ABCNEWS DIRECTOR MEMO:BOTH SIDES NOT EQUALLY ACCOUNTABLE

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ABCNEWS DIRECTOR MEMO:BOTH SIDES NOT EQUALLY ACCOUNTABLE

Postby Matt » Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:17 pm

I'm shocked! :roll: :wink:

http://www.drudgereport.com/mh.htm
ABCNEWS POLITICAL DIRECTOR MEMO SPARKS CONTROVERSY: BOTH SIDES NOT 'EQUALLY ACCOUNTABLE'

**Exclusive**

An internal memo written by ABCNEWS Political Director Mark Halperin admonishes ABC staff: During coverage of Democrat Kerry and Republican Bush not to "reflexively and artificially hold both sides 'equally' accountable."

The controversial internal memo obtained by DRUDGE, captures Halperin stating how "Kerry distorts, takes out of context, and mistakes all the time, but these are not central to his efforts to win."

But Halperin claims that Bush is hoping to "win the election by destroying Senator Kerry at least partly through distortions."

"The current Bush attacks on Kerry involve distortions and taking things out of context in a way that goes beyond what Kerry has done," Halperin writes.

Halperin's claim that ABCNEWS will not "reflexively and artificially hold both sides 'equally' accountable" set off sparks in St. Louis where media players gathered to cover the second presidential debate.

Halperin states the responsibilities of the ABCNEWS staff have "become quite grave."

In August, Halperin declared online: "This is now John Kerry's contest to lose."

Halperin Memo Dated Friday October 8, 2004

It goes without saying that the stakes are getting very high for the country and the campaigns - and our responsibilities become quite grave

I do not want to set off (sp?) and endless colloquy that none of us have time for today - nor do I want to stifle one. Please respond if you feel you can advance the discussion.

The New York Times (Nagourney/Stevenson) and Howard Fineman on the web both make the same point today: the current Bush attacks on Kerry involve distortions and taking things out of context in a way that goes beyond what Kerry has done.

Kerry distorts, takes out of context, and mistakes all the time, but these are not central to his efforts to win.

We have a responsibility to hold both sides accountable to the public interest, but that doesn't mean we reflexively and artificially hold both sides "equally" accountable when the facts don't warrant that.

I'm sure many of you have this week felt the stepped up Bush efforts to complain about our coverage. This is all part of their efforts to get away with as much as possible with the stepped up, renewed efforts to win the election by destroying Senator Kerry at least partly through distortions.

It's up to Kerry to defend himself, of course. But as one of the few news organizations with the skill and strength to help voters evaluate what the candidates are saying to serve the public interest. Now is the time for all of us to step up and do that right.
-Matt

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Postby lukpac » Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:33 pm

Hmm...Drudge distorting a memo about reporting distortions. How ironic.

The memo isn't saying they should let Kerry get by with more BS, but rather that ABC shouldn't feel pressured to report on an equal amount of BS from both sides if it's clear that one side (Bush) is spewing it out a lot more. Ie, "we can't report on this Bush decption until we find a Kerry deception to go along with it."

I think this line says it all:

"We have a responsibility to hold both sides accountable to the public interest, but that doesn't mean we reflexively and artificially hold both sides "equally" accountable when the facts don't warrant that. "
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Postby krabapple » Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:38 pm

Exactly.

Now, Matt, what do you make of the blatant, in-your-face attempt by the Sinclair group to push one political party over the other on its TV stations? Any outrage there?

This is the same organizaton, btw, that forbade its outlets from showing the ABC Nightline recitation of the names of those Americans killed in the Iraq war.


http://money.cnn.com/2004/10/12/news/ne ... air_kerry/



NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Democratic senators are seeking a federal probe of Sinclair Broadcast Group's plans to air an anti-Kerry film next week, just two weeks before the election.

A still from the movie shows a young Kerry testifying before Congress

Sinclair's vice president told CNN the program is a "newsworthy event" designed to air the stories of Vietnam veterans who believe they were maligned by Kerry after he returned from the war.

Sinclair has ordered its 62 stations to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" without commercials in prime time next week, just two weeks before the Nov. 2 election. Twelve of those stations are in key battleground states of Ohio, Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin.
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Postby Matt » Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:55 pm

krabapple wrote:Exactly.

Now, Matt, what do you make of the blatant, in-your-face attempt by the Sinclair group to push one political party over the other on its TV stations? Any outrage there?


I think if a movie like Fahrenheit 9/11 is fair game, than this documentary is fair game.

What do you make of the lack of theaters showing Celsius 41.11?
http://www.celsius4111.com/4111/c4111_contents/where/
-Matt

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Postby lukpac » Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:12 pm

Matt wrote:I think if a movie like Fahrenheit 9/11 is fair game, than this documentary is fair game.


Well, people had to go and pay to see F 9/11 at theatres. This can be seen freely on over the air TV (something subject to government regulation, BTW). "Documentary" or not, F 9/11 wasn't being pushed off as "news", but rather a really big op-ed piece. Sinclair is trying to claim this as "news".

What do you make of the lack of theaters showing Celsius 41.11?
http://www.celsius4111.com/4111/c4111_contents/where/


I'd say it's no different than any other number of small films that don't have widespread release. I doubt many theatres will show something they don't think will make any money.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Postby Grant » Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:17 pm

Matt wrote:
krabapple wrote:Exactly.

Now, Matt, what do you make of the blatant, in-your-face attempt by the Sinclair group to push one political party over the other on its TV stations? Any outrage there?


I think if a movie like Fahrenheit 9/11 is fair game, than this documentary is fair game.

What do you make of the lack of theaters showing Celsius 41.11?
http://www.celsius4111.com/4111/c4111_contents/where/


The difference? People are going to get to see the hatchet job on Kerry for free in their homes, and you have to pay to see the Michael Moore movie. What's going to reach more people? Older people do not go to theaters as much.

Moore could give away copies of his movie.

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Postby Rspaight » Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:57 pm

The fact that this anti-Kerry thing is being labelled a "news" broadcast to avoid federal election laws is pretty slimy. But then again, Sinclair said that reading the names of the war dead wasn't in the "public interest," so they're familiar with slime.

If F9/11 were being shoved down people's throats under the guise of "news," that would be equally outrageous. But Moore's never pretended to be objective.

As far as Celsius 41.11, the guys making that movie don't have a proven track record of box office success like Michael Moore, and they don't have the same promotional muscle Michael Moore does. It's like complaining that some sci-fi movie your buddy made in his garage isn't getting the same promotion and distribution as Revenge of the Sith.

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Postby Rspaight » Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:05 pm

Speaking of slime: (I wonder how many CEOs get to "personally brief" the President of the US about their products.)

Subsidiary of network airing anti-Kerry film awarded ‘war on terror’ contract

By John Steinberg | Special to RAW STORY

Sinclair Broadcasting Group, under fire for ordering its 62 networks to broadcast a film sharply critical of John Kerry’s opposition to the Vietnam War, is a major investor in a company recently awarded a military contract by the Bush Administration, RAW STORY has learned.

Jadoo Power Systems, Inc., a producer of portable power systems, announced Sept. 28 that it had been awarded a contract to supply its products, which are used for covert surveillance operations, to US Special Operations Command. According to the SOCOM website, SOCOM “plans, directs, and executes special operations in the conduct of the War on Terrorism.”

Jadoo, whose name in Hindi means “magic,” is owned by Sinclair Ventures, Inc. and Contango Capital Management. Sinclair Ventures is “a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. as well as other individuals.”

A Jadoo press release (in PDF format) reveals that in February, 2003, President Bush was personally briefed by the CEO of Jadoo, Larry Bawden, about Jadoo products.

According to Fortune Magazine, Jadoo has sold its fuel cells to Boeing; government agencies like the CIA, the Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; and the U.S. Army.

For the 2004 election, Sinclair executives have donated nearly $59,000 to the Bush-Cheney campaign or the Republican National Committee (RNC), including a $50,000 gift to the RNC from Sinclair Vice President Fred Smith.

Sinclair Broadcasting (NASDAQ: SBGI) announced this week th»à1Üt intends to air an anti-Kerry film on all of its 62 television stations, many of which are in battleground states. The film, Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, claims that Kerry’s anti-war activities undermined morale of POWs then held in Vietnam.

Sinclair received national attention earlier this year when it preempted the April 30th Nightline television program on which host Ted Koppel read the names of the 523 American soldiers killed in Iraq up to that date.

###

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Jadoo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcasting. Sinclair Ventures, one of two investors in Jadoo, is the wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcasting.
RQOTW: "I'll make sure that our future is defined not by the letters ACLU, but by the letters USA." -- Mitt Romney

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Postby Matt » Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:11 pm

Grant wrote:The difference? People are going to get to see the hatchet job on Kerry for free in their homes, and you have to pay to see the Michael Moore movie. What's going to reach more people? Older people do not go to theaters as much.

Moore could give away copies of his movie.


You have a point. Free or not, I doubt many Kerry supporters will watch it.
-Matt

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Postby Matt » Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:14 pm

Rspaight wrote:The fact that this anti-Kerry thing is being labelled a "news" broadcast to avoid federal election laws is pretty slimy. But then again, Sinclair said that reading the names of the war dead wasn't in the "public interest," so they're familiar with slime.

If F9/11 were being shoved down people's throats under the guise of "news," that would be equally outrageous. But Moore's never pretended to be objective.

As far as Celsius 41.11, the guys making that movie don't have a proven track record of box office success like Michael Moore, and they don't have the same promotional muscle Michael Moore does. It's like complaining that some sci-fi movie your buddy made in his garage isn't getting the same promotion and distribution as Revenge of the Sith.

Ryan


Given the nature of the movie I still am surprised at the lack of distribution. Speaking of slime, no Moore never pretended to be objective, but to call F 9/11 a documentary seems a stretch to me.
-Matt

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Postby Rspaight » Tue Oct 12, 2004 5:44 pm

"Documentary" doesn't imply objectivity (nearly every documentary has a POV the maker is showing us the material through, including Celsius 41.11). "News" does.

Ryan
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Postby czeskleba » Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:20 pm

Rspaight wrote:The fact that this anti-Kerry thing is being labelled a "news" broadcast to avoid federal election laws is pretty slimy.


What exactly are the laws about equal time, anyway? It sure seems like this thing should be covered by equal time rules.

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Postby Rspaight » Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:54 am

Not if it's "news."

Ryan
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Postby krabapple » Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:58 am

The 'Fairness Doctrine' was revoked in 1987.

For a capsule history, see


http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/F/htm ... ssdoct.htm
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Postby czeskleba » Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:43 pm

krabapple wrote:The 'Fairness Doctrine' was revoked in 1987.


There's still some type of Equal Time rule though, isn't there? I remember reading this story about Lieberman wanting equal time after Sharpton was on SNL:
http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2004_02_01.html