Former CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson told a Philadelphia radio station on Friday that “nobody was interested in the stories” she was doing on the Obama scandals, or other investigative stories.
“Nobody was interested in the stories. It didn’t seem to matter what the topic was. There’s sort of a problem all over, I talk to my colleagues in different mediums. There’s just a lot of pressure. Investigative reporting gets a lot of backlash. They don’t quite know how to deal with it. Why not just put on stories that don’t draw that kind of response?” Instead, it's "Between Two Ferns" updates.
Attkisson discussed the book she's working on about how stories are reported in the media.
“I’ve been wanting to write about the unseen influences on the media by coordinated, paid factions, whether they’re from political, corporate or other special interests, the tactics they use to manipulate the images we see, not just in the news but on Facebook, Wikipedia, or fake Twitter accounts. It’s become a way of life and I don’t think the public is aware of how much nearly everything you see today may be influenced, in some fashion, by a paid interest that wants you to think something,” Attkisson said.
WPHT host Chris Stigall also brought up recent (and collapsed) allegations that White House press secretary Jay Carney gets all his briefing questions in advance from reporters. Attkisson said there is informal coordination in the hours before the briefing, but it's not "everybody in every briefing," as it was suggested:
“I wouldn’t surprised if sometimes there is that level of cooperation with some questions. If I need something answered from the White House and they won’t tell me, I’ll call our White House Correspondent. They’re friendlier with the White House Correspondents in general. So the White House Correspondent may ask Jay Carney or one of his folks about an issue and they will be told ‘ask that at the briefing and we’ll answer it.’ They want to answer it in front of everybody. They do know it’s coming and they’ll call on you. There’s that kind of coordination sometimes,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s sometimes more coordination. I don’t think it’s everybody on every briefing, every day. I’m pretty sure it’s not. But I think people would be surprised at the level of cooperation reporters have in general with politicians.”
See our Special Report on Obama scandal evasion The Media's Obama Miracle here.
