Posted on 06/12/2004 3:17:35 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay
Retired CNN correspondent Bernard Shaw on Friday afternoon scolded his media colleagues for the poor job they did during the Reagan presidential years in covering how much he was in command, and not a puppet of staffers, and how solidly he connected with average Americans. Standing outside the Washington National Cathedral, Shaw contended that the media "failed to thoroughly cover and communicate the very essences we're talking about, possessed by Ronald Reagan. What I've been reading and what I've been hearing, I did not get during his two terms in office." Current CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer agreed.
The MRC's Ken Shepherd caught Shaw's rebuke, which came after the service, as CNN's Paula Zahn, Jeff Greenfield and Wolf Blitzer, all off-camera, and an on-camera Shaw, standing in front of the cathedral in a shot placed into a small inset on the left side of CNN's screen, discussed the outpouring of emotion from the public which came out in greater than expected numbers to honor Reagan and how post-death reporting documented that he was much more "engaged," as Zahn put it, in policy decisions than was previously acknowledged.
At about 1:38pm EDT Shaw, who attended the service at the invitation of Nancy Reagan, interjected: "Can I say something that touches at a very sensitive issue?" Blitzer: "Of course." Shaw: "The news media, and how we failed to thoroughly cover and communicate the very essences we're talking about, possessed by Ronald Reagan. What I've been reading and what I've been hearing, I did not get during his two terms in office. Or did I miss something?" Blitzer: "I think you're on to something, Bernie." Shaw: "I think we failed our viewers, listeners, and readers to an appreciable extent. I can't quantify it, but I'll, I'll put it there. Because I certainly missed a lot." Blitzer: "I think you're absolutely right, Bernie. We've learned a lot more about this presidency in the years that have followed Ronald Reagan's two terms in office. And I suspect as more of his diaries, more of his papers, more of his speeches, more information is released by the presidential library in Simi Valley, we'll learn even a great deal more."
Maybe journalists wouldn't be so surprised by Reagan's abilities and popularity if they hadn't assumed liberal caricatures of Reagan were accurate.
A few minutes later, at about 1:45pm EDT, Shaw said he does not think there's been too much coverage of Reagan's death and he passed along how he reflexively saluted Reagan's casket: "Wolf, you asked what I felt inside the National Cathedral, when the President's coffin entered National Cathedral, I, and everybody else, as it passed, and as Mrs. Reagan passed us, placed a hand over my heart. But when the coffin was being brought by the honor guard up the aisle to go past, the old Marine in me -- being a former Marine -- came over me, and I saluted. My hand just went up, it's as if it had a life all its own. My arm just went up and I saluted it as he passed by. But no, I don't think this coverage is overdone."
For a picture of Shaw, and an overview of his career, which ended as co-anchor of Inside Politics, see this CNN posting about his retirement in late 2000: http://www.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/10/shaw.retire/
I think it's called "selective blindness".
Wow, Bernard Shaw just hit me with Shock and Awe!
CNN...another day late and a dollar short, IMO.
Too bad you didn't redeem yourself by adding to your comments....."The media today can't and won't see the value in the Bush personality or policies either. It's deju vu all over again, Wolfie."
But then, Bernie might not get invited to CNN staff reunion parties ever again if he goes too far.
Leni
Coming from Bernard, that's quite a sentiment. I can only hope others will be so introspective.
Thank you Mr. Shaw for coming out from under the table! ;-`
Salute.
Is this the Onion?
I can't believe those arrogant, liberal news hacks are finally admitting what the public has known for years. A class action lawsuit is in order to demand a refund of all the money we've spent over the last 40 years on Time, newsweek, NYTimes, SF Chronicle, Cable news fees, electric bills to run our TVs, etc. Reparations for the truth starved public!
And while he's scolding and lamenting, let's hope he takes the time to see what's happening right now, in front of his eyes. Lest he repeats this lamentation 20 years from now, regarding W. and the parallels to present world events.
F##k Shaw he was as anti Reagan as they come. But now its hip to be a reagan fan so he will jump on the bandwagon. Probably because his career has gone down the crapper since leaving CNN
Agree totally. They are doing now what they did then.
Affirmative Action quota. Shaw frequently stumbled over words and got things mixed up. Very poor journalist.
Nor is the press giving the public the "essence", as it were, of the current President.
Years from now, the public will(perhaps) realize the leadership qualities of this President who faced who faced a recession, an attack on American soil, a dictator with Weapons of Mass Destruction, a worlwide terrorist organization, and a hostile Democrat party - but dealt with them with courage, initiative and strength.
FMCDH(BITS)
No wonder Shaw was fired and Woofwoof was kept.
There was no talk radio or internet, so the media was able to hide the truth back in the 80's.
This sounds like a good beginning. I'm not going to extinguish smoldering flaxen. Any honest public self-examination by the press is good. Let's face it - they know they have a big ratings problem, which the Reagan crowds only drove home in spades.
Wow... Better late, than never.
You're right. This article is amazing.
It's not that the media "missed" things about Reagan (that millions of "common" people all over the world didn't)...
it's that they didn't want to see anything good.
That's called "bias", Mr. Shaw.
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