One important point demonstrated by Tim Russert's testimony at the Scooter Libby trial has only slowly attracted the attention it deserves. The point: our 'journalists' are doing us a huge disservice by watering down the news if not withholding important information, and they seem to hold their audience -- us -- in contempt.
Through an e-mail list I subscribe to, Chris Bowers at Blogpac called my attention to Glen Greenwald's excellent post
http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/...
which in turn refers to Dan Froomkin's column in The Washington Post today:
[First Greenwald:]
In a typically excellent article, Dan Froomkin in The Washington Post this morning explains what Tim Russert's testimony in the Libby trial reveals about how our nation's media stars operate (emphasis in original):
[Then Froomkin:]
And get this: According to Russert's testimony yesterday at Libby's trial, when any senior government official calls him, they are presumptively off the record.
That's not reporting, that's enabling. That's how you treat your friends when you're having an innocent chat, not the people you're supposed to be holding accountable.
Here's a link to Froomkin's column:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
To belabor a point Froomkin makes, not only does Tim Russert act as if he and 'senior government officials' are members of some exclusive club, Russert buys into the notion that being a member requires (and justifies) a code of conduct which includes covering for other members. Russert must hold his audience in contempt. He thinks there are things too important, too potentially inflammatory, too easily misunderstood for the common folk who watch him on TV. There are some bits of information that have to stay within the club, at least until we slow-witted common folk get up to speed on how to understand them. We proles can't handle the whole, unvarnished truth; and Tim Russert will help protect us from it.
Why waste time on a 'journalist' who doesn't think he or she can level with the audience? Every news organization needs to root out the idea anyone is 'presumptively off the record'. Meanwhile, tune out Tim Russert, and ignore Judith Miller, and challenge your local newspaper to adopt a policy that before a reporter lets anyone go 'off the record' a senior editor has to approve and listen in.
If I make it to the yearly Kos convention this August, you'll know me by my big button that will say
NOTHING is off the Record!