During a breaking news brief on Friday’s Newsroom program, CNN anchor Kyra Phillips failed to identify the party affiliation of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, a Democrat, who earlier in the day had been indicted on 12 counts related to a corruption probe by Maryland state officials. She did identify Dixon as “the first woman to serve as the city’s mayor” and “the first African-American female to serve as that city’s mayor.”
Phillips began the brief with a lament over corruption in politics in general: “Oh, as if we don’t have enough public corruption within our politics to report, we’ve got another piece of news that [is] just developing right now.” She then reported that the Baltimore mayor had been “indicted on public corruption...12 counts, I’m told -- perjury, theft, misconduct in office.” After describing some of the circumstances into the multi-year investigation, she continued her lament by focusing on the prestige of Dixon: “It’s a shame -- Mrs. Dixon was the first woman to serve as the city’s mayor -- also the -- you know, the first African-American female to serve as that city’s mayor.” The mayor’s Democratic affiliation was neither mentioned by Phillips during her brief, nor by CNN’s on-screen graphics.
The Baltimore Sun filed a breaking news report by Annie Linskey and Julie Bykowicz on their website on Friday which identified the mayor as a Democrat in the fourth paragraph. The report also gave additional details into the indictment:
Dixon was charged with perjury, theft, fraudulent misappropriation and misconduct, stemming in part from gifts she received from former boyfriend and developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, who was also charged earlier this week.
Dixon, a Democrat, has been the target of a nearly three-year probe by State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh into corruption at City Hall, an investigation that has centered on allegations that Dixon has used her office to award lucrative contracts to various people including her sister, her then-boyfriend and her former campaign chairman....
Some of the charges center on gift cards that Dixon received from two real estate developers. According to the indictment, Dixon told one of the developers that the gift cards were going to be distributed to needy families in Baltimore. Prosecutors say that in December 2005, when Dixon was City Council president, she used 19 of 20 Best Buy gift cards for herself, purchasing personal items, including a digital camcorder, a PlayStation 2 and other electronics.
Prosecutors say that in December 2006, she used Old Navy, Best Buy and other gift cards intended for needy families for an Xbox 360, a PlayStation Portable, clothes and other items for her own use....
The full transcript of Phillips’ brief, which aired 25 minutes into the 2 pm Eastern hour of Friday’s Newsroom program:
(CNN CAPTION: “Baltimore Mayor Indicted: Sheila Dixon indicted on 12 counts, including perjury and theft”)
KYRA PHILLIPS: Oh, as if we don’t have enough public corruption within our politics to report, we’ve got another piece of news that [is] just developing right now. This out of Baltimore -- the Baltimore mayor indicted on public corruption. It happened today -- 12 counts, I’m told -- perjury, theft, misconduct in office. What had happened back in 2008 -- we had reported a two-year state investigation that had been going on into her spending practices there in Baltimore, and then a raid had happened in her home. We’re talking about Mayor Sheila Dixon, and apparently it was one of the most aggressive moves when that investigation was taking place. That’s when we knew something was about to happen, and it was going to get much bigger than folks had expected. They had taken just boxes and boxes of papers out of her home. It’s a shame -- Mrs. Dixon was the first woman to serve as the city’s mayor -- also the -- you know, the first African-American female to serve as that city’s mayor. And now, today she was indicted on perjury, theft, and misconduct in office.
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Business as usual with the
January 9, 2009 - 16:03 ET by bigtimerBusiness as usual with the leftist arm of the dem party when it comes to the msm using the bull-horn.
Party affiliation and the words Culture of Corruption only are used if there is an "R" to be applied with the story.
Nope, no bias or hypocrisy here.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
CNN !!!! The most trusted name in news
January 9, 2009 - 16:09 ET by sccWhat's new !!!!!!
It's a Given
January 9, 2009 - 16:14 ET by considerthisMaybe it has become so common now that if there is a corruption charge, the public is just supposed to assume it's a Democrat unless told otherwise. :)
Saves on words for the reporters. They have to watch those budgets these days...
OT: Obama mother-in-law to join family in White House
January 9, 2009 - 16:49 ET by krendlerOT and falling under the category of WTF:
Obama mother-in-law to join family in White House
http://news.yahoo.co...
oh really CNN?
January 9, 2009 - 16:52 ET by candanceas if we don’t have enough public corruption within our politics to report
Let's recap:
Blagojevich - Democrat
Emanuel - Democrat
Burris - Democrat
Dixon - Democrat
Kilpatrick - Democrat
Hmmm, whatever happened to the American people being tired of a party tolerating a culture of corruption? Whatever happened to the long term effects such scandals have on a party's brand name? Whatever happened to party leadership being asked what they knew and when they knew it?
I'm a typical white person.
Isn't this MSM policy...
January 9, 2009 - 17:18 ET by retroconReporting policy 3.5.8.10.12.15
Policy pertaining to the identification of party affiliation when reporting on political scandal or corruption.
Applicable Delivery Channels: All (newspaper, television, internet)
A policy in two parts:
Part A) Republican Party Affiliation:
When reporting on corruption or scandal where a Republican is the target of an investigation or accusation, always identify said individual with and (R), preferably in bold letters after their name. In verbal reporting, repeat the party affiliation whenever the individual, or the individuals position or state of origin is named, and in conjunction with terms the terms "corruption, "scandal," and "indictment." For example. "Republican John Doe, the senior Illinois Republican senator, was caught in yet another Republican scandal."
When reporting on corruption or scandal where a Republican is investigating, exposing, or identifying said corruption or scandal, omit the Republican label. It is acceptable to identify them with a (D) in this case, as long the situation would not require a formal correction or retraction.
Part B) Democrat Party Affiliation:
When reporting on corruption or scandal where a Democrat is the target of an investigation or accusation, never identify said individual with a (D) after their name. In verbal reporting, do not state the party affiliation, and edit any references of affiliation from comments taken by non-media personnel. Avoid interviews with Republicans or conservative interest groups whereever possible. It is acceptable to identify them with an (R) in print, or as a Republican in verbal reporting, as long the situation would not require a formal correction or retraction.
When reporting on corruption or scandal where a Democrat is investigating, exposing, or identifying said corruption or scandal, clearly identify the (D) party affiliation. In verbal reporting, repeat the party affiliation whenever the individual, or the individuals position or state of origin is named, and in conjunction with terms such as "investigating," "uncovering," and "indicting." For example. "Democrat Congressperson Jane Doe, the senior California Democrat, has uncovered yet another Republican scandal, initiating another Democrat driven investigation into the Republican culture of corruption."
Read the manual!
Perhaps, retrocon...
January 9, 2009 - 18:55 ET by Jeryou should send AP and msnbc.com a copy of the manual and advise them of their egregious violation of policy 3.5.8.10.12.15 by identifying the party affiliation of the mayor.
Jer
well...
January 11, 2009 - 12:05 ET by retroconThey slip occasionally :-o
Or is it that 5 or 10% of those reporting actually went to journalism school before they were all taken over by Pravda's 1970's vintage editorial staff.
sheila the shoe
January 9, 2009 - 17:42 ET by tonemeisterif only she would take our piece of crap governor with her to prison.
You said it.
January 9, 2009 - 21:59 ET by KimberlyYou said it. Of course, since he's a former Baltimore mayor, it's a given that he was involved in corruption.
Baltimore politics primer: A Baltimore mayor is almost always a (D), so it's a given that reports think nothing of not identifying her political party. Heck, it'd be actual news if Baltimore had a (R) mayor these days.
Oh, and Baltimore mayors and corruption go hand in hand. The only rarity is she got indicted.
...so it's a given that
January 9, 2009 - 23:13 ET by Jer...so it's a given that reports think nothing of not identifying her political party.
Apparently, AP and msnbc.com thought otherwise.
Jer
Saw that one
January 10, 2009 - 00:57 ET by RiharAP/msnbc.com did find time to put it below the ad in paragraph six and never mention it again. Think I'm being picky? how about this one? Paragraph two, above the fold/ad and labeled multiple times hence.
Keep in mind that in my part of the country even the dogcatchers are labeled politically. Unless they're a Democrat.
I have more examples if that's not enough.
When a liberal speaks, the truth is busy elsewhere.
Keep in mind that in my
January 10, 2009 - 19:44 ET by JerKeep in mind that in my part of the country even the dogcatchers are labeled politically. Unless they're a Democrat.
I have more examples if that's not enough.
Okay, give me an example of a scandal-marred Republican-labeled dogcatcher. [Just kidding of course...unless you really do have an example handy.]
Think I'm being picky?
Yes. Tom Delay--who relished "The Hammer" appellation--was a national figure (United States congressman) whose notoriety and activities were of national interest. The mayor of Baltimore?--not so much.
Furthermore, as I've noted on several occasions, politicians at the national level, e.g. US senators and representatives are usually [although not always] identified by party. This is not the case with regard to state and local officials--whether Republican or Democrat--but there are certainly exceptions.
My argument is, and has been, simply this: There may very well be a discrepancy in the reporting of party affiliation, but I believe the discrepancy--if it exists--to be far less than that which is continually portrayed on the pages of NewsBusters.
Jer
Hmmm.
January 9, 2009 - 18:22 ET by RiharHas anyone ever seen Sheila Dixon and Michael Jackson in the same place at the same time?
When a liberal speaks, the truth is busy elsewhere.
Question...
January 9, 2009 - 18:35 ET by unkeeafI may have come up with a realistic way to prove liberal bias. Here is my theory: Someone at NB would have to do some research, but tally the total number of politicians who have gotten themselves into hot water over the last three years. Look up the relevant news stories about their plight from national news outlets and tally the number of times that major news organizations identified the politicians party affiliations. We all know how this would look in the end (100% R - 25% D), however, it would create a compelling matrix that might get the average citizens attention.
I'm open to suggestions on improving this concept.
MSM = PR firm for the Democrat Party
hard numbers
January 9, 2009 - 18:49 ET by RiharI've always considered NB sort of a longitudinal study on the subject. However to your point the conclusions have not been published in a year end edition like NB does with quotes from MSM bozos.
I think it would be good to have a wrap-up like that. One way to start would be to cut and paste the articles in Word (or whatever you have) and save them in a "R" and "D" file.
When a liberal speaks, the truth is busy elsewhere.
Sorry
January 9, 2009 - 18:53 ET by RiharOops.
Newsbusters always seems to load pages slower than any other site with me and I guess I just got impatient and kept hitting "post".
If a moderator could delete the duplicates, that'd be great.
When a liberal speaks, the truth is busy elsewhere.
shocker
January 9, 2009 - 18:47 ET by sawing battawhere is Nancy Pelosi's "culture of corruption"?
Hello? Nancy? you there??
Yup, I bet if she had saved
January 9, 2009 - 19:28 ET by mostlymoderateYup, I bet if she had saved a falling child from a skyscraper window they would have said DEMOCRAT SAVES FALLING CHILD! But they would never mention the D word when a politician is acting badly.
Game to play
January 9, 2009 - 20:25 ET by clubchamp6I have been meaning to take the time to do this myself. But heah if I can pull a TomSawyer and make game out of it why not. Lets start making a list of all the Democrats who are in scandal, short description of the scandal and or democrats who have ties to lobbyist/business that put them in a Conflict of Interest position. I will start:
My favorite
Christopher J.Dodd - Democrat CT Chairman Senate Banks Committee Recieved special treatment from CountryWide Mortgage Defended Fannie and Freddie with Barney Frank http://www.youtube.c...
CNN is being dishonest
January 10, 2009 - 00:54 ET by TN MomCNN is being dishonest (D)!!!
I Lived in Baltimore for 8
January 10, 2009 - 03:05 ET by Radar_OneI Lived in Baltimore for 8 years...this is common practice there. When Ed Norris was Commissioner of BPD he stole 140k from the widows and orphans fund to go to NYC and try to get "top cops" to join BPD. He had 6 executive protection teams (3 plus police officers and drivers) to take care of him, his wife, and his friends and mistresses...yes he had more than one mistress.
THIS IS POLITICS IN BALTIMORE ALWAYS HAS BEEN ALWAYS WILL BE....
People wonder why Baltimore is called the city that bleeds....its because the city gov't spends money on ITSELF not no crime fighting rehab for drug abusers or fot its schools or jails. How are you going to stop crime when you don't pay to fix the jails or pay the police department.
ALSO...don't get me started with Fire Dep't. Couple years ago FD ran an academy of all white men...the ACLU sued them...NONE of the african americans, asians, or hispanics or FEMALES even passed the MINIMUM testing or requirments to be on BFD. SO...the ACLU won, and 12 TOTALLY unqualified people got onto the FD.
THATS B'more in a nutshell....a total SNAFU
Barack Obama= Half Honkey...ALL Donkey
Radar
January 10, 2009 - 09:47 ET by NorthCoasterWe can only hope that the stars align so that these unqualified individuals come to the rescue of the enablers............. God sometimes works in mysterious ways.
Mayor Dixon is a victim!
January 10, 2009 - 10:08 ET by ChrisMillsSo says the rediculous local news we have here in Maryland. They devoted a large chunk of their broadcast to her manipulative attorney and showed exactly zero of the view on the other side. Apparently it's OK for Dixon to solicit for the gift cards for the needy and use a big percentage of them on her own Christmas shopping. Of course, he forgot to mention the six of so other counts against her. It will be fun to watch her career crash and burn for all that she did...
She's not the only one indicted
January 10, 2009 - 10:31 ET by ericdonderoA Democrat City Councilwoman, real firebrand, who is a friend of hers, also got an indictment over the bribery affair.
And her lawyer boyfriend, Lipscomb (sp?), is also under investigation.
This is a huge story. Promises to explode Maryland politics wide-open. Who knows where this is going to lead. She's facing 85 years! in prison if convicted. My bet, she's gonna start signing like a canary to Prosecutors to get a lighter sentence, and in the process, take down a whole bunch of MD Democrat politicians with her.
Elijah? Steny? Even the Gov. Marty O'Malley??
Eric at Libertarian Republican blog
→ Won't happen
January 10, 2009 - 10:37 ET by Cool ArrowThis one goes under the rug quickly.
Take a look at this woman. She's smaller fish than William Jefferson.
Stealing from poor people is as much a sacrament as abortion to Dems.
You have to forgive Kyra
January 10, 2009 - 11:38 ET by fitzfongYou have to forgive Kyra Phillips for leaving out such an important detail...her mind was otherwise occupied.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
Democrat Party Corruption
January 10, 2009 - 18:40 ET by TigerCan't we just call the Democrat Party what it really is? Organized crime posing as a political party.
Tiger... Bulls-Eye! "Ame
January 10, 2009 - 18:49 ET by bigtimerTiger...
Bulls-Eye!
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
"Organized"? Well, at
January 10, 2009 - 19:03 ET by Jer"Organized"? Well, at least we're making progress. Will Rogers once quipped: "I don't belong to an organized political party. I'm a Democrat."
Jer
→ Jer
January 10, 2009 - 19:06 ET by Cool ArrowWill Rogers never met this Democrat Party
Right Cool... HIS Democrats
January 10, 2009 - 19:54 ET by JerRight Cool...
HIS Democrats were those New Deal 'Marxists'.
Jer
→ Jer
January 10, 2009 - 20:01 ET by Cool ArrowI'm middle class, blue collar.
I don't think Will Rogers would want to steal from me.
I don't think Will Rogers would let these idiots create a tax avenue like Global Warming.
I don't think Will Rogers would be in favor of starving people to death just to feel better about what he puts in his gas tank.
And I don't know, but I hope Will Rogers wouldn't call for us to cut and run from Iraq.
Maybe I'm wrong about Will Rogers, but I'm not wrong about Democrats.
Cool... I think you're
January 10, 2009 - 20:13 ET by JerCool...
I think you're right about Rogers, wrong about Democrats [or I wouldn't be one].
Jer
→ One at a time
January 10, 2009 - 20:18 ET by Cool ArrowCool... Assuming you are
January 10, 2009 - 20:42 ET by JerCool...
Assuming you are referring to ethanol...
--I have no idea
--Not necessarily
--Not necessarily
Wasn't Bob Dole known as Senator Ethanol? Also, what is your sense of the prevailing sentiment in the midwestern "breadbasket" regarding the issue?
Jer
What I still don't get is
January 11, 2009 - 14:10 ET by RR GOPWhat I still don't get is who is till brave/dumb enough out there to investigate these Democrats? Don't they know they'll have millions of Liberals mad at them?
Maybe the fact that there still are those out there not afraid indicates that all is not lost as far as our country's concerned.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.