ABC News Pulls Reporter off Kucinich Campaign

[no name no slogan]

This is a press release I just received from the Kucinich Campaign.

This just PROVES that the "free" press in this country has absolutely NO INTEREST in covering the issues in this race, and further discredits them as just another mouthpiece of corporate America.

Unbelievable. :grr:

=====================================================================

For Immediate Release: December 10, 2003

The day after Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich took ABC debate moderator Ted Koppel to task for avoiding questions that would be useful to voters in favor of questions about endorsements, money, and polls, ABC pulled its fulltime "embedded" reporter from the Kucinich campaign, a reporter who had been given no warning that such a move was coming and who had discussed at length yesterday with the Kucinich campaign staff her plans and her needs for the coming months.

ABC has reportedly also pulled its reporters from covering the presidential campaigns of Rev. Al Sharpton and Ambassador Carol Mosley-Braun.

This appears to be another instance of what Kucinich criticized at the debate, namely the media trying to pick candidates, rather than letting the voters do so. In a democracy, it should be voters and not pundits or TV networks who narrow the field of candidates.

This move, before any state's caucus or primary, appears based on a belief that viable candidates can be predicted 11 months prior to an election, a belief that flies in the face of the historical record. Time and again candidates dismissed as "fringe" have wound up either with the nomination or with a significant impact on the convention and in the primaries.

This action by ABC, as well as Koppel's comments during the debate, can only serve to disempower Americans, communicating to them that someone other than they is deciding elections and that their votes don't mean much.

This action also seems to conflict with the network's interest in boosting ratings and Koppel's expressed interest in making the debate exciting, given that Kucinich received the loudest applause of the evening.

ABC presumably has no vested interest in discouraging voting or in lowering its ratings. It may, however, have an interest in whether Koppel's prediction of the viability of various candidacies proves true.

For more information: http://www.kucinich.us

For Rep. Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm

Contact: David Swanson 301-772-0210, cel 202-329-7847, fax [phone], [e-mail]

[sandnsea]

1. That's just terrible

I've been kind of thinking that if this war gets any worse, Dennis might just start making headway with his UN in, US out. Just disgusting.

[arcane1]

7. that headway of which you speak...

is dangerous to the status quo. Best to pretend there is no Kucinich candidacy, and let only the DLC be included. Thus despite his years of working in gov't and winning elections, DK is the "fringe"


being effectively censored by the media is just one more proof that Dk is the MAN!

[wryter2000]

2. Well, excrement

Here's one Deanie who thinks that s*cks!

[Philostopher]

18. And here's another.

It is just plain lousy -- but not surprising.

[wtmusic]

3. It's petty

ABC can do whatever the hell it wants, it's a 'free country' and everything, but very small of them to penalize a candidate this way.

They can dish it out but can't take it--I'll stick with Rather on CBS.

[arcane1]

4. DK warned us all during the debate

the he says things that the media doesn't like to broadcast, and thus he gets ignored over bullshit like endorsements and potential candidate in-fighting... they will ignore the issues and decide for themselves who "we" want

this is sadly no surprise :grr:

[Cocoa]

5. vengeance from Ted Koppel

you could tell last night that Koppel was furious, and humiliated. His abortion question to Kucinich was his first strike back. Unless I'm forgetting something, it was the only question regarding social issues last night. This move with the embedded reporter seems to be the second strike back. :mad:

[wryter2000]

6. Koppel deserved to be humiliated

His questions were a disgrace.

[no name no slogan]

15. It just goes to prove

That there's little difference these days between the "serious media" and "tabloid media", IMHO.

These monopolies need to be broken up, and some REAL competition brought to bear on them. Repeal that idiotic Telecom Act of 1996, and break up the ClearChannels, TimeWarners, and Foxes of this country so that we can have a truly FREE and INDEPENDET MEDIA once again.

It's not a matter of "how?", it's a matter of "when?"

[goodhue]

33. Koppel didn't ask the abortion question

but nice try

[Nadienne]

40. The abortion issue

Is one of Kucinich's strongpoints. He has demonstrated the ability to think things through, that what he decides to support is based on reason and not stubbornness, not "I don't like it and I don't have to explain why". He does explain why. What he had to say is what I had hoped to hear.

Not what you call vengeance, I guess, except for the fact that when it was aired on local channels (an hour-long commercial-filled episode of Nightline) they didn't include the topic of abortion. I read the transcripts in another post. I think it's the only thing Dennis Kucinich had to say that was left out.

[redqueen]

8. Typical.

I think we can use this to our advantage, though.

I hope Al Sharpton's and Carol Mosely-Braun's campaigns are both sending out the media watchers to ensure this doesn't slip by completely unnoticed.

[The Sushi Bandit]

9. Michael Eisner should be targeted on this!

He is the head of the ABC network and the Walt Disney Company.

Screw Koppel, go after Eisner!

[MuseRider]

10. What a suprise! "sarcasm, of course"

I wondered what they would do after last night. Did they not notice the applause? Did they not notice the excitement? Do they think their petty actions will stop the people who were informed last night? Do they not see that they are subverting our democracy and that it will come back to haunt them? It will, eventually. Another letter to write. These pricks make me so angry.

[arcane1]

11. the excitement, the applause, proved one thing to the media big-wigs

it proved to them that their control is not tight enough, and that they need to tighten it more

Dennis Kucinich is a threat to their profits, and must be stopped

[JohnKleeb]

12. Whats a matter ABC

Did the truth hurt?

[kang]

13. Is ABC strapped for cash or something?

Because it would have only been another two months before primaries begin and those candidates that didn't fair too well would probably drop out anyways. I thought Kucinich's critique of Koppel's questions was dead on.

But please do remember that even DK prefaced his comments with is respect for Koppel's past work. Nightline has often covered stories that weren't being covered by any other network news shows. So it was disappointing that a supposed forum for public policy ideas became a sports commentary show for over thirty minutes.

[MuseRider]

16. Of course he showed respect.

It is the right thing to do, you do not have to insult someone to disagree. This is a message the media needs to learn. I agree about Nightline and was stunned that Koppel would be so superficial and disrespectful. Probably I should not have been stunned.

[caledesi]

14. One word: Pravda! nt

[Jerseycoa]

17. How shabby (eom)

[Karmadillo]

19. No time to send a horse's head? Media as mafia, rubbing out

Kucinich for daring to stand up to the Godfather on national TV.

[goodhue]

20. TELL ABC NEWS WHAT YOU THINK

TELL ABC NEWS WHAT YOU THINK

Email [e-mail] or call [phone] or fax [phone].

WATCH DENNIS DISCUSS THIS ON CNBC TONIGHT

Dennis will discuss this on "Capital Report" on CNBC tonight
at 9 p.m. Eastern and again at midnight.

Please contribute online, or by phone at 866-413-3664
https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php

[LWolf]

35. I didn't catch him on CNBC.

But I did fire off a nice message to ABC, letting them know exactly what I think.

What did he say on CNBC?

[AnAmerican]

21. Screw ABC

I think this action will come back to bite them in the ass. They will end up actually helping the candidacies of those they consider "fringe".

The Kucinich campaign was flooded with emails today expressing support for Dennis' stance during the debate. ABC's pulling of it's reporter from not only his, but Al and Carol's campaign's as well is not going to sit well with the American public.

Poetic justice, in the form of a solid showing for the fringe candidates in the early primaries is in the offing.

I want to see Koppel's face when he is reporting the results of Iowa and NH.

[belab13]

22. Kucinich speaks the truth and they turn off the mike. This country is in

shambles. I will give money tonight to Dennis' campaign.

[snoochie]

26. Alright!

That's so wonderful... I'm too poor to donate now but bless you for doing so! :D

:yourock:

[LWolf]

23. Pathetic. Predictable.

As for me, I will certainly be letting ABC know what I think about it. And looking to boost my December contribution.

If you can't spin the truth, you take your toys and go home. That's journalistic integrity for ya, huh?

[JohnKleeb]

24. Isnt American Journalism just the greatest thing

;)
:hi: Wolf
They'll regret it.

[genius]

25. ARe we going to take this? Is the campaign going to take this?

I say it's time to fight back and let America know who Dennis is.

[Skwmom]

27. That is so wrong. e/o/m

[Doomsayer13]

28. it's not fair

all candidates deserve equal time and coverage. I may not agree with what Dennis says, but he has the right to be heard.

[Zomby Woof]

29. gutless fucktards

[Demobrat]

30. Dean supporters are sure pissed about this.

They're over there getting up an email campaign to swamp ABC.

[Nadienne]

38. Good for them!

It's not just about Kucinich (or Sharpton or Mosley-Braun).

It's about our limited choices because of media manipulation.

[greyowl]

31. Media marginalize themselves by this action

Not to mention the general media blackout of the real candidates of the people. Dennis deserves to be heard. So do the other candidates. But doing so would be actually functioning as a Democracy and not the Plutocracy in which we really live. Dennis is the only choice for America.

[Punkingal]

32. That is just too disgusting.....

Words fail me.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

34. How to try and stop progress in Amurika.

Ignore and marginalize it. Let the media pick our candidates for us.

For people that are surprised about this, it has been happening all along to Kucinich. He is a threat and they know it. Now the actions are just getting more blatant. Even so called 'liberal' outlets like NPR are doing it. Anyone remember how they would not mention Kucinich when reading down a list of the candidates?

This action though, is disgustingly blatant. The day after he smacks down Koppel they pull their reporter!

ARGH!


oh and GOOOOOOOOOOO DENNIS!!!

TWL

[no name no slogan]

37. Isn't that the truth though?

I'm sure a lot of non-DK supporters took our warnings with a grain of salt that DK was being marginalized and discriminated against by the media-- if I had not witnessed it first-hand I doubt I would have believed it myself. But maybe ABC's little bit of nastiness will finally prove to people that Dennis Kucinich really is being marginalized (at best) or ignored (at worst) by the press-- and that his message is truly a challenge to the status quo.

I hope this becomes even clearer to supporters of other candidates that big media has no interest in democracy, and has tried to set the limits of "acceptable" debate in this race by intentionally excluding progressive voices from the campaign.

The truth is finally out. They're not covering Kucinich because they are AFRAID of him, and DON'T want issues like media monopolization, the military-industrial complex and the new Imperialism of the Republicrats brought to light.

At least now we have something to show to the nay-sayers who said that DK wasn't being marginalized.

[goodhue]

36. what if ABC got so much heat

that they had to reverse course and/or address the issue?
that would be cool

[Nadienne]

39. I sent them this e-mail.... (Pat myself on the back)

To Whom it May Concern:

I would like to thank you again for airing the debate on Tuesday night. I enjoyed watching it, and I know many others who tuned in to watch.

I remember learning about the role newspapers played in this nation's fight for independence. I always thought that if I were living in that time period, I would be one of those who participated in that fight.

I may not be living in that chapter of our history books, but I am living in this one. And it saddens me to think that a media which had aided in the freedom of the people of America now aids the oppressors, those who profit from our ignorance. The oppressors are not for the people, but with the help of the media, they now manipulate and control the people.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the biggest threat to corporate power, who has a message which resonates strongly with his supporters, doesn't get the attention that he deserves. Perhaps the reason for being nearly ignored by the media is the fact that corporate big-wigs are terrified of what he would do to their power. If nothing else, it's more reason to vote for him.

Nevertheless, I couldn't help but be disappointed to hear that ABC decided to stop covering Kucinich's campaign, especially after airing the debate on Tuesday. The citizens of this nation need to hear about the viewpoints and values of every candidate. Traditionally, the media was the forum that lead to freedom from tyranny. Must citizens of this country rely on another forum in order to make important decisions?

Thank you for your time.

[no name no slogan]

41. EXCELLENT email!

This is exactly how they should be written: thoughtful, considerate, critical but not ranting and raving. It's a very good example of how we should do these things.

:hi:

[Nadienne]

42. Thank you

I hope ABC's inbox is flooded with e-mails that express our disapproval. I hope it helps.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

43. Kick

Go DENNIS!

TWL

[goodhue]

44. contact ABC

http://kucinich.us/abcnews.php

To express concerns to ABC, contact the following:

ABC Audience Response line at 818-460-7477. Press 4 to leave a message.
ABC News Washington DC Bureau at 202-222-7777, fax [phone]
ABC News Political Director Mark Halperin at 212-456-4545, fax [phone], email [e-mail]
ABC News President David Westin at 212-456-6200, fax [phone]
ABC President Alex Wallau at 818-460-5500, fax [phone], email [e-mail]

You can write letters to:

ABC News
47 W 66th St
New York, NY 10023-6290