In this edition: Why can’t the media just quit whining and do their jobs?; Dana Priest and Anne Hull show how it’s done; a lot of the MSM owe Dems apologies; credit where it’s due section is beefier than usual; Bob Woodruff’s amazing recovery; Lou Dobbs still being dishonest; polling problems; double standards; bad news for those sick of Anna Nicole; ratings; and so much more...
Thoughts, and Then, the News
Dear Media: It’s time to take a look at what the GOP really believes about funding wars. XOXO, Newsie8200
Now for the news:
Must See
Bob Woodruff’s recovery has been amazing. If you looked at him today, you’d never know he suffered such a serious brain injury in Iraq. Photos here.
When you know the MSM is super f**ked up
When the editor of US Weekly wants to know why she can’t turn on cable news to get info about the Libby trial
"The level of rigor of journalism that mainstream media are putting into the Anna Nicole story seems far more focused than reporting on events that impact the nation more," says Us Weekly editor Janice Min. "I wanted to turn on news and watch information about the Scooter Libby trial, and all I could find was wall-to-wall Anna Nicole."
Min says it's "no coincidence that newspapers and other cable news networks, which have seen rough patches in their audiences, think, 'Well, we have to evolve with our audience.' The journalistic mission has taken second place to responding to the audience. 'If they're not up for Iraq, they'll definitely be up for Anna Nicole.'"
If it’s not Anna or Britney, it’s Iran
Iran getting more mentions in media.
Yes, Ask Questions, Get Information...
Link.
Newsweek’s White House correspondent Richard Wolffe added, "[Bloggers] want us to play a role that isn’t really our role. Our role is to ask questions and get information. ... It’s not a chance for the opposition to take on the government and grill them to a point where they throw their hands up and surrender."
I’m with Richard Wolffe until he stops with get information. The problem is that sometimes that’s where a lot of reporters stop doing their jobs. They get their question answered and dutifully regurgitate whatever the press flack says... and don’t do the amount of fact-checking and follow-up required to get the clearest, fullest picture possible. It is also certainly the job of the MSM to do investigative work. Americans don’t have time to go digging around to see if the government is doing what it says it is doing. We depend on an aggressive (not overly aggressive, just aggressive) press to do the digging. Too often the press barks and then, rolls over when told to do so. It also doesn’t help that the media is too often devoting time and resources to stuff like Anna Nicole. More of what Dana Priest and Anne Hull at WaPo did on The Other Walter Reed, please.
Yes, Early Pres-08 Polls Have Major Flaws
Link. A Chris Bowers polling post I have no qualms with.
Duncan Hunter should fire this dude now
Because he said some really nasty stuff. Shall we call this the what-is-good-for-foul-mouthed-lefty-bloggers-is-good-for-foul-mouthed-GOP operatives principle?
The MSM and the Black Vote
Interesting, and fits in with my view that the MSM is filled with a lot of people who don’t know as much as they think they do about the (insert-ethnic/racial/religious/sexual orientation group) vote. Remember that MTP roundtable where you had a white moderator and 3 white participants talk about whether Obama was black enough... and then, came the one person who was actually black and told them she didn’t understand where the black enough stuff was coming from?
RWCM Watch
Credit Where It’s Due
- I’m not into giving kudos before the fact, but NBC News put a lot of resources into its upcoming "Wounds of War" series.
- Shocking! Fact-checking on CNN. Kudos to Anderson Cooper for fact-checking Tom Tancredo.
- Don Imus, when it comes to Walter Reed
- I’ve been flipping around and lately, CNN has had far less Anna Nicole Smith coverage than MSNBC and FNC, so kudos to CNN for that alone... and it’s not just my eyes and remote. The data here and here. The ANS coverage is getting better than average ratings for MSNBC, and CNN appears to be suffering in the ratings as a result of its lack of ANS coverage. Sigh. This means we (including MSNBC’s Chris Jansing)will have to suffer through more ANS coverage, I guess. Also, if there’s a big legal case, FNC’s Greta Van Susteran is sure to see a rise in her ratings.
- McClatchy bureau in Baghdad (formerly Knight Ridder). For continuing to further our understanding of the situation in Iraq.
- Chris Wallace surprisingly, and I’m in agreement with Atrios’s assessment here.
- NBC News’ Lisa Myers & Adam Ciralsky win George Polk Award for story that exposed preferential treatment in awarding $70M contract to Raytheon Company.
- Dana Priest & Anne Hull of WaPo for their excellent series on The Other Walter Reed. They’ve done the kind of work that more journalists should do. Their investigative reports appear to be yielding some improvements for soldiers at The Other Walter Reed. For more on the work that went into The Other Walter Reed series, click here. It takes resources and commitment. Priest and Hull spent 4 months working on their story, and are certainly getting tons of praise for the story.
- CNN getting praise for its Black History Coverage.
Media People & In the Field
News & Notes on Media orgs, Programming, Specials, etc.
State of the Media, Trends, Research Reports, Innovations
The Audience: Ratings, Circulation, & Ad Rates, etc.
Newsie’s Media News Report is a compilation of recent media news; it was formerly known as Media News Monday. If you have any media news to add, please do so. I don’t often post Media Matters stuff, because almost everyone already either links to or visits that site. Same with Greg Sargent’s The Horse’s Mouth at Talking Points Memo. I’ll post only if I’ve got something to add. For more RWCM watch & Media News: Penndit's News, Media News, and RWCM Watch Links. I get the advertising, public relations, targeting voters information, and media research from a variety of sources. Cross-posted at Penndit. For previous editions, search my diaries or Penndit.
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