Posted by: Alice Stewart in MyBlog on Jun 24, 2009
The upcoming ABC prime time health care program is a tough pill to swallow. "Questions for the President: Prescription for America" is nothing more than than in infomercial with a healthy dose of skepticism from champions of equal time.
The administration's record of selective media access and planted questions at press briefings has raised eyebrows of even objective observers. If you didn't know any better, you'd imagine 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has a new sign reading: "Welcome to the Obama White House - Journalists please check your integrity at the door."
Don't get me wrong, you can't blame ABC for accepting the offer to broadcast live from the East Room, the Blue Room, and the South Lawn of the White House. Not to mention the exclusive conversation with the President of the United States. Despite the red-carpet treatment, the network has an ethical responsibility to be accurate in their presentation. I hope they are, but it doesn't look that way.
ABC News has refused to air paid ads which offer an alternative viewpoint during the prime-time program. They refused to allow the Republican National Committee (RNC) to present the views of any GOP leaders. RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay protested the program, saying this is a "glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda."
Network executives defend their decision to have complete editorial control. They will select the audience, the questions, and topics to be discussed. ABC Senior VP Kerry Smith said they will include an array of thoughtful and diverse voices. Including their own medical expert, Dr. Timothy Johnson, ABC's medical editor, who is an outspoken supporter of universal healthcare.
"In the end, no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions," Smith said.
The President will have home field advantage. ABC is the visitor. The network has spent tremendous time and money promoting the program to broadcast from inside "his house." Let's just hope they aren't afraid to use the guest towels and ask difficult questions for fear of not receiving a return invitation.
In my experience with national news outlets, I do feel the reporters and crews on the ground share an honest desire to put together a quality, balanced story. More often than not, they get both sides, some pretty pictures, and wrap it up. On occasion, something would happen between the final handshake in the field and the final product. The middle- of- the road story became a minefield, with no advanced warning. I took it as an occupational hazard of being a conservative Press Secretary in a liberal media world.
It's no secret President Obama and the liberal media are card-carrying members of the mutual admiration society.
We saw the first saw signs when MSNBC's Chris Matthews' experienced the "chill" up his leg while covering Obama, NBC's Brian Williams' bow at the end of his White House extravaganza, and Newsweek Editor Evan Thomas hails Obama as "sort of God."
Did I mention President Obama's been on the cover of Newsweek 19 times?
The president isn't bashful about it, he's aware that many members of the media have a man crush on him. Speaking at the White House Correspondents' dinner, he said "most of you covered me. All of you voted for me." Of course, he went on to exclude Fox News.
He later acknowledged the perks of being the object of the liberal media's affection. President Obama joked with those at the Radio and Television Correspondents dinner, "why bother hanging out with celebrities when I can spend time with the people who made me one."
Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism found that President Obama has benefitted from substantially more positive media coverage than his two recent predecessors. During the first two months in office, 42% of the stories, editorials, and op ed columns about Obama have been positive in tone, compared with 22% for Bush and 27% for Clinton.
Is journalism dead? No, but its credibility hangs in the balance. True journalists would not put their names and faces on news programs that refuse opposing views.
Legendary newsman Walter Cronkite would end every newscast with the phrase, "And that's the way it is...." Viewers knew they had just heard the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There was no filter, just the facts.
Networks and newspapers of today have the same responsibility. Their integrity is built on reporting "the way it is", with no personal persuasion or influence. Journalists who take pride in that obligation should receive a clean bill of health, those who don't, deserve further examination.