Sudden MSM Silence: Barbara Walters Refuses to Disclose Her Age

Openness is for other people.

In the wake of the Cheney flap in which the MSM vented its fury over the Veep's failure to disclose facts rapidly enough to suit their taste, and in where even dark cover-up theories were floated, isn't it ironic that an MSM icon has refused to reveal her age, even though that fact was very relevant to the story she was covering?

Barbara Walters has been guest-hosting on Good Morning America this week, and this morning conducted a segment on an index that has been developed that with good accuracy predicts the likelihood of death within four years for people 50 and older.

Walters' guest was GMA Medical Contributor Dr. David Katz. The good doctor had run the index on Barbara, and the happy news is that she is very likely to be with us for some time to come.

But there was one small snag in the doctor's work. He mentioned that Walters had refused to state her age, and that he was forced to estimate it. Now naturally, in predicting the likelihood of surviving the next four years, one's starting age is highly relevant. Even the healthiest octogenarian's odds aren't as good as a 60-year old's.

But Walters was adamant, As the doctor said, Walters had provided him with her relevant life-style information, but not her age, chiding her:

"You're pretty good at covering it up."

Affair of state? Hardly. But surely an ironic MSM double-standard on disclosure.

Finkelstein lives in Ithaca, NY, where he hosts a local TV show 'Right Angle.' Email him at mark@gunhill.net