Gawker Writer Scolds CBS News Correspondent for Blaming Network's Slow Weinergate Response on Breitbart
Old and new media clashed on CNN's "Reliable Sources" Sunday.
After CBS News Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes blamed Andrew Breitbart for her network's slow response to the ongoing Weinergate scandal, Gawker staff writer Maureen O'Connor said, "I think even if that's the case, it was very quickly that you could have looked into this story and verified it for yourself" (video follows with trancript and commentary):
HOWARD KURTZ, HOST: So what about Jeff’s point, I mean, did this deserve air time on the CBS Evening News or not?
NANCY CORDES, CBS NEWS CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we actually didn't cover it on Saturday, on Sunday, on Monday, on Tuesday because there were a lot of red flags to the story. As you have pointed out as well.
KURTZ: Maybe he was a victim.
CORDES: Maybe he was a victim. He insisted from the very beginning he had nothing to do with this, it was a prank. The person who reported it, Andrew Breitbart, has a history of taking Democrats out of context and smearing them. The person who discovered this…
KURTZ: That was not the case here though.
CORDES: The person who discovered the tweet, except, but that was a reason people were going slow on the story.
KURTZ: So, you were wary?
CORDES: We were wary?
Moments later, Gawker’s O’Connor struck back:
KURTZ: Maureen, do you see a serious side to this outside the world of Gawker, or is this story kind of shear entertainment?
MAUREEN O’CONNOR, STAFF WRITER FOR GAWKER: You know, one thing I do take issue with is, as Nancy mentioned, at first people didn't take the story seriously because it showed up on Andrew Breitbart’s website, and they say he has a history of trying to smear people. I think even if that's the case, it was very quickly that you could have looked into this story and verified it for yourself. It didn't take a lot of effort to realize that Anthony Weiner admitted, yes, this showed up in my Twitter feed. So, it clearly wasn't some kind of like imaginary thing. He admitted, yes, this happened.
So, I think that it makes sense that people did ask questions, and after that, once he answered his questions, it was by the time he got to interview four, five. That’s where it was in his power to make it stop if he wanted to, but all of a sudden we have this man who seems to want to give many, many interviews about his own genitals. So, I think on that hand, that's why in the beginning it was a relevant story. And I think it is important for people, even if a story burbles up through an untraditional, non-mainstream medium, if it seems like a real story, I think people do have an obligation to investigate it.
Indeed, but that didn't prevent a number of news outlets from fixating on Breitbart to minimize the seriousness of this issue. Not coincidentally, as NewsBusters reported Thursday, Cordes was part of that red herring.
But as O'Connor accurately noted, regardless of what one of the original sources was, this was an easy issue to investigate the veracity of, and all this finger-pointing at Breitbart as the reason for why some news outlets were slow on the uptake is nonsense.
O'Connor knows what she speaks, as she was the person that first published the now infamous picture of a shirtless Congressman Chris Lee (R-N.Y.) leading to his resignation.
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Comments
The only thing Maureen left
Submitted by WarEagle66 on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 4:53pm.
The only thing Maureen left out is that CBS did NOT cover this because Wiener is a Democrat...Pure and simple.
So because Breitbart exposed Shriley Sherod as the racist she is
Submitted by krendler on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 2:25pm.
they didn't want to pursue the Weiner story.
Got it.
Yes, krendler
Submitted by ant on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 10:12pm.
Because a source has shown, forthright, the indiscretion and absurdity of 'public servants' it is somehow unreliable, much like a media that focuses on whether a candidate is indeed a 'witch or not' or whether a news source describes people who want to help right the economy and balance the government budget as 'granny-killing Nazi, racist, extremists.'
Liberals used to be obsessed
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 2:29pm.
Liberals used to be obsessed by three things: Race, Sex and Gays.
Now it's five. The above plus Andrew Brietbart and the Koch brothers.
Okay, maybe that's six as there are two brothers.
Oh, and they absolutely go bonkers when conservatives mock them and laugh at them. Mock on, and keep laughing brothers and sisters.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
Follow The Totalitarian Fools Gold Road
Submitted by stratman on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 3:02pm.
FOX and Palin and Bush, oh my.
Weiner wears the Ruby Slippers. No harm can come of him. The Media is Glenda, good witch of the West, protecting him from the evil flying monkeyman Brietbart.
Hope the House falls down on Weiner and he shrivels up and disappears.
Be Serious Now!
Submitted by Bourbeau on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 2:32pm.
You wouldn't expect them to be completely honest in their well intentioned commentary. How many times have they been caught leaving the Democrat identity out of a story or, ignore a story because it's a Democrat. You have to love them when the go thru one of these self-examinations; no matter how damn stupid they might appear as a result of non-coverage or, giving a favorite a pass, they act so innocent in their discourse. The fact is this country is in this mess because of their dereliction of responsibility to report the news, as it happens, not as they'd like it to be. As is often the case, imagine if this had been Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, or God forbid Mike Huckabee - could you see any of them taking time to see how the story develops before they outloaded. I don't think so.
Bad week for Liberals
Submitted by desert3030 on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 2:55pm.
First they have Whiny Weiner showing the world his weiner.
Then he doesn't know if it is his undies and weiner, or someone elses. Now that prompts and even bigger question, and I won't go too far there, as to who's weiner is it in your twitter Congressman. Maybe we bring Barney in and have him start checking them out?
Secondly, Grizzly Mom has been so tough on the media she has them wetting on the side of the road while she hits the 57 states Obama talks about.
Great week Lib's, I am looking forward to the weinie stroy.
"WEINER'S TALE
Submitted by celator on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 3:29pm.
"WEINER'S TALE UNRAVELING"
And now this from The Daily:
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/06/05/060511-news-weiner-1-4/
This is more fun than watching a drunken rat trying to walk a tight rope over a river. The lefty commentators will have fun spinning this one. But they'll sure try.
Totenburg, Maher, etc., get your White House talking points ready for Monday.
Oh, what a twisted web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
Fifteen Minutes is all it takes.
Submitted by Tenebrous on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 6:06pm.
The article is dead on. The only reason this is an issue is because Weiner is guilty as sin. It's easy to figure out whether he did it or not. He is simply spinning and hemming and hawing instead of doing whatever possible to clear his own name.
I find it particularly ironic that everyone but Weiner is coming up with an explanation how his account was hacked.
Visions and Principles blog
Gonna unravel some more
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 3:06pm.
I think this is going to unravel a bit more, apparently he's done some shirtless pics of himself now posted on biggovernment.com and was apparently sent to at least one other girl. (h/t to Drudge)
Oh man, he's so screwed. I knew this guy was full of himself, but dang! This is royally embarrassing! Someone stick a fork in him, he's done.
-Jon
He's done?
Submitted by Agnostic on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 3:10pm.
he will probably get his own show or an appointment as Ambassador to France
3 Things
Submitted by Redrowan2000 on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 4:53pm.
1-Tomorrow is Monday and the MSM will consider this last weeks irritation. They will drop this like Time magazines aversion to black Republican candidates.
2-Not even a mention that Weiners staff (no pun intended) called police on CBS reporter Cramer in Washington D.C.
3-The arrogant little Weiner will be the darling of the MSM in about 3 months and the spin on him will be that he was the victim of a right wing smear.
"Don't let the bastards grind you down."
Idiocy, Pure Idiocy
Submitted by Tenebrous on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 6:10pm.
You're telling me that they willingly passed up on a chance to expose Breitbart as a liar, if was lying? Bahahahaha! Come on! They're trying to explain ex-post facto how this one got away from them, and all they can do is blame someone else. It's like an army blaming a hummingbird for their inability to win a battle. Keep it up, press. You look more and more childish every day.
Visions and Principles blog
The REAL Story
Submitted by NCMike on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 5:55pm.
The REAL story is not that a sleazy Democrat politician commited an unsavory, immoral act (it's hard to top Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Al Gore, or Ted Kennedy). Nor is it that the cowardly, biased, lefty "Mainstream Media" attempted to ignore, distract, and minimize the childishly sleazy act of Weiner. No, the REAL story, is that after the truth comes out; after the tears and apology, and the purportedly repentant Weiner cops his plea, the Democrat voter will ignore the outrageous behavior, minimize the impact of such a despicable, childish action on the part of a public official, distract from Weiner's action by pointing to some "morally equivalent" indiscretion by a Republican offender, and THEN, proceed to VOTE AGAIN for WEINER. Whether it is perjury, depravity, cowardice, or criminality, the morally challenged Democrat voter has no problem whatsoever, ignoring reality and returning the offender back into office. Neither "hypocrisy" nor "honor" can be found in the lexicon of Democrat voter values.
So now that Weiner has
Submitted by ant on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 6:23pm.
So now that Weiner has confessed, will Nancy Cordes apologize for doubting the integrity of the alternative, ie "real" reporters?
Hey Red
Submitted by Redrowan2000 on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 10:54pm.
You were wrong on #1
Don't let the bastards grind you down."