I was in the kitchen slicing up veggies for stew, and somehow accidentally had ABC local news on the TV nearby -- when I heard a segment which reminded me all too clearly, why I never listen to network news anymore.
In an obviously pissy segment about Obama's message show this evening, I counted at least a couple lies, a loaded question and Obama not allowed to finish a sentence in reply, and a general nasty tone that may have something to do with ABC having lost that half hour to Fox when it equivicated too long, but certainly didn't resemble journalism as I'm familiar with it.
So, I sent 'em a snarky email:
I'd forgotten why I no longer watch ABC news, until I accidentally had the station on tonight while making dinner.
In news coverage about Barack Obama's political message tonight, I heard two or three outright falsehoods, and a loaded question, to which the candidate's answer was obviously clipped so short, he had no chance to answer that loaded question -- which left that as the only statement.
I had to finish making dinner and eat it, so sorry I can't be more specific than the one or so examples I'll give. But I went to Journalism school, so I know a loaded question, a quote clipped so that the interviewee's message may be changed, and falsehoods when I've heard 'em -- especially when I've read the facts elsewhere.
For instance: your announcer said something to the effect that Obama's message would "delay" the World Series tonight, and I believe followed with a clip from McCain saying that he'd never delay an important sports game with a speech.
Even the Fox network themselves have admitted that they didn't "delay" tonight's World Series game for Obama's message -- they merely chose to skip the pre-game chatter.
Get it? Fox chose to air the Obama message, for whatever their reasons, instead of pre-game chit chat. You can look it up, in fact, I urge you to.
Also: if ABC news had bothered to do any fact-checking, you'd have found that McCain delayed some important sports game or other for one of his big campaign speeches(MSNBC knows, you can ask them.)
Again sorry, but I'm not interested in sports -- or Republican speeches -- enuf to remember this more specifically, but I'd think your news people should remember, or have more inclination to look it up than I do.
In any case, I'll bet if you go over that petulant segment, you'll find several more examples of untruth, that loaded question I heard and that truncated reply of Obama's ABC cut off -- enough certainly that you owe your audience a retraction.
However, unfortunately, I won't hear it, since I've been reminded why I've skipped your network's news for so long.
(Oooh, are ABC's knickers in a twist 'cause they didn't get the bread for Obama's speech? -- I've read that you all didn't accept early enuf, and Fox got the message instead.)
And clicked on the bar that sent my message also to be published on their website.
Oh the loaded question -- which was phrased as though it came right out of the McCain play book -- was a school yard taunt that had something to do with Obama refusing public financing. Obama got to say, "Yes, we did raise a lot of money..." when bam, he was cut off.
And that ladie's and gentleman was it for an Obama and the info about his message, thanks to network news, and their oh so unbiased coverage.