hey Bob? you're a dumbass

[somedaybitch]

One of those "reminiscences" she talked about interested National Review's new media blogger, as it interests me. Here's the way Feuer, reluctant reporter, described a disagreement with CNN's veteran correspondent, Bob Franken:

His quarrel with Franken had begun the very moment Franken had expressed his horror that Fox News anchors wore American flag lapel pins on the air.
"How can you be a patriot and a journalist?" Franken had asked. "They’re mutually exclusive occupations." T.R., who considered himself both, had asked why Franken could not love his country, to which had come the answer, "America is not my country. I’m a citizen of the world."

"Like Danny Pearl?" T.R. had asked. "You are American, Bob… it is a nonnegotiable fact."

"My goodness," Franken had said. "I think your employers at the New York Times would be horrified, horrified! to hear you say a thing like that."

from this article. the author does go on to comment on his impressions on if the comments are accurate or not, and then does contact Franken for spin comment.

ht to the lovely suelac for the link.

Comments

[thevaliumsofalj.livejournal.com]

Great article! Did you catch Jeff Jarvis' comment on the article?

The problem in the religion of big journalism is that you're not supposed to have opinions. You're not supposed to be American. You're not supposed to be human. You're a reporter.

And that, of course, is just so much hubristic hogwash. [....]

The problem with this objectivity doctrine is that reporters and editors didn't just make themselves adherants of a religion, they made themselves monks, even gods: higher beings who do not suffer from the human foibles of opinions and viewpoints and who think having open conversations with those who do is below them.

But the truth is that they are Americans covering an American war and smokers covering a smoking ban and Catholics covering church sex scandals and Jews covering Israel and citizens covering politics. They are not above or apart from us. They are us.

[lvp3.livejournal.com]

First off, this guy is a jackass.

Second, in response to the article thevaliumsofa quoted, since when are they not supposed American? As the article says, that's what they are! The fact of the matter is that no one can ever truly be unbiased about everything.

Additionally, there is such a huge bias in the news media today that it's near impossible to find a news source that IS unbiased, or at least mostly unbiased. As much as I love FoxNews, they aren't even totally unbiased, although I do think they do a pretty good job.

Grrr. It's still early and my thoughts aren't gathered well yet. Sorry for the incoherence, if there is any.

[somedaybitch.livejournal.com]

the whole series/discussion/thingy at thinkpress is actually really good. a bit scattered at times but the questions raised are solid, and it's a respected site so it gets some heavyhitter perspectives that touch on what you said.