Over at CBS's Public Eye blog, "Face the Nation" executive producer Carin Pratt sounds typical liberal-media notes: she wants more coverage of the planet's demise, loathes bloggers, and loves John McCain:
What single issue should be covered more at CBS News?
The environment. Although with the global warming situation hard to ignore, I figure that will change...
Do you read blogs? If so, which ones? If not, what do you read on the Internet?
I don't read blogs. In fact, I am anti-blog. If I want to hear a bunch of unedited thoughts -- that's what friends are for. Who has the time? Too many newspapers and magazines. Which, one hopes, have been edited.
She offers several valentines to dream guest McCain:
Who is the most fascinating person you’ve covered and who is the biggest jerk?
I think Moynihan or McCain in the fascinating column. I won't talk about the biggest jerk(s); suffice it to say, they know who they are...
Finally, a question from RonMwanga, posted in comments:
Is there a fiery competition to get guests among the Sunday morning talk shows? For example, John McCain last week on immigration was the perfect guest. How do you woo a guest like him to come on? Obviously he wants to speak about his message, but is he also barraged by the bookers at Stephanopoulos as well?The competition to get guests among the Sunday talk shows is fierce. But some of the guests, like Sen. McCain, go on the Sunday shows by rotation, which is really the only fair way to do it. I was surprised that Sen. McCain wasn't asked more about immigration on that show. He is very passionate about it, and as usual, a great guest. He answers questions.
While we're on the subject of media blogs, over at the NPR blog Mixed Signals, NPR reporter Andrea Seabrook moans and groans over the punishment of ABC producer John "Bush Makes Me Sick" Green:
Every time I think about this story, I get a deep pit of anxiety in my stomach. Not that I author ranting e-mails about politicians; I don't tend to discuss politics outside the office very often. (I prefer to talk with my friends about more riveting topics, like new, fun month themes: "Mock-tober," "Fib-uary"). Also, I understand that if I'm typing e-mails on a work-issued computer from a work-issued e-mail account during a work day, I'm responsible for their content. But I'm still pretty uncomfortable with the amount of self-editing that appears to be expected of me as a modern journalist. I mean, couldn't I theoretically be both snarky about a politician and fair to them in my coverage? Why isn't that okay with you, America?
Perhaps the answer for me is to be an equal-opportunity snarker: disparage both Nancy Pelosi and Dennis Hastert in the same e-mail. I look forward to the comments on this one.
Be sure to leave one, saying: the idea that NPR is seamlessly "self-edited" for bias is a real knee-slapper.
UPDATE: Brent Baker adds an excellent point on Carin Pratt that I wished I had taken the time to uncover:
Pratt once toiled on behalf of far-left Texas activist, politician and radio talk show host Jim Hightower, her online biography reveals:
"Pratt had served as a senior producer of Face the Nation (1987-93), having joined the broadcast in February 1984 as assistant producer. She then became an associate producer.
"She joined CBS News from the Washington Post, where she was an editor. Prior to that, she had been a researcher in Washington, D.C., and an assistant to the Post's Texas bureau chief in Austin (1981-83), after working for Jim Hightower's campaign for the Texas Railroad Commission (1979-80) and for the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University (1977-79)." See: www.cbsnews.com
