Brian Williams Finally Wakes Up!

[NewInNewJ.]

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/APE/509110703


NBC's Williams: Journalists' Gloves Off

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer
September 11. 2005 2:00PM





NBC's Brian Williams says the lasting legacy of Hurricane Katrina for journalists may be the end of an unusual four-year period of deference to people in power.

There were so many angry, even incredulous, questions put to Bush administration officials about the response to Katrina that the Salon Web site compiled a "Reporters Gone Wild" video clip. Tim Russert, Anderson Cooper, Ted Koppel and Shepard Smith were among the stars.

The mute button seemingly in place since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has been turned off.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/APE/509110703

[napi21]

1. I can only hope he's right, and all of the MSM has emerged

from their coma state of the last 5 years!

[Laelth]

21. It has been a 5-year-coma ...

... but it's not the first one I've seen. The media, fresh off its victory over Nixon in Watergate, hammered Carter mercilessly for 4 years. Then, somewhat saddened to see that it had ruined an honorable man and a good President, the media put on the kid gloves for Ronald Reagan. Reagan could do no wrong for 8 years. The media, in general (Phil Donahue excepted), fawned over Reagan just as it has over Bush since 9-11.

So, I've seen this kind of treatment before, but Katrina seems to have awoken the slumbering giant. Let's hope it stays awake.

-Laelth

[Castilleja]

27. So basically, their reaction has been wrong each time.

It may the same later on, the next administration will be hounded mercilessly because the media will be freshly readied for battle. Just kneejerk reaction instead of an examination of the root problem the media has going on.

[bobbieinok]

30. what about the drumbeat vs Clinton that heated up in 97-98?????

[bullimiami]

2. the chickenshit media has been too scared to challenge bushco on

anything.
they were unrelenting on clinton because they werent scared of him or the democrats.
they are so frightened of the neocon repugs and what they might do to them that they have sold us out.
screw the media. they are accompices in these stolen elections, war, huge abuse and misappropriation of our money and on and on and on.

[Skink]

4. They are realizing thier own obsolecense. Blogs rule.

I haven't watched more than 10 minutes of tv news coverage since the election.

[CTyankee]

19. Yep. The MSM are in their death throes

They just don't know it yet.

[Frederik]

20. Clinton didn't send anthrax letters

[NNN0LHI]

3. Why should I be happy about these assholes finally doing their jobs?

Over 4 years of sucking on Bush's ass and one time these fucks do something right I am supposed to get all misty eyed? Don't think so Brian. Nice try though. Go somewhere else and pat yourselves on the back.

Don

[nookiemonster]

9. Exactly. Why should mediocrity be rewarded? Again??

The fucks should've been reporting the news, period. It must've be nice getting a fat paycheck to shill for the fascists while you were selling your fucking character and integrity. For what? Access?

Spare me.


Fuck 'em. They're being rendered useless. We're the media, now.

[I Have A Dream]

5. Intestering article, NewinNJ. Thanks for posting it! n/t

[NewInNewJ.]

7. You are welcome.

I know the media has been kiss ups to Bush and his bushies for the last 5 or more years. I just think it is surprising to hear one of them admit it.

[cry baby]

6. I will hold off on my judgement about the change in the media.

I am skeptical that it will actually change for good. I didn't watch the Sunday talk shows today, but I get a sense from posters here that the spin by media for the WH is back. I haven't heard through our corporate media that, for example, Halliburton is going to be making big bucks from this human tragedy.

Very skeptical!

[Dem Agog]

8. I wrote Brian Williams last week...

I emailed him and told him he'd done something unbelievable. He'd made me utter "viewer for life" after I had given up all hope of redemption from our MSM.

I wrote a long e-mail, took some time on it. I hope he read it. I have a degree in Journalism and I wrote about how I have shunned the field since graduating because I felt today's journalists, from the everyday reporter on up were just shills for their corporate masters, kowtowing to the administration.

I told him that he had a "VFL" as long as he kept asking the tough questions, and kept being a true journalist. I told him that he made me proud to be a journalist.

Probably just one drop in the millions of emails he receives though.

[daninthemoon]

10. Please God, PLEASE. At this point, I believe some of the media

will have to take casualties like Dan Rather, but they have to start back to doing their job. They should have some kind of oath like doctors, but to the effect of reporting the truth at whatever the personal cost. America can't regain her freedom without a free press.

[Iris]

11. Cool! Must have taken off those tanning bed goggles for just a moment!

[mod mom]

12. Let's back these journalists in their newly found stance instead of

alienating them. Write them, encourage them and educate them of the past abuse of power! Let's more this agenda forward!

Indict Impeach Imprison!

[KoKo]

13. From what I saw of Russert this a.m. I don't think the "turn" is complete.

One brief moment of honest reporting when thousands were suffering under horrendous occasions...does not make for fair and balanced reporting. Williams is still paid by GE.

We all hope for a change, but time will tell. Notice what they DIDN't Cover about Katrina and think about what was going on Iraq with that terrible assault on one of the cities where civilians were killed and put in refugee camps. I haven't heard a word about that except from NPR yesterday.

Plus where was the news about the soldiers who died while Katrina coverage covered the airwaves. They can't handle more than one story at a time? :eyes:

I'll believe it when I see it from the Whore Media that they can report anything except what comes from Rove's mouth. :-(

[mandyky]

14. I will believe THAT when he denounces Rush Limbaugh

He once called him a great journalist or some such nonsense, andsince then I take good ole Brian with a grain of salt.

[Bullshot]

15. "an unusual four-year deference to people in power."

So, he's admitting that the media have been stooges for the Administration during this time? What finally woke him up? What will it take for the rest of them to wake up?

[RedSock]

16. the media still has the same bosses

more bs, i'm afraid.

[blm]

22. They should beg forgiveness from John Kerry and Al Gore and all America.

And then they should admit all the stories they were forced to suppress before the election. Including the truth about ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES AND THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY CONTROL OUR VOTES.

[Sydnie]

23. And they should apoligize for swiftboating Kerry

and begin to unravel that story for all to see. If they followed the money and the cronies and told the truth, they just might be able to save our country.

[blm]

24. and for turning honest Gore into a liar

They reek.

[gratuitous]

17. Are the gloves really off?

Or is this just a little stirring in the slumber of a long night's sleep? Certainly a number of journalists, on the ground in New Orleans, could see with their own eyes the spin and the deception being practiced by the corrupt Bush administration. Oftentimes, sitting in their New York and Washington studios they don't have the time or the resources to check up on whatever line of bullshit is spewing from the Mighty Republican Wurlitzer.

The best they can manage is "The Bush administration said the sun was coming up in the west this morning. Some sources say the sun came up in the east today same as it always does, and provided us with this footage, which shows the sun indeed coming up in the east. The truth probably lies somewhere in between."

[NNN0LHI]

18. They were part of the deception.They were part of the Bush spin machine

But after Katrina they knew the spin would not match up with the photos this time. So they turned into hero's all of a sudden. Transparent as hell.

Don

[KharmaTrain]

25. The Ratings Show Gold In Booosh Bashing

Check out TV Newser and see how CNN's numbers have rebounded since they stopped being Faux Lite. Faux still kills in the overall ratings, but CNN's numbers have jumped to their highest levels and the big winners have been Anderson Cooper and Aaron Brown...both who have been highly critical of the kleptocracy in Washington.

Over on MSNBC, Keith's firmly the most watched show on that network and is a gem compared to the clusterfuck Rita Cosby has turned into and the flops Tucker and Hardball have become. There's a new News Director coming into NBC...I wonder if this means some spine will be injected.

CBS and ABC have woken up a bit as well...but still the DC spin points and misinformation plays along side the truth...creating a parallel universe where both sides feel they're getting slighted.

The deal is these networks are constanly polling the 25-54 audience and for the most part of the last decade, this age group has leaned predominately Repugnican. While there were a lot of soccer moms, there also were a lot of Faux nuts and dittoheads that the focus went to go after this audience.

Now the pendulum is starting move in the other direction. Networks like AAR are growing rapidly, Progressive websites have grown in leaps and bounds and now it's starting to show up in the research and the ratings.

I sense a new dynamic is taking shape...it was starting to happen before Katrina, but this tragedy has brought a lot more people into the open and made it safe for them to question this kleptocracy and look for alternative information and voices.

[anitar1]

26. I think they are just trying to figure which way to jump.

There are very few real journalists anymore. As for Tim Russert, he is the worst kind of slimeball, IMHO.

[lies and propaganda]

28. seems Anderson Cooper has as well....

hes been giving me tingles attacking everyone for everything.

If we had any sense at all we would be impeaching tomm morning.

[fortyfeetunder]

29. Too effing late. I don't trust them.

Once the horror of Katrina goes away, it'll be back to business as usual. No longer trust MSM.