Newsweek's Adler: Journalists Don't Like Assange Because They 'Refuse to Engage in Advocacy'
In his January 4 article, "Why Journalists Aren't Standing Up for WikiLeaks," Newsweek's Ben Adler offers three reasons, the first of which is quite risible given the media's persistent advocacy for ObamaCare in the year past:
So why are American journalists hesitant to speak up for Assange? There are essentially three reasons.
1. Refusal to engage in advocacy: American journalists, unlike many of their foreign counterparts, have a strong commitment to objectivity and nonpartisanship...
Adler went on to list "opposition to Assange's purpose" and "opposition to Assange's methods" as the other two reasons.
The Newsweek writer didn't examine the notion that perhaps the media are chagrined that Assange's document dump is a massive political and diplomatic headache for President Obama, whom the media generally favor.
Had the WikiLeaks document dump happened on George W. Bush's watch and the former commander-in-chief pursued legal action, would the mainstream media have had the same reticence in defending Assange?
It's a question worth considering, but one unfathomable to reporters like Adler who think the media are above partisan advocacy.
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Comments
Isn't Newsweek solely
Submitted by Darasen on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:01pm.
Isn't Newsweek solely controlled by the left for the purpose of spreading the liberal gospel?
The MSM may be worried about a bigger threat . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:01pm.
. . . the possibility that some insider somewhere will pass EMails and other correspondence onto Assange which prove that they are in cahoots with the Democratic Party and especially the White House.
They saw what happened to the AGW campaign when the University of East Anglia/CRU internal EMails were exposed, and they fear a similar situation.
"American journalists, unlike
Submitted by Ruths husband Ben on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:01pm.
"American journalists, unlike many of their foreign counterparts, have a strong commitment to objectivity and nonpartisanship..."Yeah, that must be it. Objectivity and nonpartisanship. The watchwords of the American JournOlist.
Objectivity and
Submitted by ironchefofmunchies on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:12pm.
Objectivity and nonpartisanship.
Sure if the "objective" is the complete implementation of the liberal agenda and "nonpartisanship" is the extinction of both the Republican and Tea parties.
THAT is what American journalism has come to in 2011.
Spit out my drink..
Submitted by heathme on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:30pm.
I almost spit my drink out when I read this:
"American journalists, unlike many of their foreign counterparts, have a strong commitment to objectivity and nonpartisanship.."You have got to be kidding me. These people actually believe this stuff...
These people actually believe this stuff...
Submitted by Boudin on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 2:25pm.
No, they want you to believe it!
Oh my...
Submitted by falcon on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:32pm.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
{gasp}
Oh, my...okay...{deep breath}...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Gawd, my sides are splitting!
“I will not stand by and watch this great country destroy itself under mediocre leadership, that drifts from one crisis to the next, eroding our national will and purpose.” – Ronald Reagan, July 17, 1980.
Sad
Submitted by Spoker on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:43pm.
The really sad thing is that there is no doubt that most of today's 'journalists' have convinced themselves that this is true in spite of massive amounts evidence to the contrarily.
Newsweek... Pathetic
Submitted by Six String Spiff on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 2:14pm.
Oh! oh! oh! I'm a magazine too!
Please. I bet Newsweeks has more pages in it's publication than actual readers.
OMGosh! Is there no end to
Submitted by ROSIE RIGHT on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 2:22pm.
OMGosh! Is there no end to their Twilight Zone comments?
It no wonder why libtards are economically challenged
Submitted by Boudin on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 2:37pm.
It is obvious that the new owners of this rag dont understand why the previous owners failed.
Libtards=insane, or just plain stupid
Ben Adler is right
Submitted by Dave. on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 3:20pm.
A true journalist would never be an advocate.
But Adler and his ilk aren't journalists.
They are propaganda hacks for the socialist left.
And I'm not sure I'm buying that the American media is upset with with Assange because of the harm these leaks have caused Obama, as they harmed America far more, and these puke's hatred for America trumps their love for Obama.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
His conclusion
Submitted by HockeyKid on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 3:25pm.
is as laughable as his premise. Show me ONE article in the maintream media condemning WikiLeaks or Julian Assclown.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Amusing
Submitted by esperanza4 on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 4:01pm.
It's only January 4th, and that's already one of the best quotes of the year. Adler is drinking the Kool Aid his publication creates....amazing. I am no fan of the Wikileaks fellow. He appears to be an intelligent, moneymaking, lowlife...w/a lot of leaked files in hand. However, Elsberg was applauded for leaking documents at the highest level, those who leaked to the NY Times re: Iraq against Bush & Cheney & the troops were called heroic, those who leak things against Israel normally are considered brave whistleblowers. But, now, this guy is a criminal?
Advocacy? Come on Mr. Adler, watch PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, read The NYT, LAT, anything....and it's advocacy galore, presented as 'news'. Newsweek soon to be part of the Tina Brown family of gotcha glitzy journalism....yeah,right.
Let me know when Newsweek presents a cover story, on what is Liberalism? The Failures of Liberals? The Demise of the Democratic Party after the 2010 election?
As if it makes a difference
Submitted by CobraMan on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 4:24pm.
Ok, the "journalists" don't "stand up" for the guy, they just print everything he posts on WikiLeaks.
Similar to the "fence" who deals in stolen property, the journalists may be disreputable for dealing in stolen property, but at least they're honorable by not stealing the property themselves, right? Isn't moral relativism fun?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Well at least when News -
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 4:33pm.
Well at least when News - weak folds for good next Summer, this guy has a promising future in Stand Up comedy.
Barack_Must_Go.....
Refusal to engage in
Submitted by Rusty Shackleford on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 5:26pm.
Refusal to engage in advocacy: American journalists, unlike many of their foreign counterparts, have a strong commitment to objectivity and nonpartisanship.. <br><br><br>It sounds like somebody's getting an early start on securing their The Best Notable Quotables 2011 nominations.
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Chris Matthews: The Joy Behar of MSNBC.
Bill Maher: The Joy Behar of HBO.
Paul Krugman: The Joy Behar of The New York Times.
JournOlist
Submitted by BW222 on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 6:38pm.
Ben Adler was JournOlist member. So much for this lying sack of sh!t and journOlists not being advocates.
Assange scooped them.
Submitted by drsamherman on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 9:02pm.
I don't consider Assange a journalist, nor do I consider journalists anything but parasites. That being said, Assange scooped them and they can't stand it.
Aside from all the absurdity
Submitted by Chris Norman on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 10:19pm.
Aside from all the absurdity issuing from Adler, if journalists don't ndeed not "like" the strange Assange, it's only because he leaked the stuff during the Obama Administration. If Assange had done it during the Bush Administration, the MSM would be busy be giving him a ticker tape parade.