Posted on 10/09/2004 1:04:02 AM PDT by Cableguy
ABC News was under fire last night after an internal memo surfaced suggesting President Bush should be held more accountable for his statements than John Kerry.
The memo to staffers from the network's powerful political director, Marc Halperin, noted that while both campaigns are distorting the truth, Kerry's bending of the facts shouldn't be hit as hard.
"Kerry distorts, takes out of context, and mistakes all the time, but these are not central to his efforts to win," Halperin wrote.
But "the current Bush attacks on Kerry involve distortions and taking things out of context in a way that goes beyond what Kerry has done," Halperin added.
Halperin further advised the ABC staff to keep that in mind when reporting.
"We have a responsibility to hold both sides accountable to the public interest, but that doesn't mean we reflexively and artificially hold both sides 'equally' accountable when the facts don't warrant that," the memo continued.
"It's up to Kerry to defend himself, of course. But as one of the few news organizations with the skill and strength to help voters evaluate what the candidates are saying to serve the public interest, now is the time for all of us to step up and do that right."
A spokesman for ABC news insisted "we are not interested in taking sides, we are only interested in getting at the truth."
Halperin plays a mostly behind-the-scenes role at ABC, and is known as the father of "The Note," a daily political memo that is read by thousands of D.C. insiders, political players and journalists.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I was intrigued when I read your "conversion" story. I agree with your comments about late-comers, even Limbaugh. I would relate that I realized, since my days in middle school in the 1960s, that I was being spoon-fed Marxist doctrine by the public school teachers. I began to view my education with a critical eye as I went through high school, seeing how every subject and interest under the sun was filtered through a leftist lens. In college, I finally accepted that the whole world has been complicit with the advance of Marxist/communism/atheism, at all levels, everywhere. The leftist bias of the MSM is something I've watched since the days of Commie Cronkite. These things are not new. What is new is that many people are waking up to this "vast left-wing conspiracy" and finally refusing to eat their swill unadulterated.
I hadn't considered the Soros influence but it is an intriguing thought. If I had a shred of confidence in the integrity of the MSM I wouldn't be making this post. However, this election coverage has just about convinced me that there is no truthfulness nor unbiased reporting to be found in the MSM and I know that money is a powerful lure for those with no moral values.
After Fox's shameful performance last nite, I went to bed so disturbed. It seems the entire media may be corrupted beyond what I thought.
The first use of the media I remember was during the Goldwater candidancy. When he had that famous quote on extremism, I absolutely agreed with him. And the press ran with it and destroyed him. I was amazed.
After reading the Helprin note, it occurs to me that they are only evenhanded when dealing with the terrorists and us. Thus the terrorists are called insurgents, etc. They have a moral equivalence of fascism and our form of government.
Fox is no different than any other network, regardless of the commercial position they take as the "voice of the right". The majority of the players, that is, the producers, the writers, the technicians, the commentators, et.al. are products of the "vast left-wing conspiracy" that is our world. Why expect anything different? Fox has just begun to reveal the truth about its own smarmy leftism in an unmistakeable way to its viewers. Surprise, surprise!
I was talking about my awareness of the media, but cerainly our Navy could make one see the light, particulary after a few years of college.
IIRC, there was a brief report a few weeks ago that Indymedia
(Owned by Soros) and CBS were in negotiations to share resources, Indymedia has already been reported to be the farm team for CBS.
Then there was a report yesterday that the Indymedia servers in the UK (Rackspace) were seized by the FBI. The *reasons* put forth by the left were all along the lines of *government supression*. I also read speculation here that there were jihadi sites that used Rackspace.
Why would the left allow a fascist billionaire to get by without one word of expose? It frightens me more than the union thugs and warm body street army of the left.
Well said. You just gave me a new tagline.
"After Fox's shameful performance last nite..."
This morning too. F & F this morning sucked. It took 1 minute to change the channel after Kelly Wright(sp?) called last night a draw; Julian ??? said the debate went to Kerry, etc. Then we were watching CNN until we found MICHELLE MALKIN on C-SPAN. She is excellent!
An "affirmative action" program is needed for the MSM to promote diversity. The minorities grossly underrepresented are conservatives and republicans.
Halperin is a partisan bastard. ABC lies.
Marc Halperin, and his bosses, should all be fired from ABC! This is one more example of Main Stream Media arrogance and hateur! Halperin is telling his staff to go after Bush implying that only he, and his cohorts in the MSM, know what is better for the American people! Some chutzpah, from this little twerp who's grown to big for his britches!!!
Funny you mention that. William Shirer, speaking about the early days of the Nazi Party..
"No other party in Germany came near to attracting so many shady characters. As we have seen, a conglomeration of pimps, murderers, homosexuals, alcoholics and blackmailers flocked to the party as if to a natural haven."
William Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, 30th Anniversary edition, pp 173
I know its pitiful they would sell out our very country to the highest bidder just to enhance their extreme radical views. This is exactly why John Kerry is so scary and the pandering straight faced lies to the American people were somewhat exposed in the debate tonight... I am imploring every voter to look at his senate record and see how he voted and what he stands for before they make the irrevocable mistake of casting their vote for him. He will derail the military, he will remove us from Iraq and then he will claim it a Bush failure , he will weaken Homeland Security in the name of the ACLU and lay our country bare to attack. At that point it will be too late and we will suffer a greater conflagration than 911 and Pearl Harbor combined. Of course this next conflagration will be blamed on Bush and there will be no or limited response because there is no coalition strong enough that could be built to satisfy his need ... Proof his vote against the Gulf War which had the largest coalition in recent history. Nothing no action no matter how bad against the US would ever pass his global test and these irrevocable mistakes will lead to the end of the US as we know it...Be very afraid of this man.
Koppel really dissed Karen Hughes on Nightline afterwards. Hillary was treated with kid gloves and sweetness and light.
CBS = See Bull $#!+
ABC= All Bull Cr@p
Boy, the media is being exposed left, right, and center. Oh wait, that should obviously be left.
But I just got dressed. Does that mean I have to go and put my pajamas back on?
I'm with you. Just tell me what to do. First CBS and now ABC. If we work really hard we can get rid of the mainstream media pretty quickly!
" The task of propaganda does not lie in a scientific education of the individual but in pointing out to the masses definite facts, processes, necessities, etc., the significance of which in this way is first to be brought within the masses' range of vision. "
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