Jolie Rouge

MEDIA UNMASKED
'OBJECTIVE' REPORTERS GIVE LEFT
June 22, 2007

HOW many times over the years have we seen mainstream media elites get on their high horse about their unbending commitment to objectivity?

Wear ribbons after the 9/11 attacks? Heavens, no, the news poobahs swooned. Stacey Woelfel, news director at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo., directed his staff to "leave the ribbons at home" to show viewers "that in no way are we influenced by the government in informing the public."

Display the flag during wartime? Heavens, no, cried the dinosaur networks. ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider told The Washington Post: "Especially in a time of national crisis, the most patriotic thing journalists can do is to remain as objective as possible . . . We cannot signal how we feel about a cause, even a justified and just cause, through some sort of outward symbol."

And dole out political cash while on the job? Heavens, n-oh, wait a minute. That unbending commitment to neutrality is really nothing but a Wetzel's pretzel.

Despite all the past protestations about the need to avoid outward signs of partiality, we now learn that journalists in America's top newsrooms overwhelmingly donate to Democrat causes and candidates (shocker!) - and that they've been giving despite clear prohibitions and conflicts of interest.

MSNBC.com's Bill Dedman found 144 journalists who'd made political donations to candidates, parties and causes from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign. Nine out of 10 - 125 in total - gave to Democrats and liberal groups; only 17 gave to Republicans, while two gave to both parties. The donors include war correspondents who gave while embedded or on the war beat, The New York Times' ethics columnist and several news anchors who crusaded and signed petitions against the war.

Adding insult to self-injury, every single one of these donors - who work in an industry that crusades for openness, disclosure, and transparency - failed to inform their viewers, readers and bosses of their political activities.

So much for "Sunlight is the best disinfectant."

Dedman reported that CNN's Guy Raz, now covering the Pentagon for NPR, gave to Democrat Sen. John Kerry the same month he was embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq.

You'll love Raz's snitty response and high-horse non-response: "I covered international news and European Union stories. I did not cover U.S. news or politics," Raz said in an e-mail to MSNBC. Asked how he could define U.S. news to exclude the U.S. war in Iraq, he didn't reply.

Get the picture now? Wearing an American flag: Not OK. Donating to a White-Flag Democrat: A-OK!

Among the other big weenies uncovered: Randy Cohen, the ethics columnist at The New York Times, who forked over $585 to far Left MoveOn.org during its all-out war on the Bush administration in 2004. "The Ethicist" violated clear Times rules, but defends himself with the usual "Do As I Say" double standards we've come to know and mock so regularly at the Gray Lady. Reports MSNBC's Dedman: "Cohen said he understands the Times policy and won't make donations again, but he had thought of MoveOn.org as no more out of bounds than the Boy Scouts . . . Few papers would object to a journalist donating to the Boy Scouts or joining the Catholic Church."

The guy needs to stick his head out of his office more often. You broke the company rules, Mr. Ethicist, and failed to ethically disclose your donation to your readers. What part of "no" didn't you understand?

Don't look to the usual media worrywarts and watchdogs to castigate their colleagues. They're too busy launching attacks on conservative talk radio for its lack of "diversity." Is it any wonder that circulation at the elite papers and viewership for the dinosaur networks continues to drop, while the mainstream media's reputation as a national laughingstock continues to grow?

Speaking of jokes, get a load of Gideon Yago, MTV's former presidential correspondent: "I would never qualify what we do as journalism," he said when asked about donations he made to Democrat Wes Clark, the Democratic Party and left-wing America Coming Together while on the campaign beat. Now he says so, after posing as an objective reporter through two presidential cycles?

Don't worry, young Gideon. Viewers and readers can smell political advocacy masquerading as objective journalism from a mile away. And, as this latest report confirms, it isn't just the teens at MTV who continue to role-play.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06222007...lle_malkin.htm


[b]Vote for your favorite moonbat MSM political donor
By Michelle Malkin • June 21, 2007 03:21 PM
http://michellemalkin.com/2007/06/21/vote-...olitical-donor/

I mentioned the MSNBC.com investigation this morning on the overwhelmingly left-leaning journalists who have donated to political causes and candidates from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19113485/

Good stuff. There are so many choice examples of moonbattery buried in the report, but I’ve narrowed the field for favorite moonbat MSM political donor to five.

Here are your nominees:

Guy Raz, CNN. MSNBC reports: “As Jerusalem correspondent for CNN, he was embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq in June 2004, when he gave $500 to John Kerry. He didn’t supply his occupation or employer to the Kerry campaign, so his donation is listed in federal records with only his name and London address. Now he covers the Pentagon for NPR. Both CNN and NPR forbid political activity. “I covered international news and European Union stories. I did not cover U.S. news or politics,” Raz said in an e-mail to MSNBC.com. When asked how one could define U.S. news so it excludes the U.S. war in Iraq, Raz didn’t reply.”

Randy Cohen, NYTimes. He’s the ethics columnist. He broke the paper’s clear reports banning political donations. He gave $585 to MoveOn.org in 2004 when it was organizing get-out-the-vote efforts to defeat President Bush. He didn’t disclose it. Ethics, schmethics.

Mary Fulginiti, ABC News: MSNBC reports:

If a political donation is not a reflection of political views, what is it? A reflection of her neutrality?

Laura Evans, WTTG-TV, Fox News, D.C. : Gave $500 in August to Democrat John Sarbanes. Blamed her husband initially for the donation. Blogged on her channel’s website against the Iraq surge.

Calvert Collins, Fox News, KPTM Omaha : Gave money to Dem congressional candidate. Posted his photo on her Facebook page. Urged visitors to vote for him. Blamed daddy:

__________________
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