Update (18:18 EDT): BBC has updated their article to note the Democratic party affiliation in the 3rd graf (link). Our tipster DB informs us that the BBC's North America editor Justin Webb replied to his e-mail with a promise to "try to get it changed."
The BBC initially noted Gov. Eliot Spitzer is a Democrat, in an early draft of an online news article. The mention was in the 6th paragraph. But that stuck for all of 37 minutes as NewsBusters reader DB informs us (screengrabs shown below page break):
The BBC's first draft mentioned that Spitzer was a Democrat in the 6th
para:
http://i27.tinypic.com/20zr48m.jpgThe second draft removed all mention:
http://i31.tinypic.com/2lbfddc.jpg
DB also noted that the BBC has placed Republican Party affiliation in the lede paragraph in political scandal stories where the offenders (Sens. Vitter and Craig) are members of the GOP.:
Compare with BBC coverage of Republican scandals - first paragraph each
time:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6287488.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6969703.stm
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Damage Control...MORE on the way
March 10, 2008 - 16:11 ET by JayTeeGee, this will take the Focus off the Election/Dem Nominees.
The News Cycle MUST report,
If the Condom FITS, you MUST report IT.
Disparities in reporting
March 10, 2008 - 16:15 ET by stratmanDisparities in reporting stories such as this is not Yellow Journalism, it is Propaganda.
RRAM Tough!
stratman... Propaganda is
March 10, 2008 - 16:21 ET by Clear thinkerstratman...
Propaganda is exactly right.
"Abstain from McCain"
Clinton News Network
March 10, 2008 - 16:20 ET by dboIt just keeps getting stupider with the MSM. Just minutes ago I'm watching CNN and Jack Cafferty's Question of the day is about John McCain and his melanoma trouble from 8 years ago! What a wind bag.
I can't believe they
March 10, 2008 - 16:20 ET by goldboughI can't believe they actually take the time out to delete the word "democratic" from their story. I guess we now know if there is no designation then by default they are a democrat.
The liberal MSM in this
March 10, 2008 - 16:29 ET by Clear thinkerThe liberal MSM in this country still follows the tenents of "out of sight, out of mind", and to their credit, I think it's working. Jerks!
We just had a guy call-in to a local talk radio program saying that the party affiliation does not matter one iota, and the media is correct in not including it. Even though our local radio host is a fence sitter he at least had the guts to ask the guy "what if it was a Republican Governor"? The caller said that the media then has a duty to call attention to his party affiliation. When the host asked why, the caller simply said... "because he's a Republican". I hope this idiot is not old enough to vote!
"Abstain from McCain"
Tomorrow it will be forgotten.
March 10, 2008 - 18:07 ET by kg"Forget change, I want improvement!"
The Washington Post...
March 10, 2008 - 16:23 ET by Prester John...got around to mentioning that Spitzer was a Dem in para 6.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/10/AR2008031001482.html?hpid=topnews
Two Post articles I found on Mark Foley mentioned he was a Repub in para 1 and 2, respectively.
Good point.
March 10, 2008 - 16:30 ET by sarcasmoBias can be found not just in whether it's mentioned, but where. Hence the need for a "rule" of style just to identify party & state by abbreviation the first time a politician is mentioned, and preferably as soon as possible in the story. Typing "Elliot Spitzer (D. NY)" is so simple to do that even a nonjournalist like me can sometimes manage it.
JMR
A corruption-story the TV media will-not cover.
peter principle
March 10, 2008 - 16:30 ET by WesenYou gotta feel sorry for the guys wife. She shouldn't have showed up but on the positive side, by the time she's done with him his regular company will be pimps and hos.
Nah, no doubt he's
March 10, 2008 - 17:16 ET by fitzfongNah, no doubt he's scripting his "My truth is" speech as I write. He'll end up becoming a law professor or an Episcopal Minister (I hear those are popular career destinations for shamed former Democrat Governors).
Biased
Backing of
Clinton
He might not be up and around at the moment...
March 10, 2008 - 16:49 ET by sarcasmoBut maybe someone like NB's Jack can somehow cause this bias to be widely noticed in the UK?? I find it disturbing that Journalism 101 bias extends overseas for US politics, but I guess it's typical for the BBC considering their history.
JMR
A corruption-story the TV media will-not cover.
Yo Jack
March 11, 2008 - 05:25 ET by sarcasmoKnow any uncomfortable for the BBC places you might send this info? I wonder if this means our news media's bias also extends to overseas politicians. Spotting such bias might be tough, since I have no clue about most overseas pols.
JMR
A corruption-story the TV media will-not cover.
Yo Yo Sarco!
March 11, 2008 - 05:37 ET by Jack BauerYo Yo Sarco!
Yes.. the best spot is...
http://www.biased-bb...
I've just checking to see if they've picked it up yet. The BBC is totally in the tank for any Democrat.
UPDATE:
No they haven't, and they don't seem to have a h/t facility.
But they do have this intersting thread..
Wow...I hope they see this, then.
March 11, 2008 - 06:00 ET by sarcasmoAnd I've never gotten the exonerate Judas thing.
So far the best political joke IMO has been from Howard Stern. "Hey Jersey!! At least ours wasn't a homo!"
JMR
A corruption-story the TV media will-not cover.
With respect to scandals related to sex
March 10, 2008 - 16:56 ET by NWUndergroundIt is assumed to be a Democrat; unless otherwise noted in the article.
CNN.com Hides The Facts Too.
March 10, 2008 - 17:18 ET by JoelCTThe top story on CNN.com neglects to mention his political affiliation until the very end.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/10/spitzer/index.html
HA! I went back to find exactly where it was, and CNN.com has removed it from their story, too! It is now on a sidebar, buried amongst a list of things he has done:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spitzer facts
Time magazine names Spitzer "Crusader of the Year" during his two terms as New York attorney general.
Tabloids label him "Eliot Ness," because of his reputation for rooting out corruption, busting white-collar criminals and tackling organized crime.
Spitzer is known for prosecuting several prostitution rings.
He attended Princeton and Harvard, then became an assistant district attorney in Manhattan.
He worked for three New York law firms and decided to run in his mid-30s for attorney general.
The first-term Democrat had been considered a rising star in his party.
Spitzer is married and has three daughters.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Their bias is so blatant, it is sickening.
"Spitzer is known for
March 10, 2008 - 17:23 ET by fitzfong"Spitzer is known for prosecuting several prostitution rings."
Actually, CNN transposed the words. It should read: "Spitzer is known for prostituting several prosecution rings."
Snakehead Speaks
March 10, 2008 - 17:24 ET by JoelCTFlipping around on the TV, I saw on CNN that James Carville was offering advice to Spitzer. He said that if all Spitzer did was go to a prostitute a couple of times, he shouldn't resign ("Vitter didn't resign, Craig didn't resign" Carville stated), but instead, he should "go after those who were pushing this story to the front", subtly suggesting the Republicans caused all this mess.
My guess is that Spitzer
March 10, 2008 - 17:37 ET by fitzfongMy guess is that Spitzer will go the McGreevey route...concocting some bogus story in an attempt to make his resignation someone else's fault...demanding that we accept his behavior and give him and his family "the privacy we deserve". Then he'll make a mockery of the scandal by further dragging his wife through the mud (questioning her integrity and fitness as a wife and mother)because the media will accept his account as the final word. If it worked for one sleazebag Democrat Governor, it will work for another.
His Poor Wife
March 10, 2008 - 17:44 ET by JoelCTDid you see his poor wife on TV? How could she stand there beside him like that? He didn't have an affair, these were prostitutes, dang it! She should have castrated him on live TV. The look in her eyes told me that was exactly what she wanted to do. Of course, she's just following the example set by Hillary. It doesn't matter how many women, if it was consensual, assault, or rape, if he is a Democrat in power, honey, Stand By Your Man!
"Sometimes it's hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You'll have bad times
And he'll have good times
Doin things that you don't understand"
- Tammy Wynette
More CNN.com
March 10, 2008 - 17:46 ET by JoelCTI know I am hammering the thread, please don't ban me.
A quick search of Cnn.com for Larry Craig led me to the first story reported on their site when the story broke:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/27/craig.arrest/index.html?iref=newssearch
CNN waited until the second word to mention his political affiliation. Now, that's what I call restraint!
"A Republican senator pleaded guilty earlier this month to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge ..."
In the second story, CNN waited until the second sentence.
Then in the third story, it was back to the first sentence, "Sen. Larry Craig has agreed to temporarily step down as the leading Republican..."
From that point on, CNN always finds a way to mention it in the first sentence in every story:
"Embattled Republican Sen. Larry Craig will announce his resignation from the Senate Saturday, a GOP source in Idaho said Friday." "Sen. Larry Craig said Saturday he will resign, succumbing to rapidly intensifying pressure from within his own Republican Party."
And so on. Why do they even pretend there is no bias any more? Can anyone answer that? They know they're biased, and everyone else knows it, so why do they continue to deny it?