Best-selling author Tom Wolfe made some statements about American journalism last week that would raise a lot of eyebrows in newsrooms around the country if anyone cared to notice.
For instance, he believes "newspapers are declining rapidly," that when a television news outlet does "a big story it`s always wrong," and that Dan Rather and his "60 Minutes" crew were "idiots" for airing the totally erroneous piece in August 2004 about George W. Bush and the National Guard:
They should have looked at the piece of paper. Obviously not written by a typewriter.
What follows is the relevant section of Wolfe's discussion with PBS's Charlie Rose last Wednesday (video available here, relevant section at 33:30, h/t and photo courtesy NY Post):
CHARLIE ROSE: You are at the stage in your fourth decade where people want you to give one last great lecture. I know you do them too. So if you were giving one last lecture about journalism.
TOM WOLFE: About journalism.
CHARLIE ROSE: Not just about finance but about journalism, what would you say because you`ve seen so much of it?
TOM WOLFE: I think what I would say is today as newspapers are declining rapidly, they`re losing money. I would just point out that all news today comes from the newspapers. All of it. Television has never initiated a successful story in its life. When they have a big story it`s always wrong. They had something about Israelis and atomic bombs. Absolutely wrong. They have George Bush being criticized in some letter -- The so- called Dan Rather ...
CHARLIE ROSE: About George Bush`s... How he got into the National Guard.
TOM WOLFE: Right. Idiots. They should have looked at the piece of paper. Obviously not written by a typewriter.
Obvious to most, Tom -- except those in the media and on the far-left who still believe the story.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
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So Crichton's calling out
June 18, 2008 - 11:27 ET by SchnikeysSo Crichton's calling out the global warming BS, and this guy's calling out the media.
Maybe I should read novels more often.
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"It could be the answer to our age-old, philosophical question, 'Why are we here?' PLASTIC!"
I love Tom Wolfe. With
June 18, 2008 - 11:30 ET by Hero SquadI love Tom Wolfe. With him, it was always about getting the story right, and about making it lively and engaging by including those details that make it more realistic. And apparently, he doesn't mince words.
He could turn a run-fo-the-mill township supervisor meeting into a captivating page-turner.
*****
"People only insist that a debate stop when they are afraid of what might be learned if it continues." - George Will
know what i think it is?
June 18, 2008 - 11:43 ET by mister josephI think it's the pendulum swinging. The media's gotten away with so much over the past 30 years that those who really believe(d) in journalistic integrity are now starting to see that, hey, all the once-dismissed right-wing critics are right!
I also think that the lavish praise given to Obama, while annoying, may actually be a massive benefit in the long run in terms of finally opening up the eyes of mainstream media bias.
Obama is better for the country, long-term
June 18, 2008 - 17:02 ET by tony23Which is why I think electing Obama is actually in the best long-term interests of the country.
McCain is not particularly conservative, and won't enact the policies that will really make a difference. Like Bush, he will make it easy for the MSM to blame any problem on him and on the Republicans, and the masses will buy it.
On the other hand, Obama's policies will rapidly tank the country. His economic policies, given the current economic situation, will likely rush us full-speed past a recession right into a depression. His foreign policies will invite renewed terrorist actions - we will probably be attacked again before the end of his first year in office.
Anyone remember the Carter presidency? Obama will make that look like the best four years this country has ever had.
Terrible things to happen - but while all this is going on, the MSM will continue singing his praises - and people might actually see the truth about them. Unlike Carter / Reagan in 1980, the backlash will be accompanied with a backlash against the biased reporting of a media trying to spoon-feed us their propaganda.
Obama sets us up for Republican dominance in 2012, assuming the Republicans can find someone with the balls to stand up. McCain practically guarantees us Hillary in 2012.
I would agree, but...
June 18, 2008 - 18:54 ET by wizardjrIf Barry gets elected several liberal Supremes will retire so he can send up even worse internationalists to the Court. God save us all if that happens. McSame isn't a whole lot better and will kow-tow to the congressional liberals, but his choices will probably be center-left instead of Stalinists.
That's OK if
June 18, 2008 - 19:18 ET by ahusserwe come out the other side of 4 years without irreparable damage. That whatever is done could be undone. We may come out locked into some socialist crap that may take decades to undo if ever. As bad and evil as the Soviet Union was it took over 70 years and countless lives to undo the evil that was instituted. Granted Russia is not the U.S. but just the placement of a couple of Supreme Court Justices by the left wing could be disasterous and who knows what other freedoms, rights and privileges could be lost in the interim. Remember these folks revere such ilk as Che Guevera as their heroes. For some reason the body politic has been leaning leftwise for 40 or more years and there seems to be a need among some to become some socialist paradise/utopia that you or I (except Balboa) know doesn't exist.
sadly, I agree 110%
June 18, 2008 - 19:50 ET by UndercoverConservativewhich is why I'm voting Obama. For exactly the reason you described. the Media will *never* put the blame where it belongs-a plus side to your position is that when the Media tries to snow-job the public into believing "all is well" and it becomes obvious to everyone that they're blatantly lying-then the failure of the Left will take down the leftmedia as well. The only media left standing will be anything that was useful, unbiased, and truthful.
It'll be like cancer surgery. Painful, difficult, and dangerous. But we've let it grow to far and by waiting further we just insure the death of the patient.
"to call an illegal immigrant an "undocumented alien" is the same as calling a streetcorner drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".
Not voting for a foreign policy wimp
June 19, 2008 - 03:35 ET by UnsaneThat's like curing cancer by inflicting a 9mm brain hemmorhage on the patient.
You will never convince me to vote for this wimp; one who has as a potential NSA a man who believes we should base our foreign policy on Winnie the Pooh!!!
Besides, whoever casts a vote for Obama is nothing more than a common thief.
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
I agree Unsane - I can see not voting for McCain but
June 19, 2008 - 09:20 ET by Dee BunkVoting for Obama is bad no matter what. People who can't bring themselves to vote for McCain should vote for Keys or the Libertarian candidate. Obama will probably win anyway, but giving him a bigger margin will only strengthen his mandate.
It would be better if he won with less than 50% of the vote.
"...assuming the Republicans
June 18, 2008 - 20:05 ET by Schnikeys"...assuming the Republicans can find someone with the balls to stand up."
*coughcoughJINDAL,PALIN,ORBARBOURcoughcough*
'Scuse me. Must be allergy season!
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"It could be the answer to our age-old, philosophical question, 'Why are we here?' PLASTIC!"
i somewhat agree with bobby jindal
June 18, 2008 - 21:20 ET by mister josephjindal's too young--he actually pales when compared to Obama in the experince department; McCain would be a fool to pick him now and then run a 'no experience' platform against Obama. let's give him some time to really mature as a politician.
that he's cleaning house in Louisiana is impressive; let's let him finish before we put him in the white house
Precisely. ----------
June 18, 2008 - 22:00 ET by SchnikeysPrecisely.
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"It could be the answer to our age-old, philosophical question, 'Why are we here?' PLASTIC!"
That's what we need!
June 18, 2008 - 11:44 ET by MeanderingThat's right Tom! We need more people to stand up against the left-wing news rooms. They are biased and only present their liberal point of view as being the norm! We need more people to come out against this style of "journalism" and get back to reporting unbiased news.
Read the synopsis for
June 18, 2008 - 11:55 ET by SickofLibsRead the synopsis for Wolfe's 1987 'Bonfire of the Vanities'. The central character is a washed-up reporter who fabricates things to further his own agenda.
Fast forward 17 years. Sound familiar, Dan?
SOL - Bonfire of the Vanities
June 18, 2008 - 12:14 ET by Dee BunkIs one of my favorite books. I liked the movie too. Wolfe is a great writer. I'm glad he's not an over the top leftist extremist.
That book is one of my
June 18, 2008 - 15:23 ET by mjgThat book is one of my favorites too. Good for Tom for saying it like it is.
The only thing I have to
June 18, 2008 - 11:58 ET by charlietexasThe only thing I have to add to Mr Wolfe about the 60 mins is...........................DUH...........
MOM
Radical Chic
June 18, 2008 - 12:22 ET by i b squidlyWolfe coined the term when Ayers and Dorn were in the long grass and Wright was getting started. I'd like to hear an update.
First, kill all the lawyers.
-Wlm Shakespear
Pendulums
June 18, 2008 - 12:25 ET by okiehawk44Just maybe the pendulum of all-things-liberal-all-the-time is beginning to make a tiny little swing?
The poll yesterday that showed the very narrow spread between President-Elect Obama and that Republican guy what's-his-name?
WOW! We get no press and run an absolute joke as our nominee and he's tied with the media annointed Lord and Personal Savior.
He's wrong. They're not
June 18, 2008 - 12:44 ET by mattmHe's wrong. They're not idiots who made a mistake, they're charlatans who deliberately engage in smear campaigns while posing as journalists.
Idiots
June 18, 2008 - 13:24 ET by ScrapironFirst, kill all the lawyers.
-Wlm Shakespear
I second old Wlm., that would automatically take care of most of the 'idiots' in congress.
Old, Retired and glad of it.
Bonfire of the Vanities is a
June 18, 2008 - 13:41 ET by suzycreamcheeseBonfire of the Vanities is a great American novel. It should be taught in high schools and colleges all over the nation. Glad to see a favorite author speak some common sense.
heresy, I say heresy
June 18, 2008 - 19:00 ET by wizardjrMaya Angelou and company are the only legitimate writers in whole world. I mean where were we before The Vagina Monologues showed up? Well, we were stuck with old dead white men like Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson, Aeschylus, Plato, etc.