, CBS wanted to do a Kerry campaign commercial. What is CBS going to do next? Furnish him with a freaking script & drama coach?

[rwfromkansas]

maybe bias, but not for sure

If I needed a shorter quote, I would ask someone to do it regardless of who they are. It certainly would not be because I was biased for the candidate...I would be biased toward having room in the story for other stuff.

[rwfromkansas]

agreed

Besides, you only have so many column inches to print your story; you don't want one quote to take up a ton of space.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Rember, CFR was because we can trust the media....

[GRANGER]

Garbage. If Kerry had anything coherent to say, they'd give him every barrel of ink they had. It is amusing to see this very limited man becoming such an obvious sock puppet of the liberal media. At least the Clintons could spin their own original lies.

[reformedliberal]

As a reader, I would prefer that perfect twits be quoted exactly. Journos are not supposed to be make-up artists for swine.

[ArcLight]

Exactly right, RW. You want a direct verbatim quote, but one that makes sense and fits the space or time available. So you get the speaker to say the same thing in a simpler way, being careful to do it in a manner that doesn't put words in his mouth. Standard interview technique, which a fair journalist would use with any interview subject when needed.