Posted on 09/11/2005 11:16:29 AM PDT by jmc1969
NBC's Brian Williams says the lasting legacy of Hurricane Katrina for journalists may be the end of an unusual four-year period of deference to people in power.
There were so many angry, even incredulous, questions put to Bush administration officials about the response to Katrina that the Salon Web site compiled a "Reporters Gone Wild" video clip. Tim Russert, Anderson Cooper, Ted Koppel and Shepard Smith were among the stars.
The mute button seemingly in place since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has been turned off.
"By dint of the fact that our country was hit we've offered a preponderance of the benefit of the doubt over the past couple of years," the "Nightly News" anchorman said. "Perhaps we've taken something off our fastball and perhaps this is the story that brings a healthy amount of cynicism back to a news media known for it."
Hundreds of reporters, in all media, did heroic work on the Gulf Coast in the deadly storm's aftermath. None arguably was as financially and symbolically important to his company as the job turned in by Williams.
Williams said he sensed trouble brewing already that Sunday, Aug. 28. At the Superdome, he saw National Guardsman barking orders at people seeking shelter, and patting down small children and the elderly for weapons. The crowd was angry about being forced to stand in line in the rain even though there was a large overhang a few yards away, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at tuscaloosanews.com ...
The media can't deal with the fact that this storm destroyed three American cities, and in two of the three the governors ordered in the national guard and the local people went immediately to work rescuing their neighbors and chainsawing the fallen trees and digging their way out of the rubble.
Only in one of the three did the society collapse, the people turn on each other, the people turn on their rescuers, the governor sealed the victims in and the rescuers out. Only one. And the people who did this think we should put them in charge of the whole country.
Forging documents to attempt to cause the defeat of a sitting president running for re-election is deference? Asking the president to apologize for weeks was deference? What are these people on?
In other words: Open season for the Bush haters.
Piffle. They've been absolutely ugly to conservatives since 2000.
-There were so many angry, even incredulous, questions put to Bush administration officials...-
Yes, by angry stupid lefties with a severe case of the vapors.
Time for the SALON STOCK DEATHWATCH again:
Maybe some monied Rats will bail them out of bankruptcy once again...
Bush's numbers will recover from this mess and then Williams will be off looking for another reason to take the gloves off. Sheeesh, he'll be like a Urologist after a taco eating contest.
If you are still watching the MSM your a democrat or a masochist.Who the blank is bryan williams?
GENERAL HONORE: That is BS. I will take that on behalf of every first responder down there. It is BS, I will not defuse where the Congressman may have got that from or if he had a personal answer, but I can tell you that, that is BS
Does anyone take these preening, self-important buffoons or the questions they ask seriously?
Gloves off? Won't their little hands get too rough?
With quick reconsideration, I say to Brian Williams and his friends, have at it. If you think they've deferred to Bush, let loose. Be as vicious as you can possibly be. Foam at the mouth. Be Michael Moore. As if you haven't already done so. Really, in all seriousness, do so.
I beg of you to do.
Then you won't be a threat in '08. You'll have destroyed whatever essence of credibility you still retained. So bring it on and finish yourselves off. I welcome it.
Brian Williams...isn't he the one that looks like he just came off the ski slopes? You know...color all over except around his eyes where sunglasses or goggles would have been? I wonder...does he pay to have someone give him that look or ... does Bri go skiing everyday somewhere and then come back to his desk? Just curious. Someone shoujld tell him that look is passe just the way he too is passe.
Translation: "We finally have the opening we've been begging for so that we can to go to bat for our party and smear Bush, big time."
"Perhaps we've taken something off our fastball and perhaps this is the story that brings a healthy amount of cynicism back to a news media known for it."
The MSM doesn't lack for cynicism, it lacks honesty.
bump with no comment
The first attacks go back further than that. While he was still governor and the campaign was on, we heard how "bloodthirsty" he was because of all of the people on death row who were being executed.
They didn't get there overnight. Capital punishment was log jammed in the state. There were executions under "Not MY Ma" Richards(D) too.
I'm still waiting for a response to an e-mail I sent to NBC specifically aimed at pompous Mr. Williams.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.