A thought about last night's PBS/Moyers special .... and the lie(?) it may have contained

[Stinky The Clown]

A number of prominent media personalities got some face time in the special. Of particular note, to me at least, were Russert and Rather saying, essentially, they had been duped and, in some VERY subtle way, threatened to either carry water or get fired.

Do you believe that? Were they threatened?

[Hobarticus]

1. Gee, I'd hate to see them actually do their freakin' JOBS

If they were threatened....so what? That's a coward's way out.

[pocoloco]

2. Look what happened to Rather.

[blm]

6. Rather, yes - But Tim Russert lied his ass off and blamed Democrats because he didn't do his job.

THEY booked almost all Republicans and war cheerleaders on their shows for 2 years and rarely asked about serious matters like Tora Bora unless they could get a Democrat to side with George Bush on it instead of Kerry.

[Uncle Joe]

3. I believe it's possible, can't say for sure.

I have come to view anchors or pundits as merely mouths for their corporate masters. If the CEOs of these corporations were strong supporters of Bush, I can't see these guys bucking the trend, putting their pay checks or careers at risk.

When Jack Welch pressured his network to call Florida for Bush early during the coup of 2000, while the count was still in doubt, no one from that network reported shit about it.

I just don't believe a journalist or broadcaster will buck their network or master corporation to get the truth out anymore, if they ever did. Edward Murrow was an exception and he was reigned in real quick and that was over fifty years ago.

[Redbear]

4. It almost looked like Rather was dying to say exactly that

Instead he said, "Nobody needs to tell you" what is in the corporation's best interest.

[saltpoint]

5. Can't say for sure, but I did notice that Timmy and the rest

behaved like schoolkids called in to the principal's office in the presence of a real journalist like Moyers.

There was a lot less tap-dancing with Bill Moyers asking the questions.

I was especially appalled by the CNN guy. What a weasel.

[ieoeja]

14. They were smiling and laughing?

Of course, the only two times I was called into the principal's office (and one time into the assistant dean's at college) the principal was completely in the wrong, and I knew I could prove it.

First time I was being punished because I, "did it". I kept smiling and asking the principal and bus driver (who initiated the incident) what "it" was. When they threatened to call in my parents because I refused to accept punishment, I finally informed the principal that "it" was a fart. And that I wasn't the one who farted anyway.

Of course, they had to get a bunch of other kids from the bus into the office to verify this. Someone (we never did find the actual criminal) passed gas prompting a bunch of kids to laughingly shout that I, "did it!" The bus driver ordered me to the front of the bus. I asked why.

"You know why."

"Yes, I do. But do you?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Then tell me what it is?"

And so on.


Second time was the day after I drove a 6th grader to the hospital following an injury during a basketball game. I thought I was going to be thanked or some such thing. Turns out someone in my car stole a basketball. When the principal accused me of, "driving the getaway car," I burst out laughing picturing some gangsters on a running board blasting away with Tommy gun. "You're not gonna' get me, see. I've got this ball, and you're not getting it back, coppers," is what I shouted out to the principal as I walked out on him with him shouting for me to come back.


The college assistant dean's situation involved my being accused of embezzling activity funds for an activity that got cancelled because I never returned the check. I didn't cash it either. I just threw the thing away when it got cancelled. But I played along with the hearing to the point where I was technically kicked out of college two weeks before graduation. At the point I told them I never cashed the check and that they should maybe, I dunno, look at the bank account to see if it had ever been cashed?


In my experience, getting into official trouble has been a hoot!

[saltpoint]

15. It's less of a hoot when soldiers and civilians die, though.

Moyers' program is already having an effect.

Let's hope it's sustained.

[mahina]

7. Lie?

I don't think so, not remotely.

[heidler1]

8. Bush delivered on lowering taxes for the rich and that's the whole thing in a nut shell.

[Cameron27]

9. Rather yes, Russert no.

Poor Phil Donahue had to have 2 conservatives for every 1 liberal on his show, and then they dumped him anyway.

[Forkboy]

10. What aggravates me is seeing this come out five years after the fact.

It was a frustrating view,but hopefully it reached a lot of people who didn't know this stuff (and they are out there).My father didn't know anything about the Abrahmoff/Delay ties until the Frontline episode,so there's always hope one more person gets it.

[blm]

12. Boehlert said in 2005 that corpmedia was complicit in protecting Bush for 2004 and

so last night's revelations about the manipulations of coverage for war was really just confirming what we all have known since Gore's 2000 media coverage.

[Bitwit1234]

11. Rather has already said that news reporters at CBS are told what to say.

Remember the interview he gave after he was forced to resign.

[blm]

13. Yep - and that is how perception of Democrats is 'managed' to destroy any chance

for an honest lawmaker to gain the oval office.

The only Dems the corpmedia admires are those who will comply to the fascist agenda and provide cover for BushInc.