Helen Thomas Lashes Out At The 'Lapdog Media' For Not Erecting Roadblocks To Iraq War

[kpete]

Correspondent Helen Thomas lashes out at the 'lapdog media'
By Trevor Aaronson

January 13, 2007
Tapping into one of the strongest undercurrents at the National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis, longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas criticized what she described as a lapdog media for not erecting roadblocks on the road to war in Iraq.

The doyenne of Beltway journalism, Thomas issued a sweeping indictment of American media during a Saturday-afternoon discussion at the Cook Convention Center.

"I think the American press corps has lost its way," Thomas said, adding: "There’s no reason the media played along with the administration’s shifting rationales, all untrue in the run-up to the catastrophic war in Iraq."

"Congress rolled over, as we did, no questions asked," Thomas said. "But the result of our default has been devastating? We lost our halo as the visionaries for a better mankind."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5278569,00.html

[Mythsaje]

1. She's got THEIR number...

Lapdogs and attack dogs...

Attack dogs to sic on anyone on the left who might challenge the status quo, face and arse-licking lapdogs for the "luminaries" on the right.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. why does an 85 year old woman have more balls than any male washington journalist

They probably hide behind her when bush or rove get nasty.

[BayCityProgressive]

3. The MSM has ALWAYS

rolled over. Just not as blatantly.

[EFerrari]

7. Truth. They always have. It's just reached a whole 'nother level

of presstitutery.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

18. I have to disagree.

As a boomer, I remember Woodward and Bernstein in Watergate (when Bob Woodward was still a reputable reporter); Cronkite turning against Viet Nam on national TV. In the 70s the NYT did some good stuff on the killing of Karen Silkwood & I believe they also broke the Pentagon Papers.

Edward R. Murrow was MSM & yet he stood up to Joe McCarthy (before my time). As a little kid, I remember his "Harvest of Shame" on CBS, decrying the plight of migrant farm workers. By the '80s it was all gone, sigh.

[BuelahWitch]

31. Yep we had decent media in those days

Less infotainment too.

[SemperEadem]

12. because they are too afraid of losing their incomes

their high end cars and condos/homes, their status, their accessability, their membership in the 'boys club'. There is no way in hell they will willingly do anything that would reduce their status.

[midnight]

22. Yes I agree with you, and why is that acceptable?

Good good there reporters. They are suppose to have thrive after getting the scope. These folks prefer to be spoon feed. No critical thinkers there. Wonder where these folks when to school?

[madokie]

33. you know they do. if anyone is responsible for where we are today it is none other than the press

bushco* and the press got us here

[NNN0LHI]

4. They report what they are told to report with no questions asked

That is how we ended up waiting for Saddam's balsa wood and duct tape "drones" to come over here and drop nonexistent nuclear bombs on us.

They are scum.

Don

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. They have squandered our esteem and goodwill in the world

There was a time when the U.S., despite our flaws, stood as a beacon of democracy and fair play. We may never recapture that legacy because of the duplicity, mendacity, and malfeasance of the current administration and its precursors, coupled with the complicity of lazy and/or opportunistic members of the media. The first thing that needs to be done is to restore the Fairness Doctrine and journalistic accountability. I think all is not lost. I met some budding journalists from the local university recently and I saw they possessed an abundance of critical thinking ability and healthy skepticism. I hope that they don't get caught up in the morass of profit and ratings driven dreck that passes for news reportage these days.

[EFerrari]

6. Kick presstitute butt, Helen.

If you want job security, become a lap dancer not a journalist.

[Kurovski]

8. K&R.

Mentions Janet Jackson's hot potato as being a bigger story than Iraq.

Lord of mercy, it was true.

[illinoisprogressive]

9. I seriously believe the press is more lazy than anything else.

I think they are so lazy they just sit behind their laptops and dream of the great novel they will never write and phone everything in. They take down what they hear and never check it out or do any questioning as it's too hard.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. I have some friends who are/were reporters...

As I was gonna be, once upon a time. Seems the big problem is editors. They don't want the reporters digging. They want "balance".

And yes, some of these editors have an agenda. If they don't, then the publisher has an agenda. If he doesn't, the owner does.

[ConsAreLiars]

23. CNN sent a crew to interview Norman Finkelstein: He told them it would never be shown.

From http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/08/1414201

NORMAN FINKELSTEIN: Take the example, a couple of weeks ago, Anderson Cooper's producer called me, said they wanted to do a segment on me, having to do with the Middle East, because he was in the Arab world. I said, “Don't waste your time. It's never going to get on the air. I know how it works.” They said, “No, no. We're sending down a camera crew.” They sent down a camera crew, sent down the producer, interviewed me for two-and-a-half hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30. I said, “It's never going to get on. I know.” Well, she said, “No, no, no. We invested the money.” Long story short, it was killed. It was supposed to be on that night.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

39. I would like legislation that would deem media outlets

teasonous if they have an agenda that goes against the good of our country.

:patriot:

[Buzz Clik]

10. Read any good unfiltered stories about Iran lately?

Of course you have.

It begins again. Same shit, different day.

[sammythecat]

13. Helen Thomas is a heroine.

She speaks the truth. Always.

The American MSM is just filled with whores. Totally polluted with them. They know the truth too. But it's better for them if they don't speak it. So they don't.

[umtalal]

14. There is a reason the media played along, they are owned by those thugs.

Thus the media has become part of the problem.

[fooj]

15. She is a National Treasure.

Thank you, Helen. You speak for many of us.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

16. Helen Thomas, Paul Krugman, Eric Boehlert, Joe Conason,

Bill Moyers, Robert Parry, Greg Palast, Josh Marshall and Christiane Amanpour (sometimes) of CNN. After that I find it hard to name anyone on the national scene who is worthwhile. Because so few have any courage or integrity, Bush was inaugurated in 2001 and incalculable suffering has been caused in Iraq. Truly, the US corporate media are a public disservice.

[Disturbed]

17. "There’s no reason the media played along..."

She is incorrect on this. There are many reasons. War is great for their ratings, more ad dollars, more money for them and their stockholders. They get more favors from the US Govt. when they support the Regime in power.

[PassingFair]

19. COLBERT!

He's ballsalicious!

[Admiral Loinpresser]

43. But too truthy! n/t

[druidity33]

29. don't forget Waas and Fisk... n/t

[midnight]

20. I myself would ask people after 2000 election was stolen, and

then 9-11 what they thought about the job of the media? They would say. Well you know they are just probaly afraid. You know they have families.......

[BuelahWitch]

30. Families who will never have to fight in the war

A combination of greed, fear and knowing they won't have to make that sacrifice.

[northofdenali]

21. Ms. Thomas is a TRUE hero.

Her integrity never fails, her ethics are pristine, and she always speaks her mind. We could use thousands more in the MSM like her.

[stellanoir]

24. Luvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv her.

K & R'd

[Lasher]

25. Consolodation of media ownership, repeal of the Fairness Doctrine

Most of the time the media is just a big propaganda wing of the rich folks. And there's the fear of getting moved from the front row to the back at White House press conferences like Helen did.

This 85 year old woman was the person in the mainstream media, IMO, who did the most to question the runup to the invasion of Iraq. In Congress, it was an 89 year old man, Senator Byrd.

[malaise]

26. Bravo Helen

You are a rose among thorns. You spoke out from day one and you have been proven correct.

Is there any video from this Conference?

[mdmc]

27. that has gotta hurt

:kick:

[La Coliniere]

28. It's surprising that

she's still allowed in the prezedential press room. She speaks truth to power like very few others. Nerves of steel this old gal has, nerves of steel. Bravo Helen, you keep going girl!

[MasonJar]

32. She needs another round of roses. Anyone game?

[cassiepriam]

34. I understand the soicopathic repugs, but I still don't get why the media rolled over.

[mdmc]

35. they are paid by the corporations

me thinks

[cassiepriam]

36. Yep, no other explanation, they were either bought off or threatened,

That is the repug way, kiss or kick people into compliance.

Their motto: Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated.

[Olney Blue]

37. A government that investigates and threatens the press for leaks.....

the whole dynamic intended by the forefathers has broken down.

[Pierzin]

38. MSM are mainly whores, obfuscators, co-conspirators to Empire

That is what they are. Ever since it started. Only now that they see a change in the wind direction are they all starting to say, oh well maybe the president is crazy. Tweety is a tool, scarboroguh is a tool, they all mostly are. The only one on the networks with integrity are Dan Rather, who got ran off of CBS prematurely, and Olberman. I am surprized Olberman was able to ineract with his cheerleading colleagues at MSNBC though, after Bushs speach the other day, given all of their sordid histories, and given that Olberman is the only one with any integrity. God that was disgusting!

[blm]

40. Corpmedia actually BURIED the voices that questioned, and relegated the IWR vote to

black and white, for war/againstwar, when the truth was that many lawmakers understood the reason to contain Saddam and make him accountable as per UN resolution, but also saw that war should only happen IF weapon inspections and diplomacy FAILED. I don't think many voted for war no matter what, even if diplomacy and weapon inspections prove force is unnecessary.

But, where was the media? Telling the public that IWR = war, instead of telling public that Bush was not implementing IWR guidelines honestly.

[3121guitarist]

41. Notice they only quote Helen Thomas, but not anybody else at the event.

The usual story without all the details--important details, especially the great Moyers speech. Helen Thomas doesn't impress me all that much. What has she actually done?

[Morgana LaFey]

42. They lost way more than their halo

They completely lost their credibility, already coming under severe question.