They just can't get it right. Yesterday on ABC News' Political Radar, senior political reporter Rick Klein wrote of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards calling conservative author Ann Coulter a "she-devil." Part of the background Klein provided:
In June, Coulter went on ABC's "Good Morning America" and said she had learned her lesson after being blasted for suggesting in a joke before the Conservative Political Action Conference that Edwards was a "faggot." "If I'm gonna say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot," Coulter said.
As Noel Sheppard pointed out in his June 26, 2007 NewsBusters item, the complete Ann Coulter quote was:
About the - oh yeah. I wouldn't, I wouldn't insult gays by comparing them to John Edwards. Now, that would be mean. But about the same time, you know, Bill Maher was not joking and saying he wished Dick Cheney had been killed in a terrorist attack. So I've learned my lesson. If I'm gonna say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot.
On his June 28, 2007 ABC News Political Punch blog, senior national correspondent Jake Tapper wrote:
I've seen major media outlets only quote that last sentence -- "If I'm going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."
That's not fair.
Even if you think Coulter is vile, even if you believe her joking about Edwards' death at all is inappropriate, to quote just that last bit isn't an accurate representation to viewers or readers of what she said.
In this instance, Mr. Tapper is correct. What his colleague Rick Klein did in reporting less than the whole story is unfair. Not that he's alone of course. In its story on the incident, United Press International also only reported only part of it.
Just another day in the newsroom I guess.
