According to Spin Buster, Public Editor Daniel Okrent doesn't quite give the balance question justice in his column today: Political Bias at The Times? Two Counterarguments.
As the Campaign Desk points out, giving his space over to commentary from the Left (Todd Gitlin) and the Right (Bob Kohn) is:
...uncomfortably close to the lame answer that cable networks have devised to the "balance" question -- let loose two talking heads (or, in this case, typing heads), one from each end of the political spectrum, and leave it to the viewer/reader to sort his way through the resulting carnage.
I agree with the Desk: "Tom Tomorrow Gets it Exactly Right".
....the most telling comment on press performance in the Week in Review section (sorry, Dan) comes on the facing page three, where the
Times reprints an episode of Tom Tomorrow's weekly cartoon, "This Modern World." Since it speaks for itself, we'll let it speak for itself:
TV Screen
John Kerry: "Osama is very good at master-minding terrorist attacks! That's why we must defeat him!"
Click!
President Bush: "So my opponent thinks Osama is VERY GOOD? Well, I don't think Osama is good at all! I think he's very BAD!
Click!
Dick Cheney: "John Kerry is one of Osama's BIGGEST FANS! He thinks Osama is a REALLY GREAT GUY! They're practically BEST FRIENDS! Snarl!"
Click!
News Anchor: "Bill, I don't know what John Kerry was THINKING when he praised Osama Bin Laden, but --"
Click!
Ann Coulter: "If John Kerry loves Osama so much, why don't they just go have a BIG GAY WEDDING -- in TAXACHUSETTS?! Haw, haw!"
Click!
Wolf Blitzer: "John Kerry CLAIMS that the President quoted him out of context! Ed Gillespie -- how does the R.N.C. respond to this ALLEGATION?"
Ed Gillespie: "Wolf, the American people know who thinks Osama is GOOD -- and who thinks he is BAD!"
Click!
Male Anchor: "Coming up next! The results of our Internet poll question -- do YOU think Osama is GOOD?"
Female Anchor: "And we'll find out if John Kerry REALLY thinks Osama is his BEST FRIEND in the WHOLE WORLD!"
Male Anchor: "First these messages!"
Click!
And that's the way it is.