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Home Front: Politix
No Media Bias Here
2004-10-09
via powerlineblog.com
Drudge Exclusive

ABCNEWS POLITICAL DIRECTOR MEMO SPARKS CONTROVERSY: BOTH SIDES NOT 'EQUALLY ACCOUNTABLE'

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."

x x x x x

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.
Posted by:ed

#10  Holy living Christ,

Don't any of you people know how to read a single, whole page of text? What Halperin is saying is that:

1) as a strong news organization immune to intimidation, ABC should be devoted to exposing the FACTUAL truth about any and all political statements. That they shouldn't just play the "he said / he said" game that all media outlets play by having a talking head from both sides repeat their stories.

Halperin just wants his people to start being actual, INVESTIGATIVE reporters, and to REPORT on stories.

2) Bush and Kerry both lie, but Bush's lies are completey monstrous, and CENTRAL to his efforts to get re-elected.

i.e. his recent gaffe about "non-discretionary funding" rising by 15% of its total per year, and him having reduced it to 1%. That was a complete and total fabrication. There is nothing in that statement that could possibly be related to the truth. Both the NYtimes and the Washington Times examined that fact, and discovered that Bush has presided over the largest increases in "non-discretionary" military funding in the past 6 Presidents.

Before he hit office it was hoving at around 4%, and now it's up at 8.2%.

Again, to re-iterate to the illiterate:

we don't "...hold both sides "equally" accountable WHEN THE FACTS DON'T WARRANT THAT."

FACTS.

JUST THE FACTS.
Posted by: Hupereger Ebbigum6422   2004-10-12 12:35:28 PM  

#9  And to have ABC Agenda Queen Charlie choose the questions, selecting the most absurd possible "Do You STILL Beat Your Wife?" item for Bush as the last question of the night. Prolly got his MSM Premium Asshole card stamped for a whole year for that one. Anyone want to guess how many drinks he'll have to buy over the next few months? Right, none.
Posted by: .com   2004-10-09 9:14:49 PM  

#8  Yes, hopefully they will. In the meantime someone should set up a university degree course in deciphering political propaganda and media bias.
Posted by: Bryan   2004-10-09 3:26:42 PM  

#7  noticed this memo was typed in pica on a 1971 Smith-Corona?

Looks like a laptop too.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-10-09 3:25:11 PM  

#6  Bryan -- thanks for the translation. I thought it was just me who didn't understand what the hell he was saying.

This is the world we live in, though: lies in flowery language. Make it as vague as possible, so there's always the chance to go back and say, "No, this is what I really meant when I said that." Thing is, most people are smarter than what these elites think, and hopefully they'll get their comeuppance soon.
Posted by: nada   2004-10-09 2:35:47 PM  

#5  Bias, my ass; this is collusion.
Posted by: Dave D.   2004-10-09 2:10:31 PM  

#4  I had to read the whole memo five times to get an idea of what it means. When you think of it, it's a masterful achievement to write a memo of a few hundred words and say virtually nothing, but hint at so much. The guy has really mastered the gobbledygook of propaganda masquerading as responsible journalism.

So I thought I'd try to translate the memo into simple English:

These two guys both lie and fabricate, but their guy does it much better than our guy, and is using it against our guy. In fact, their guy could win if we don't support and push our guy. I know I don't have to tell you who our guy is. So go for it.
Posted by: Bryan   2004-10-09 1:55:59 PM  

#3  Has anyone noticed this memo was typed in pica on a 1971 Smith-Corona?
Posted by: Angie Schultz   2004-10-09 1:14:45 PM  

#2  and another resume to be shopped if they have any interest in credibility
Posted by: Frank G   2004-10-09 1:11:00 PM  

#1  So add ABC to CBS on the Busted for Bias list.
Posted by: OldSpook   2004-10-09 11:27:39 AM  

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