AP Lacks Integrity in its Presidential campaign coverage
By: Jim White
Published On: 8/24/2008 7:11:05 AM
As a former reporter and free-lance journalist, I learned early on to separate my opinion from actual news. I also learned my opinion didn't mean a damned thing if I was to remain objective on any given subject. This lesson is obviously lost on the Associated Press and AP Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier.
Then again, it could very well be an illicit agenda by an RNC plant to influence the Presidential race.
Fournier's article on Joe Biden joining the Democratic ticket has raised quite a stir among readers and journalists alike
By choosing Biden, Fournier argues, Barack Obama is showing a "lack of confidence," and is siding with "the status quo."
Fournier's analysis seems a bit stupid. By his logic, any potential running mate shows a "lack of confidence". Biden is an old pro and a DC insider, but he's anything but "the status quo."
Fournier's objectivity covering the presidential race is at best; questionable. We are, after all, talking about a journalist who, as recently as last year, was approached by another professional suitor; John McCain.
Consider these points from the Washington Monthly columnist Steve Beden:
In October 2006, the McCain team approached Fournier about joining the fledgling operation, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. In the months that followed, said a source, Fournier spoke about the job possibility with members of McCain's inner circle, including political aides Mark Salter, John Weaver and Rick Davis.
Fournier exchanged emails with Karl Rove about Pat Tillman, in which Fournier wrote, "The Lord creates men and women like this all over the world. But only the great and free countries allow them to flourish. Keep up the fight." Fournier was also one of the journalists who, at a gathering of the nation's newspaper editors, extended McCain a box of his favorite donuts ("Oh, yes, with sprinkles!" McCain said).
It's led to a series of AP reports that can easily be described as "atrocious."
In March, for example, Fournier wrote an item that said Barack Obama is "bordering on arrogance," "a bit too cocky," and that the senator and his wife "ooze a sense of entitlement." To substantiate the criticism, Fournier pointed to .well...nothing. It was basically the RNCs "uppity" talking point in the form of an AP article.
But much of the AP's coverage has deteriorated since. There was a slam-job on Obama that read like an RNC attack ad, followed by a 900-word reprimand of Obama's decision to bypass the public financing system in the general election, filled with errors of fact and judgment.
When Obama unveiled his faith-based plan, the AP got the story backwards. When Obama talked about his Iraq policy on July 3, the AP said he'd "opened the door" to reversing course, even though he hadn't.
The AP's David Espo wrote a 1,200-word piece, praising McCain's "singular brand of combative bipartisanship," which was utterly ridiculous.
The AP pushed the objectivity envelope a little further with a mind-numbing, 1,100-word piece on Obama "being shadowed by giant flip-flops."
The AP flubbed the story on McCain joking about killing Iranians, and then flubbed the story about McCain's promise to eliminate the deficit. It's part of a very discouraging trend for the AP that's been ongoing throughout the campaign.
And then, within hours of Obama announcing his running mate, there's Fournier again, writing up another piece -- whether it's a news article or an opinion piece is, again, unclear -- that the McCain campaign just loves.
(Some of Beden's quotes were edited for space, not for content)
Maybe the AP is now using Bill O'Rielly, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter or Neil Boortz to edit their so-called "news items". Whatever the problem, it is clear the Associated Press is no longer a valid supplier of news articles; they have become the McCain spin machine.
Comments
It's Steve Benen, (KathyinBlacksburg - 8/26/2008 7:15:43 PM)
formerly of thecarpetbaggerreport.com and now with Washington Monthly's website.
For future reference, he will keep his great articles and fact-checks alive at the old site. But new material will be at the Washington Monthly blog.
Sometimes (Jim White - 8/26/2008 9:00:29 PM)
the fingers are faster than the brain...........