Thursday's Washington Post obituary on CBS News producer Don Hewitt included a mention of the "pointed questioning" CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft offered Bill and Hillary Clinton to save their presidential campaign in 1992. But it also underlined how Hewitt offered the Clintons his political advice on how to use his CBS time as the only answer needed for his record of adultery and sexual harassment:
Before filming the segment, Mr. Hewitt leaned down to the future president with advice: "I think, at some point, you should be as candid as you know how to be, and from then on, you say, 'I said it on "60 Minutes," and if you want to know what I think or have said on the subject, then go get a tape and run it again. I've said it all.' "
Clinton did exactly that -- he spoke vaguely of causing "pain in his marriage," and then claimed he said it all on CBS. As the obituaries report, Hewitt was a television pioneer -- and a pioneer in hard-hitting liberal attack journalism on "60 Minutes." But for favored Democrats, from the Clintons to the Obamas, "60 Minutes" was a supportive platform to sell their wares.
Hewitt was so self-impressed with the liberal management of TV news that he thought conservative ads designed to go around the broadcast elite were like obscenities. From Brent Bozell in June of 1999:
CBS "60 Minutes" boss Don Hewitt was even more blunt in this year's Frank Gannett Lecture at the Media Studies Center. Not only does Hewitt oppose the networks granting free time to candidates, he thinks the [Steve] Forbes ads should be banned altogether. "Give them news space when they do something newsworthy and not sell them advertisement space to toot their own horn."
Isn't that a teensy violation of the First Amendment? Claimed Hewitt: "The First Amendment has never stopped anyone from refusing to broadcast or print obscenities, and I contend that political commercials are just that -- obscenities -- and could be banned for that reason alone."
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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i'm not sure how this
August 20, 2009 - 08:09 ET by cathartic1i'm not sure how this constitutes being an advisor; he merely told his subject to be as candid as possible, and then use the interview as means to plug "60 minutes". as a person trying to make money, why would he not do this?
Stay right there. I'll be
August 20, 2009 - 09:31 ET by HockeyKidStay right there. I'll be back with the deed for that bridge in two shakes...
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
60 Minutes Saves!
August 20, 2009 - 09:49 ET by Tim GrahamC1: It can certainly be said that Hewitt is urging Clinton to tell everyone to watch (and re-watch) CBS, and insist that it's the historic interview that saved his greasy bacon. But this is supposed to be the hard-hitting "60 Minutes" crew. You don't offer what is largely political advice to your interview subject if you don't want him to succeed, politically. I'm not saying Hewitt was a paid adviser. He is, however, like then-ABC producer Rick Kaplan, who urged Clinton to pick 60 Minutes in the first place to aid his campaign.
so would you argue that
August 20, 2009 - 10:42 ET by cathartic1so would you argue that david gregory is an "advisor" to mark sanford based on the emails he sent him to get on MTP? i don't recall anyone here saying that david gregory is any such person based on this one incident...
At least he wasn't a liar
August 20, 2009 - 10:28 ET by Iowa BoyMy biggest complaint with the media has always been their tired lie of "objectivity". I don't care if the media is biased. I really don't. Just don't lie to me and tell me you're not when I can see it plain as day.
Hewitt was biased and he never lied about it.
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