In the blogosphere, we’re often accused by the journalism industry as being untrustworthy, partisan, biased, unsourced, and of working in our bathrobes. Of course, such allegations are easy to make, especially if you’re one of those journalists who like to make such allegations without any actual examples of bloggers being guilty of any of the above.
In short, those alleging these crimes by bloggers are perpetrating the exact same crimes they speak of, AS they speak of them.
Sadly, that’s exactly WHY the mainstream media is suddenly feeling under attack - because they don’t do what we do - fact-check, source information, and keep an even unbiased keel in relation to facts.
Well I’m about to demonstrate two types of journalism for you. The first, which we’ll call the Katie Couric Brand of Journalism, is as follows:
Katie Couric: Did she take part in the 9/11 attacks?
Katie Couric’s career rise was meteoric. A sister of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, Katie Couric earned herself a degree in American Studies from the University of Virgina in 1970, soon moving to a job as desk assistant for ABC News, then another as assignment editor for CNN, and then a reporter for NBC. Couric quickly became a regular substitute for the anchors of Today, NBC News and NBC News at Sunrise. [Note: This is the Katie Couric lead-in - it's fluff, useful only to emphasize the change in tone that follows]
She was considered ‘great fun’ and a real ‘girly girl’ by those around her. But some people say, this was also the period of her life when she was first approached by right wing moneymen and offered a fast track to the big time... if only she said did as she was told. It's also, according to some, when she first became linked to terrorism.
It is alleged that Couric took a leave from her NBC job to attend a Christian fundamentalist camp in Waco Texas run by David Koresh, former head of the Branch Davidian sect. While Couric trained with suspected anti-abortion terrorists and Midwestern militia men, according to uncorroborated reports, she would torture squirrels, strapping them with railway detonator caps before taking aim with an air rifle and exploding the poor rodents all over Koresh’s lawn. It is claimed that Couric would pray in the temple to Jesus six times a day as she studied Branch Davidianism. Those who attended the compound at that time, who admittedly didn’t know her well, say she was a good student, but that her middle name at the time, "Osama", had several of the congregation questioning whether she was in fact one who could be trusted.
Couric is also alleged to have done a story in 1999 in which she flew with a Navy pilot in a fighter jet, but according to unnamed sources, Couric ‘never learned how to land’. She also has an account at Home Depot, which in 2000 was allegedly used to purchase several pieces of equipment useful in a hostage situation - including a box-cutter.
[Note: The text in italics is textbook Couric - it frees her to say, suggest, infer and allege anything she wants to without any actual sourcing, proof, or facts to back it up. In fact, by using this technique she can say things that she knows are absolutely incorrect, simply by putting them to someone else]
Couric’s employers deny she had any part in the 9/11 attacks, calling all of these rumors entirely unsubstantiated - and CNN even went so far as to visit the Waco compound and have since flatly refuted that Couric was ever there... But the question remains, is America ready for a TV news anchor with ties to suspected terrorists?
Okay, so that’s the ‘Katie Couric journalism’ version of the Katie Couric story. Kind of dramatic, huh? It’s also entirely false, rife with poor journalism, lies, rumors, unsubstantiated facts, and essentially it’s one giant smear.
For a first hand example of this kind of smear, see the video clip of her most recent Notebook on Media Matters, where she repeats allegations against Barack Obama that she KNOWS are untrue in every possible way - yet they continue to pour out of her mouth as if to say, "hey, not me saying it, so it ain't my problem..."
So now that we know what Katie Couric journalism is, let’s see what REAL journalism is. I’ll even put my bathrobe on while I do it, just to prove it can be done by a real life Blogger. In doing so, I'll quote only one source for the entire piece, but that source will be accurately and totally properly sourced, so that everything alleged can be shown as documented fact - the very basis of responsible journalism.
Katie Couric: An embarrassment to journalists everywhere
Katie Couric has a working background in journalism, but has never actually studied it. Her American Studies degree from the University of Virginia opened a few doors wide enough for her to climb the TV journalism ladder, but she never actually went to journalism school. She never studied the ethics of journalism.
And so it stands to reason that, somewhere along the line, she lost track of what a TV journalist is supposed to do, and instead veered off into the territory of Geraldo Rivera and Deborah Norville. Proof?
Let’s take a look at her career lowlights - in fact, to keep it from getting stupid, let’s just go from October 2005 to December 2005:
- October 18 2005, Couric interviews under secretary for public democracy, Karen Hughes, and prefaces a question about the Libby trial with a ready-made excuse for Highes not to answer it, saying "I know you're not at liberty to talk about it, but..." She follows that question with another, this one not even requiring an answer from Hughes, being as it's so set up for an obvious response: "Let me ask you about the vote on the Iraqi constitution, if I could. Over 10 million Iraqis cast ballots. I guess in midweek we'll know if the constitution passed. Do you think it's a boon for democracy whether it does or not, by the very fact that so many people came out to vote?" (link)
- October 25 2005, Couric asks John Kerry whether he was concerned that 38% of voters didn’t like Hillary Clinton, ignoring the fact that 48% DID like her. (link)
- October 31 2005, Couric offers a description right out of right wing talking points, calling Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito "a strict constructionist" who "will interpret the Constitution literally" - something completely at odds with academics who actually study judicial leanings. This was Couric's second outing in trying to understand judicial tendencies:
In describing a July NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll question that asked whether Bush should appoint a judge "who will give greater consideration to the original intentions of the authors of the Constitution" or one that "will give greater consideration to changing times and current realities in applying the principles of the Constitution," Couric summarized the second choice as "a judicial activist."
(link)
- November 15 2005, Couric a Senate Democrat plan that would require reporting by the Bush administration to Congress on progress in Iraq as being a "Republican" plan. In actual fact, the Republicans had made 'handwritten changes' to the Democrat plan, then claimed it as their work, something neither Couric nor co-host Matt Lauer seemed to know about, or if they did, chose not to mention it, instead parroting the Republican lie. (link)
- November 30 2005, Couric interviews Bill O'Reilly on Today - his second appearance that month - and fails to stop him when he accuses people calling for a withdrawal from Iraq as Nazi appeasers, instead following up with "What is your biggest fear about a premature withdrawal from Iraq?" (link)
- December 10 2005, Couric talks to Tim Russert and Couric, in an interview with Tim Russert, and characterizes the debate over the Bush administration's domestic spying controversy as being a battle between "legal analysts and constitutional scholars" on the one hand and "Americans" who "don't want another September 11" on the other.(link)
I could go on and on. In fact, the source I've been using, Media Matters, does exactly that, charting a whopping three pages of examples of Katie Couric's awful brand of journalism, including these greatest hits:
- Couric: Wal-Mart "is as American as mom and apple pie"
- Couric failed to question Matalin on earlier statements absolving Cheney of blame in shooting; echoed Matalin's account of shooting's disclosure
- Couric falsely claimed Democrats "really applauded" only the failure of Bush's Social Security proposal at SOTU
- With Today hosts' record of silence on conservative falsehoods, Couric chided Dean for accurate statement
- New CBS anchor Couric did not challenge Bush falsehoods, gushed: "[P]eople admire so much your ability to adhere to your principles" This article has video.
- Couric failed to question Snow about "tar baby" remark, allowed his misleading claims to go unchallenged
- [Couric] touted Bush's routine at Correspondents' dinner, ignored Colbert's skewering
- Finding the bright side in all-time low approval rate: Couric asked if White House was "breathing a sigh of relief" because Bush's rating fell only one point
- In response to Pennsylvania school shooting, CBS' "Free Speech" featured Columbine father attacking evolution, abortion
- Couric fails to challenge "scary smart," " 'girly' and fun" Rice on a host of issues
- [Katie Couric gives Rush Limbaugh network news forum]
- Do Couric and Gibson agree with Tony Snow that questions about Bush administration's North Korea policy are "silly" and "gratuitous"?
- [Couric] ignored Bush's pledge to retain Rumsfeld while continuing to play up Kerry story
- White House again times Iraq policy to U.S. elections; CBS' Couric and Axelrod show little interest, despite surge of troop deaths
- Couric repeated administration spin on health care plan: Uninsured will be able to buy coverage
And who can forget the all-time favorite, when Couric suggested that the husband of cancer-stricken Elizabeth Edwards might be 'callous' for running for President, rather than going home to tend to his sick wife?
"Some say what you're doing is courageous. Others say it's callous. Some say, 'Isn't it wonderful they care for something greater than themselves.' And others say it's a case of insatiable ambition."
No mention from Couric as to, when she personally chose to work through her own husband's bout of terminal colon cancer, whether it was a case of "caring for something greater than" herself or "insatiable ambition."
And now, Couric has outdone herself. Despite CNN having proved, beyond any doubt at all, that Barack Obama did NOT attend a Madrassa, that he was never a Muslim, and never attended Muslim prayer classes, Couric goes out and does an entire 'Notebook' on saying that he did all of the above, before questioning whether America is ready for such a person to be President.
(At this point I'm switching off the journalism and giving over to unfettered opinion - just so there isn't any confusion)
For shame, you gutless, gormless, feckless harradin!
Boo, you smearing, lying, spinning harpy!
Begone, you uneducated, unqualified, unadulterated sell-out.
Fuck off, you money-dripping arse of the journalism world. Take your ignorant brand of dumb-down back to Deborah Norville country and release your hold on what SHOULD be an important position in American society - that of protector, overseer, watchdog and educater.
Edward R. Murrow would beat you in the street with a pipe for what you do to the nation on a nightly basis, and if there's any justice in the world, you'll one day learn what it's like to work minimum wage while wealthy enablers like yourself pee on the population from a great height.
Tell CBS what you think of this utter waste of airtime - NO MORE LIES!