CBS Fails to Disclose Energy Guest's Industry Ties

[G_j]

http://www.fair.org/blog/2014/03/11/cbs-fails-to-disclose-energy-guests-industry-ties/


CBS Fails to Disclose Energy Guest's Industry Ties

Posted by Peter Hart

CBS"s Face the Nation (3/9/14) was loaded up on right-wing guests. The show kicked off interviewing former Vice President Dick Cheney, then switched over to a chat with Rep. Paul Ryan, and also heard from former Reagan chief of staff James Baker. The roundtable featured two right-leaning pundits–Rich Lowry and Jeffrey Goldberg–alongside two centrist reporters, Peter Baker of the New York Times and CBS correspondent Margaret Brennan.

If you were looking at partisanship, you might say that the only guest on the Democratic side was retired General Jim Jones, since he served as Barack Obama's national security adviser. But his current job is more revealing–and it's one that CBS didn't tell its viewers.

He was on to talk about Ukraine, and here's the relevant exchange:

CHARLIE ROSE: Put in the energy equation, because of what impact that could have.

JONES: Well, you know…interestingly enough, yesterday four countries sent letters to Speaker Boehner and, I think, the majority leader in the Senate–that's Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia–asking the United States to accelerate its shipments of energy, to Eastern Europe in particular. This just underscores the fact that in a long-term– and maybe even midterm–scenario, our energy potential has the capacity of lowering the dependence of Europe on Russian energy, and therefore affecting the economic viability of Russia for a long term.

Using energy as a political tool isn't exactly novel. But what's worth knowing is that Jones isn't just a retired general. As Buzzfeed's Evan McMorris-Santoro (3/10/14) reported, Jones is now "a top lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute and the US Chamber of Commerce with a focus on Keystone."

In other words, he's paid by the oil and gas lobby to carry their message–and among the industry's top priorities are building the Keystone XL pipeline and expanding US oil and gas exploration. CBS viewers should have been told that–especially when guest host Charlie Rose is teeing up questions about the "energy equation."

[okaawhatever]

1. K & R nt

[Enthusiast]

2. CBS's David Letterman had Bill O'Reilly as a guest yesterday.

This is the second time Bill has been a guest since shorty before the first of the year. Bill was especially arrogant this time. He really threw his weight around. Dave was clearly uncomfortable.

Earlier in the week Dave had John McCain as a guest. I watch David Letterman each night. I cannot remember a left wing personality since Rachel Maddow. I am sick of their bullshit.

I now refuse to watch 60 Minutes, CBS News and the list will grow if CBS doesn't stop with their right wing bias. CBS used to be our most frequently watched channel. Damn fools.

[spanone]

5. i had to turn letterman off. o'reilly is so obnoxious i could. not. watch.

[Enthusiast]

8. Obnoxious is the word.

Billo must think Dave's audience is comprised of Fox "News" minions. Wrong!

[EC]

3. and they just had someone

quit for being "too liberal" I don't see it. I think they've been right and going further right forever.

[stillwaiting]

7. Most likely that individual was a mockingbird.

Mockingbirds are very effective at creating realities for the masses and at catapulting propaganda.

That declaration sure did receive a lot of media exposure too.

[ctsnowman]

4. So we are going to be fracked

and the energy will be exported leaving us with polluted water and air. Lovely.

[Augiedog]

6. Fail,fail,fail

And the masters of the universe wonder why no one watches meet the press anymore. Maybe because it's turned into a mimic of fox and friends. It would more accurately be named the McCain and friends circle jerk hour. When David Gregory is your intellectual powerhouse interviewer, you got trouble in river city my friend.