If a Media Scandal "Falls in the Forest," Does it Make a Sound?

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Monday February 11, 2008 · 9:28 AM PST

2008/02/11 · 09:28

Is anyone else as amazed at the media silence around the Shuster/Clinton debacle as I am? Talk about circling the wagons. The complete and utter lack of coverage by any of the major networks or by MSNBC and CNN just makes me loathe the media even more. How many news cycles did we see on the Snub-that-Wasn't? How many cycles did we endure on one candidate or another saying "Wasted Lives," or Hillary's tears? Far too many.

There is no triviality too small for today's 24/7 media to cover ad nauseum and yet:

A major reporter on a cable network (tied to the vaunted NBC) said something indefensible about a candidate's daughter

That reporter has been suspended "indefinitely"

The Hillary campaign has distributed to all reporters a blistering letter to NBC about it

...and yet it's not worthy of even a MENTION by the networks or CNN? I don't watch FNC, but a friend who does told me they have been talking about it. Well, good for them. This is not a story that should be covered up just because it's happening to one of their own.

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I'm on record many times, including in a diary on Friday, saying that I do not believe Shuster deserves to be fired over this. A temporary suspension is warranted, in my view, but because he does not have a history of this kind of thing, it does not constitute a firing offense. That does not, however, mean it's not worthy of coverage. How in the world is a reporter suggesting Chelsea is being "pimped out" not news, but Obama turning to talk to a colleague near Clinton is? I know a few print reporters have written about it, but that is nothing like 24/7 television, and we know it.

I love Gwen Ifill more every time I see her on something other than her PBS show (which is also good) because she's not afraid to speak truth to power. She is the ONLY person I've ever seen go on Russert's show and speak that-which-shall-not-be-named, whatever that might be for the week. During the Imus mess, she was the only one who said to Tim, "You've been awfully quiet about this incident yourself, Tim." And yesterday she was the only person in all the MSNBC and NBC coverage of the election over the weekend to dare say out loud: Shuster crossed a line and words matter.

We are all on different sides of this election, but I think we can agree the media proves itself again and again to be pitifully weak and hypocritical.

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