The Associated Press's obituary on Jack Kemp continued two troubling trends found in recent AP death notices.
In July of last year, covering Tony Snow's passing (saved here; covered at NewsBusters here), AP reporters found seemingly everything negative they could think of to write about the former White House press secretary and 2008 Media Research Center Buckley Award winner (examples -- "good looks and a relentlessly bright outlook -- if not always a command of the facts"; "questioned their [reporters'] motives as if he were starring in a TV show broadcast live from the West Wing"; "[he turned] the traditionally informational daily briefing into a personality-driven media event short on facts and long on confrontation"). The wire service also saw fit to include Snow's salary when he was at the White House.
In a March story about a tragic plane crash in Montana that took 14 lives, including seven young children, the AP just had to tell us that the plane's occupants had been en route to a skiing "retreat for the ultrarich." A later report referred to their destination as the "ritzy Yellowstone Club."
AP's otherwise well-written obituary on Jack Kemp continued both trends.
Reporter Matt Apuzzo and Carolyn Thompson had to dig deep -- really deep -- to find something negative to write about Kemp. What they found is so petty that you would expect any reasonable reader to ask "why is this here?":
His style didn't win over everyone. In his memoirs, former Vice President Dan Quayle wrote that at Cabinet meetings, Bush would be irked by Kemp's habit of going off on tangents and not making "any discernible point."
In the previous paragraph, Apuzzo and Thompson also played the money and wealth card:
Kemp's rapid and wordy style made the enthusiastic speaker with the neatly side-parted white hair a favorite on the lecture circuit, and a millionaire.
Why either the Quayle item or the millionaire reference was necessary is beyond me. Somebody needs to remind Apuzzo, Thompson, and the rest of AP that you really don't take it with you when you die.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
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Oh! Bama
May 3, 2009 - 08:07 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsHmmm, he irks some people, he was a millionaire, and he's dead? Well, Obama has two out of three. Keep trying Barry, you can do it!
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
AND WHEN?
May 3, 2009 - 08:51 ET by reelman46Save Kemp's obit and then compare it to upcoming Teddy K's...side by side comments...and post widely on lefty Blogs...sounds like fun.
Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish)
Re Teddie
May 3, 2009 - 10:05 ET by slickwillie2001Good point, and the Kennedys made their money through organized crime and are fabulously wealthy, whereas Kemp is simply well-off. Will Kennedy's obituary mention Mary Jo Kopechne?
It's sad that even when a man dies, the liberals in the media can't seem to put away their hate.
To the msm rich republicans
May 3, 2009 - 09:22 ET by Mr. MikeTo the msm rich republicans are the devil. But, those rich dems that will wear $500 shoes and $4,000 dresses to his funeral are "good people".
Hmmmmm. I wonder if Michelle's going?
AP
May 3, 2009 - 09:32 ET by nolotrippenWhen Chuck Jones died in 2002, the Los Angeles Times managed to find a "friend" of his who claimed Jones hated Republicans. What the? Even if it's true, what kind of idiot says it and what kind of idiot prints it (answer for the learning impaired: MSM). The AP is no different. They can be counted on to drop poop in the punch bowl.
obituary?
May 3, 2009 - 09:32 ET by bobwhiteA sleazy and unwarranted indictment, masquerading as an obituary! The ability to feel shame appears to be the missing element in the psychological make up of all the people on the far left. Can a person possess a conscience without a sense of shame?
Clinton's rapid and wordy style made the enthusiastic speaker with the neatly side-parted white hair a favorite on the lecture circuit, and a millionaire. Hmmmm--- seems to work.
Wow, a football star who made lots of money ...
May 3, 2009 - 11:05 ET by legacyrepublicanbut doesn't hunt down his ex-wife, slash her throat, steal back his memoriablia.
Instead, he devotes himself to public service and through it all is a really nice and kind man.
And all the obit can see is his wealth in terms of money, not in terms of the people who loved and admired him or the way he lived his life.
I would say the reporter is too hung up on money and needs to get a life.
Al Gore
May 3, 2009 - 15:43 ET by adamsmithIf Al Gore were to suddenly die, I wonder if the media would report on his worth jumping from $2million to $100 million since he left office with his Global Warming shenanigans and $35 million invested with those evil rich hedge fund holders? I wonder if they realize that their Wizard of Oz, George Soros is a billionaire Hedge fund guy who uses his power and wealth to bankrupt foreign economies? What about Pelosi's wealth? Sen. Feinstein and her husband with their banking interests and collusion with government? I say expose all these wealthy communists-there's so much hypocrisy going on, not even the MSM can cover that up...............
Tony Snow
May 3, 2009 - 16:40 ET by marscatI didn't even know Tony died last year! And I've been trying to find out about his health! Who was not reporting on this?? I loved Tony Snow. I also liked Jack Kemp a alot. I like what he would have done for our country had he become President.
Slime
May 3, 2009 - 17:53 ET by rammingspeedThe AP and the rest are slime. Truly, the scum of the earth. And they haughtily accuse conservatives of sliming.
Sickening.
Why wouldn't you mention the
May 3, 2009 - 18:30 ET by balboaWhy wouldn't you mention the millionaire part? He was wildly successful. Now it's a bad thing to mention it?
I don't really see the point of the Quayle reference, however.
Try this ....
May 4, 2009 - 01:41 ET by Tom Blumer..... modification:
Kemp's rapid and wordy style made the enthusiastic speaker with the neatly side-parted white hair a favorite on the lucrative lecture circuit.
You communicate that he did well in fewer words, and save two more words for what he accomplished.
Even the use of "lucrative" is borderline, but it at least doesn't have the "he became an evil rich guy" undercurrent that a comma-separated phrase does.
While I'm at it, the statement as written directly claims that Kemp was NOT a millionaire before he went on the lecture circuit. I would suggest that Apuzzo and Thompson do NOT know that to be a fact.
My revision also gets rid of that problem.