Over the next 46 days, as the candidates trade charges and counter-charges, the self-appointed media umpires will act as if they are the ultimate fact-finders in Campaign ’08. Writing for tomorrow’s National Journal, columnist Stuart Taylor says that the media’s track record thus far makes him just as skeptical of the press.
Taylor declares: “Many in the media have been one-sided, sometimes adding to Obama’s distortions rather than acting as impartial reporters of fact and referees of the mud fights.” Rather than cleaning up the record, Taylor reports several instances when the media are themselves guilty of perpetuating partisan disinformation.
Here are excerpts of Taylor's September 20 column, “Campaign Lies, Media Double Standards”:
We still have many great journalists, but I no longer trust the major newspapers or television networks to provide consistently accurate and fair reporting and analysis of all the charges and countercharges. This in an era when the noise produced by highly partisan TV hosts and blogs creates a crying need for at least one newspaper that we can count on to play it straight.
Indeed, one reason that candidates get away with dishonest campaign ads and speeches may be that it is so hard for undecided voters like me to discern which charges are true, which are exaggerated, and which are false. Most people can't spend hours every day cross-checking diverse sources of information to verify the accuracy of slanted stories and broadcasts such as these:
■ In Sarah Palin's first big media interview, on September 11, Charlie Gibson of ABC News asked: "You said recently, in your old church, 'Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.' Are we fighting a holy war?" Palin responded: "You know, I don't know if that was my exact quote." Gibson pressed: "Exact words."
Viewers had no way of knowing that, in fact, Gibson was distorting Palin's meaning by leaving out critical context and thus making an unremarkable exhortation to prayer sound like a declaration of holy war. Palin had not said that the war was a task from God. She had urged her listeners to "pray" that it was a task from God. A September 3 Associated Press report by Gene Johnson distorted Palin's meaning in exactly the same way.
■ A front-page story in the September 12 Washington Post, by Anne Kornblut, was headlined: "Palin Links Iraq to Sept. 11 in Talk to Troops in Alaska." This was misleading, as were the first two paragraphs. They implied that Palin had advanced the long-discredited "idea that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein helped Al Qaeda plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon." In fact, Palin's reasonably clear meaning was not that Saddam had a role in the 9/11 attacks but that (as the article backhandedly acknowledged) the troops would be fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq, which is related to the group that launched the 9/11 attacks....
I was deeply dismayed by the 72-year-old McCain's reckless choice of the inexperienced and untested Palin to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. But I am also deeply skeptical when I see front-page headlines like "As Mayor of Wasilla, Palin Cut Own Duties, Left Trail of Bad Blood" (Washington Post, September 14), or "Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes" (New York Times, same day). Such loaded language is a badge not of a newsroom committed to impartial investigation but of an ideological echo chamber.
Many media commentators also exude a conviction that Republicans have long played dirtier and more dishonest political hardball than do Democrats. Maybe, but I'm not so sure. We are often reminded of Republican sins ranging from the (accurate) Willie Horton ads of 1988 to the (over-the-top) "Swiftboating" of 2004. We hear a lot less about Democratic sins such as President Clinton's distortions of Bob Dole's position on Medicare in 1996 and the NAACP's stunningly scurrilous ad campaign in 2000 associating George W. Bush's opposition to a hate crimes bill with the racist murderers who dragged James Byrd behind a truck.
—Rich Noyes is Research Director at the Media Research Center.
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Comments Policy
He should watch his back!
September 19, 2008 - 11:03 ET by MaximusBraveheartNo fair for him to tell the truth; they are supposed to deny, deny, deny... He better watch out or will be tar-and-feathered by his fellow journalists.
Term "swift boating" by media
September 19, 2008 - 11:26 ET by MaximusBraveheartWhat was inaccurate with the swift boat adds? I don't like the heavy use of this term by the media. Kerry's award "documents" totally changed the story from what other witnesses said. That is over the top to report?
edit - Oh yeah and him bad mouthing our country before congress. I think that was in there too. Actual film footage. Guess that was not true?
Yes, let’s not be too
September 19, 2008 - 11:39 ET by needleYes, let’s not be too hasty in dismissing the truth of Swift Boat Vets for Truth:
NYT Reporter: Swift Boat Vets for Truth 'Ugly Chapter' in U.S. ...
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Good Swift Boat thread
September 19, 2008 - 12:07 ET by MaximusBraveheartThanks. I had not read that; worth reading the thread on that. Reinforces what I recalled. Nothing untrue in swift boat adds. Media just decried it as false continuously until it became false and evil in their minds despite being accurate, yet the ugly TRUTH! How inconvenient so they dimiss it by slandering it to NO END!
Is this swiftboating or
September 19, 2008 - 12:45 ET by docbis there a grain of truth?/? They have taken down the website ???
Posted by: Dr. Bobbi Anne white | September 4, 2008 7:09 PM
NO RECORD OF PALIN 'SON' TRIG BORN ON THE DATE CLAIMED ... THIS IS BRISTOL 2ND PREGNANCY NOT THE 1ST!!!
http://www.mediatake...
People's children are off limits? This is not about her daughter bristol, no one is attacking her daughter... this is about another GOP corrupt politician who wants to be vice-president or president.
We don't need it... not another 4 or 8 years of lying corrupt president and vice-president.... we had enough of bush and cheney...
"NICE guys finish last!!!".. this is about palin lies and misconduct.
Gov. Palin needs to take a DNA or blood test to prove that baby trig is hers... all the evidence is supporting that the baby belongs to Bristol, her daughter.
I saw pictures and VIDEO of gov. palin when she CLAIMED to be 7 and 8 months pregnant, AND SHE DIDn't look 7 or 8 months preganant to me... I have six children by two different women so I know what a 7 and 8 month pregnant woman looks like. Palin was not pregnant with trig, bristol was.
Bristol is now pregnant a second time or her 2nd pregnancy is a hoax to force her to marry her boyfriend to cover up for gov palin scandal...... faux-lame and biased news channel and other media outlets who support the GOP are trying to cover-up the scandal... and the oabama campaign is too scared to touch the issue cause they are just scared of being called a sexist for busting palin's chops.
NEWS FLASH: A rumor is not a rumor when evidence to support the claim exist... OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE!!!!
FACTS:
1. Palin got on a airplane journey for 8 hours after she started labor?? wtf, BULL---S---T!!
1. After arriving in Alaska, she Then drove for 45 minutes to a far away hostpital not near her home/city.
2. The flight attendants said palin showed no-visible signs of her being in labor or that she was pregnant!!!
3. Bristol her daughter was the one who was showing signs of being pregnant in photos and at school.
4. Palin took her daughter out of school when she was 16 and claimed she had mono for 5 months. Baby trig was born while bristol was out of school.
5. Classmates at bristol school said bristol was pregnant at 16 and they saw her at school with visible signs.
6. palin husband was heard talking to an co-employee and told an employee at work his daughter was pregnant.
7. The baby's name is trig, which stands for Trigonometry, which is a math class that all teenagers take after geometry in high scool.
8. Palin is already under investigation for several other cover-ups and scandals.
9. The doctor that may be involved in this baby-gate scandal could be in for a real big medical malpractice scandal.
10. Palins state and town is very small and everyone knows everyone.... and nobody knew palin was 8 months pregnant.... not 1 visible sign at 8 months pregnant??
11. Everytime palin went on camera or photos she did not look pregnant, or she hid her stomache.
12. Recently palin announces her daughter is pregnant to try and make the problem go away, but it won't because we are not as stupid and the GOP thinks.
13. Palin tried to force her daughter to get married quietly before anyone found out bristol was pregnant. Bristol did not want to go along with it.
14. no such birth record exist of governer palin birth at the hospital she claimed to have given birth.
Show me a birth certificate that shows gov. palin and her husband as the father and mother of this baby trig, and i'll show you a federal investigation right after... because that would mean that gov. palin abused her power once again with the hospital and doctor to do her a favor in saying the baby belongs to gov. palin which is a lie.
Do your own research before you judge this scandal. Below are a few links to review and make your own decision.
My question is: Who is the real baby's father? Palin husband? her math teacher? her boyfriend? or someone else? We the people need to find out and get to the bottom of this scandal...
Gov. Palin down syndrome baby "Trig" may not be her's.. It is highly possible the baby came from her 16yr old daughter "bristol"...
Is Bristol Palin Baby Trig's Mother? Evidence & Pictures... watch this video:
http://pimpinturtle....
Who is Baby Trig's Mother?
http://www.youtube.c...
Wackjobbery... This is a
September 19, 2008 - 13:35 ET by BDWackjobbery...
This is a prime example of "Panic Fire" by those on the left. Be of good cheer fellow conservatives - it usually occur in the final moments before the defenders in a battle position are overwhelmed and wiped out.
docb is an obama troll...
September 19, 2008 - 13:53 ET by geoksterHi Brenda, is that you?
If it isn't it really makes no difference. This entire piece of drivel is copy pasted from user name "Xac00fm" who is all over the internet, mostly leftard nutroots sites, and a screaming loon.
You know, regardless of how technologically ignorant you may consider McCain, some of us out here know how to google, so you can no longer pass off this made-up tripe as your own cogent analysis without us finding out the real source.
Go back to your cave and kiss The One's foot again. Perhaps His Worshipfulness will bestow a blessing on you for your devoted sycophancy. Then again, maybe not. He might still have room at the very crowded underbelly of that bus for you, because you were too stupid not to get caught.
"7. The baby's name is trig,
September 19, 2008 - 17:02 ET by TheDeuce"7. The baby's name is trig, which stands for Trigonometry, which is a math class that all teenagers take after geometry in high scool."
Are you SERIOUSLY this f'n stupid? We need election reform to keep maroons like you away from anything resembling a voting booth.
We need a better class of troll around here. That, or the kosmonauts really are running on fumes. They sure act like they got a case of the vapors!
"7. The baby's name is trig,
September 19, 2008 - 17:18 ET by TheDeuce"7. The baby's name is trig, which stands for Trigonometry, which is a math class that all teenagers take after geometry in high scool."
Are you SERIOUSLY this f'n stupid? We need election reform to keep maroons like you away from anything resembling a voting booth.
We need a better class of troll around here. That, or the kosmonauts really are running on fumes. They sure act like they got a case of the vapors!
Is this true
September 20, 2008 - 07:02 ET by kiwikitAn added final comment by Taylor:
Correction: My September 13 column erred in saying that in 2003, as
an Illinois legislator, Barack Obama "unsuccessfully" opposed a bill
nearly identical to the federal "Born Alive Infant Protection Act." In
fact, he helped kill the bill.
I thought such was not the case. Please verify and advise.
Destruction
September 19, 2008 - 11:04 ET by cvgbuckeyeWhat was originally intended to be "The Watch-dog of the government" and the "Defender of Democracy" and given it's power through an amendment to our constitution has become the most dangerous threat to our Democracy.
The media, with its left wing agenda, is intent upon destroying our free elections through their jumping in the tank with anyone with a leftist agenda that is running for public office and using their bully pulpit to diminish the opportuinties for any Conservatives to win elected office.
They have become a bigger threat to this nation and our American way of life than Radical Islam, Iraq, North Korea, a rejuvenated Soviet Union or One World Government or any other threat in our history.
The MSM's outright support of Barack Hussein Obama has made it an almost impossible task for any opposition to suceed, even the Clinton Political Machine and now the McCain/ Palin ticket which has now embodies the support of most clear-thinking Americans.
God help us and God Bless America, PLEASE!
cvg... You are right on
September 20, 2008 - 20:26 ET by Clear thinkercvg...
You are right on target. Most liberals have no idea that they have been fooled into doing the dirty work of those that would want to destroy this country. The 2 lines below are from "45 Communist Goals for America", read em and weep!
20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.
21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.
All 45 can be found here.
Liberals Hate-Filled Life
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
I disagree that they have a
September 19, 2008 - 11:40 ET by motherbeltI disagree that they have a double standard.
I think it can be boiled down to a single, all-consuming standard:
Whatever it takes to help Barack Obama.
MSM wants to take it easy
September 19, 2008 - 13:05 ET by Scuba DudeI think the MSM wants Obami to win because they do not want to have to put anymore effort into doing actual reporting. Think of all the time and effort saved (and money) if all they have to do is print whatever the Annoited One's administration told them to!!
Why bother with checking the facts? Our Saviour would never lie!!
DOCB
September 19, 2008 - 16:28 ET by tymanIt's too bad that ignorance doesn't hurt. I don't know what you're going to do when McCain/Palin win. I really feel bad for you. Do you even work or you living on the government's dime (or mine)? If you are working does your boss know what you are doing? Needless to say you are like a pimple on a persons' a$$. Have a good Republican day.
What would Charlie say to our heavenly father.
September 20, 2008 - 20:05 ET by AtTheWaterCoolerI've linked to this post from http://www.jeremiahf... Palin has it right, Charlie should not be asking questions if he does not know what the right answer is: He looks like a fool.