Posted on 10/17/2004 7:52:21 AM PDT by bert
Last weekend the media made great sport of the expressions on President Bush's face during the first presidential debate. Many surmised that he looked irritated because he is unaccustomed to being questioned. Yet a certain media figure has come right out and expressed his annoyance at being questioned. Tom Brokaw, soon-to-retire anchor of NBC Nightly News, has had about all he can stand of media bias activism. One in particular has been irritating enough to be mentioned by name.
"It is a little wearying, but you've got to rise above it and take it case by case. Most of the cases are pretty flimsily made. I'm glad that Peter, Dan, and I have been doing this long enough that we're confident in our own abilities to withstand that. I understand the Rush Limbaughs of the world. I have less trouble with that. That's who he is and what he does -- and he's very skillful at it. Rush has a strong point of view -- and that's fine. What I get tired of is Brent Bozell [president of the Media Research Center] trying to make these fine legal points everywhere every day. A lot of it just doesn't hold up. So much of it is that bias -- like beauty -- is in the eye of the beholder." - NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, interviewed by Jane Hall for Jan/Feb issue of Columbia Journalism Review
MRC CyberAlert, 1/9/04
"(T)here are organized interest groups out there. There's a guy by the name of Brent Bozell, who makes a living at, you know, taking us on every night. He's well-organized, he's got a constituency, he's got a newsletter. He can hit a button and we'll hear from him." - Tom Brokaw, 7/25/04 at a forum on media coverage of the presidential campaign, held by the Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University?s JFK School of Government
MRC CyberAlert, 7/28/04
"But what has happened now, because of the tools that are available, both across the political spectrum from left to right, is that they can in fact enlist constituencies in a way that, I mean Brent Bozell has, you know, an entire organization devoted to doing as much damage, and I choose that word carefully, as he can, to the credibility of the news divisions." - Tom Brokaw, 10/2/04, at a public forum held by the New York City Public Library
MRC CyberAlert, 10/4/04
Horrors! A newsletter and a constituency!
I applaud Mr. Bozell for faithfully and systematically annoying Tom Brokaw. Certainly it is a crowning achievement! But let's turn our attention back to the aggrieved one.
Brokaw's arrogance and egocentricity deafens him to the fact that he sounds like a junior high school drama queen. "He's talking about me. He's writing emails about me. He's questioning my credibility. He wants to hurt me."
Maybe Brokaw should try to give his tormenter less material for the newsletter. Maybe he should step up his efforts to add balance to his newscasts. Ask questions from the right as well as the left and so on. Where would that leave mean ol' Brent Bozell and his constituency, huh? I bet they'd stop talking about Princess Tommy and talk about someone else!
CCRM ping
Good line. LOL!!! That's exactly what these over-hairsprayed spoiled busy body newsreaders are. When are they going to face the truth that their era of big network news is over?
Lately I've noticed on ABC radio news that the broadcaster will use sound bites from Kerry, but for Bush they will restate his words in their own biased manner.
Actually, the networks are getting even more biased and snotty in their absolute support for Kerry. They will use sound bites from Kerry. But for Bush, they will restate his words in any manner form or shape they wish in order to snub him and build up Kerry.
Despicable, but my hopes are that these pompous "prom queens" have had their last dance. They just don't know the band has left the stage.
Mr. Brokaw-your partisanship has cost you your credibility; that's why those who pay attention are suspicious of everything you say. Your motives are always suspect and your effectiveness as a journalist is gone. You're paying the price of picking sides. Retire.
They get everything they deserve!!
He won't ever get better because he doesn't believe that he's biased. He thinks he's straight down the middle, when he's really gay up the left.
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