Posted on 05/19/2008 1:11:05 PM PDT by WesA
The White House on Monday sent a scathing letter to NBC News, accusing the news network of deceptively editing an interview with President Bush on the issue of appeasement and Iran.
At issue were remarks Bush made in front of Israel's parliament earlier this week.
Specifically, White House counselor Ed Gillespie laments that the network edited the interview in a way that is clearly intended to give viewers the impression that [Bush] agreed with [correspondent Richard Engel's] characterization of his remarks when he explicitly challenged it.
This deceitful editing to further a media-manufactured storyline is utterly misleading and irresponsible and I hereby request in the interest of fairness and accuracy that the network air the Presidents responses to both initial questions in full on the two programs that used the excerpts, said Gillespie in the letter to NBC News President Steve Capus.
Gillespie used the opportunity to also inquire whether NBC News still believes that Iraq is in the midst of a civil war. In November 2006, the network decided to label the infighting in the country a civil war.
I noticed that around September of 2007, your network quietly stopped referring to conditions in Iraq as a civil war, Gillespie wrote. Is it still NBC Newss carefully deliberated opinion that Iraq is in the midst of a civil war? If not, will the network publicly declare that the civil war has ended, or that it was wrong to declare it in the first place?
Gillespie also hit NBC News on its reporting on the state of the economy.
Im sure you dont want people to conclude that there is really no distinction between the news as reported on NBC and the opinion as reported on MSNBC, despite the increasing blurring of those lines, Gillespie concluded. I welcome your response to this letter, and hope it is one that reassures your broadcast networks viewers that blatantly partisan talk show hosts like Christopher Matthews and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC dont hold editorial sway over the NBC network news division.
Why???
Because MurryMom just woke up and decided to post on FR today her trimonthly BS. She's hitting a lot of threads today, but will soon disappear for a few months.
Hi MurryMom.
FMCDH(BITS)
Thanks...I thought it was a guest appearance by Flo.
u so funneh!!1!
Of course, the vehicle would also be some hybrid or Geo Metro...
Nah..remember? McCain says no negative campaigning and no fighting.
President Obama
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802313.html
Feud Fuels Bill O’Reilly’s Blasts at GE
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 19, 2008; A01
Bill O’Reilly, the Fox News star, is mounting an extraordinary televised assault on the chief executive of General Electric, calling him a “pinhead” and a “despicable human being” who bears responsibility for the deaths of American soldiers in Iraq.
On the surface, O’Reilly’s charges revolve around GE’s history of doing business with Iran. But the attacks grow out of an increasingly bitter feud between O’Reilly and the company’s high-profile subsidiary, NBC, one that has triggered back-channel discussions involving News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, NBC chief executive Jeff Zucker and General Electric’s CEO, Jeffrey Immelt.
Ailes called Zucker on his cellphone last summer, clearly agitated over a slam against him by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann. According to sources familiar with the conversation, Ailes warned that if Olbermann didn’t stop such attacks against Fox, he would unleash O’Reilly against NBC and would use the New York Post as well.
Both Fox and the Post are owned by Murdoch, who complained about Olbermann’s conduct in separate calls to Zucker and Immelt.
The high-level appeals failed, and O’Reilly has escalated his criticism of GE in recent weeks, declaring, “If my child were killed in Iraq, I would blame the likes of Jeffrey Immelt.”
snip
CNN just reported on this; apparently NBC has issued a response to the letter...something like: “We are a free press and the White House has NO editorial control over our interview” (that is a paraphrase of what I think I heard). CNN said the story is NOT over .. so there should be more coverage of it.
I’m glad about that. I hope the White House goes after the press during the remainder of the Bush Presidency. The media has been completely irresponsible in their “reportage” of the whole Bush presidency, with NBC in the lead on the propaganda.
I haven’t seen it reported on Fox News yet; but I’m hoping that Bill O’Reilly goes after NBC big time on it; this is right up his alley.
Thanks for Posting the Pictures of:
Three Nothing But Crap Idiots!!!
You also got to use the word "lerger" ;)
It’s about time — in fact, it’s long past time!
That would pretty much comport with their adolescent worldview. And yours too.
Exactly. They always go to the networks. They NEVER learn
Brian Williams - boring to look at...boring to listen to. Just plain BORING!!!
Just in case anyone missed it.
I wonder what GE’s stock price would do if the Defense Department canceled all contracts with them.
Dear MurryMom, Some people should not confirm they are fools by expressing such thoughts that may confirm what others may consider to confirm their opinions.:-)
Too little, too late.
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.