Still Clueless

For an industry that continuously trumpets their skills, their training, their ethics, their insight, their striving to report the story – journalists just don't seem to understand the world they live in, nor the people they supposedly report for.

One has to wonder about reporters. They constantly profess their dedication to keeping the public informed, claiming stridently of the “public's right to know” and then turn around to display contempt or disdain for the intellect and concern of that public. The best examples of this can be seen when viewing the Sunday morning talking heads – Meet The Press is a rich feeding ground.

Consider the discussion this morning, along with Tim Russert, the guests included Gwen Ifill, David Broder, Roger Simon, and Howard Kurtz. Russert asked Kurtz about the Lewis Libby trial:

MR. RUSSERT: ..............Howie Kurtz, I want to ask you about the Scooter Libby trial. William Powers in the National Journal has an interesting column where he thinks that the fact that journalists have to testify is good because it will open up in terms of the public being able to see how reporters cultivate relationships to get information. You have a different view of that?

MR. KURTZ: Yeah, I certainly don’t think it’s a good thing at all, and I think the reputation of journalists in this Libby trial have taken a hit...............The problem for us as a profession is this: When journalists get up there and testify, beside—leaving aside the First Amendment question—it looks to people like—out there like we have become too cozy with senior Bush administration officials, not so we can ferret out information about national security, not so we can find out about corruption, but, in this particular case, in some cases, acting as a conduit for White House effort to put out negative information about Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame’s husband, a big critic of the pre-war intelligence. And I think that the people out there who don’t follow this all that closely think that we have become part of the club, too much the insiders. And that is a problem for journalism.

So Kurtz thinks the “reputation” of journalists in the trial have taken a hit because it “looks like” they have become “too cozy”. He bemoans the fact that people might think reporters have become a “conduit” for the White House. Well golly gee – pot meet kettle, you're both black.

Has Kurtz never heard of Judy Miller, Jeff Gannon, or Michael Gordon? And has Kurtz forgetten about Cheney's main conduit – Tim Russert? That Kurtz can sit there and spout this inane drivel is beautifully symptomatic of the problem these so-called journalists have. They appear to be totally disconnected from reality, preferring to live in a little world centered around Washington, DC and totally failing to see the stains on their hands. Kurtz thinks that people who don’t follow the happenings in Washington closely think that journalists have become insiders. He needs to wake up as people who do follow Washington closely understand full well that reporters are compromised. The networks and newspapers are losing readership and influence - not because people don't care, but simply because the media cannot be relied upon to provide truth.

Another example:

MR. RUSSERT: Gwen Ifill:

MS. IFILL: Well, you know, the journalists I talked to are having sort, sort of a collective nervous breakdown about this.........You’re right, it’s—Roger’s right, in some ways it’s kind of an inside story in that we’re all talking to each other and we’re very crazed about it. And I don’t know that Americans around the world are really worrying about that. But I do know that at some level it’s going to affect the way we do our jobs.............

Gwen, Americans are watching and worrying. There is a big world outside of Washington which you have apparently lost sight of. We're not stupid. Tragically, your profession is being exposed as one that dismisses it's Fourth Estate responsibility and contributes to the continued deterioration of American democracy.

For the last six years, we have seen the tragic results from this failure of journalistic responsibility - when will you learn?

Posted on The Human Stain