Posted on 04/15/2005 10:04:10 AM PDT by Bubs
Fox News host: Repeat after me
If the conservative guests on Fox News' "Hannity and Colmes" sound especially on-message, that's because they're being coached by the best:
Sean Hannity himself.
On the March 31 installment of the shouting-head show, the guests included two of the late Terri Schiavo's former nurses, Trudy Capone and Carla Sauer Iyer, arguing that their patient wasn't brain-dead.
Between commercials, according to an off-air audiotape obtained by investigative comedian Harry Shearer for last Sunday's episode of his weekly radio program, "Le Show," Hannity coached the women on exactly how to respond when liberal co-host Alan Colmes cross-examined them.
"Just say, 'I'm here to tell what I saw,'" Hannity can be heard instructing his guests. "No matter what the question, 'I'm here to tell you what I saw. I'm here to tell you what I saw.'"
Hannity adds helpfully: "Say, 'I'm not going to be distracted by silliness.' How's that? Does that help you? Look into that camera. Look at me when I'm talking."
On the air, Iyer performs beautifully. "I don't have any opinions or judgments. I was there," she declares
After the segment ends, Hannity gushes off the air to the nurses: "We got the points out. It's hard, this isn't easy. But you did great, both of you. Thank you, guys. Those nurses are powerful, aren't they?"
On his radio show, Shearer injected: "Yeah, especially when they do what you tell 'em to do. Very powerful when they follow instructions from the host!"
A Fox News flack didn't respond to Lowdown's detailed message yesterday.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
Welcome to FR
I don't believe it, sorry ...
I hate Sean Hannity.
i just bet you are.
A gossip blog. How special.
I second that.Welcome to FreeRepublic.com. :)
Oh, balderdash! Hannity merely told people who normally do not apear on television how to get THEIR point across. In no manner did Hannity intruct them as to what the content of their message should be, rather, how they should effectively communicate THEIR message.
Another specious argument by the crack-pot left.
It's called TV "news", that's how TV "news" has always worked, it's about flash and shine not information, flash and shine give ratings.
See the difference? CBS helps Hillary create the substance of her interview; Hannity helps two people with cosmetic matters. So of COURSE FOX is wrong and CBS is right! ;)
And the point is?
Folks are coached all the time before going on the air so they don't stutter, freeze up or mumble. It's common decency to do so.
At no time did he tell them to change their story.
Whatever...
And this is a nothing story because all he did was coach these two on a nothing issue. It'd be different if he told them to report facts as if they were their own; he merely showed two inexperienced guests how to stay on-message; he didn't tell them what that message was.
Nonsense. Hannity and Colmes is not a news show. It is a show that argues opinions.
I don't hate him, but he's a mental midget. He's a parrot who will happily regurgitate the RNC's talking points memo for the day, but in terms of being an intellectual advancing the conservative cause.. hes a lacky.
Medved and Keyes are thinkers... Hannity is just a pretty boy parrot.
I aspire to give everyone a quality zerbert.
We've got another one. I smell ozone....
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