Long Time AP Correspondent FIRED For Posting "Partisan" Column

[kpete]

That's why we're not nearly as troubled by what's going on at the Washington Post as with what's taking place at the Associated Press:

The longtime chief correspondent for The Associated Press in Vermont has been forced out of his job, stunning the state's journalists and politicians.

Christopher Graff, 52, a writer who was in charge of The A.P.'s Vermont bureau in Montpelier, was told Monday he no longer had a job. The move came after he put a partisan column on the wire, and as the news agency is consolidating some of its bureaus across state lines.

When you look closer however, the issue of whether what he put on the wire was "a partisan column" becomes murkier:

Emerson Lynn, editor and publisher of The St. Albans Messenger, said one clue to Mr. Graff's departure might have been The A.P.'s having told him this month that it was inappropriate for him to have posted a column by Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, on the wire.

Mr. Lynn said that for the last two years, The A.P. had prepared a package of articles about Sunshine Week, in which media organizations advocate openness in government. Senator Leahy had written a column highly critical of the Bush administration on the matter for the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

The column said, for example, that "the foundations of our open government are under direct assault from the first White House in modern times that is openly hostile to the public's right to know."

http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002959.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/business/media/22vermonts.html?pagewanted=print

[JuniperLea]

1. The public's right to know

Wow. Judging by AP's actions, I totally believe that article now... well, I always knew it, but how graphic was that proof? Jeez.


Wasn't Reagan the one who got rid of the law that gave equal media time to all politicians? We need that back! How can we know who represents our interests and views unless we hear from everyone?

Hell in a hand-basket I tell you! Hell!

[melissinha]

2. That's BS

I think that if you identify the author, such as politician, and clearly label them as such, there's no foul. The problem is when you pass off partisan propaganda as jornalism.

I think it is legitimate to feature Leahy's column so that his constituents have a feeling of his opinion and position on things...

[cali]

4. It certainly is bullshit.

It stinks to high heaven. Graff is a solid journalist who's done a good jjob here in VT. This is just rank intimidation. I wish there was something I could do besides registering my extreme displeasure.

[melissinha]

5. it appears as if AP is helping the Admin

to muddle up the definition of propaganda, and the controversy concerning propaganda vs journalism.... I think what they want to do is pass off partisan BS but not label it as such and disallow journalists to present politician's own views.... I support their ability to feature Sen Hutchison's opinion, so long as it is labeled as her opinion.

[bullimiami]

3. ap has probush propaganda inserted in their articles all of the time.

they are full of shit.

[Nikki Stone 1]

6. Where is the US on the "free press" scale, again?

Weren't we below every western industrialized nation?

K&R

[LilyLibber]

7. That's not OK for the AP, but this IS?

I'm really disconcerted by this, on many levels. I can't imagine that quoting Senator Leahy during Sunshine Week is not OK, but publishing the story below to be disseminated across the country as the ostensibly neutral voice of the AP is acceptable? When I saw this on the wire in December, I was appalled by its tone. It was worse when I saw hundreds of news outlets carrying it word-for-word, giving it the appearance of "fact"...


^Democrats test themes of community, purpose for '06 and '08<

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) _ To hear Democrats tell it, an anxious and isolated public craves a sense of national community and would galvanize behind a leader who asks people to sacrifice for the greater good.

John Edwards says he's that leader.

Wait a minute, so does Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. Ditto for Virginia Governor Mark Warner.

Edwards, Vilsack and Warner are all likely presidential candidates in 2008. They are toying with the same lofty community-and-purpose message. And that says as much about the sour mood of the country as it does about the state of the Democratic Party.

The three spoke to Florida Democrats in Lake Buena Vista this weekend.


(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

APNP 12-11-05 1353EST<

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. I can't see a problem with what you've quoted

If there are later bits that are partisan, can you give us a link so we can see them?

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[LilyLibber]

11. Thanks for the welcome!

It's appreciated! :)

The problem here is, the AP is supposed to present its news in neutral voice, not laden with words and phrases that denote opinion ("lofty," "sour mood," making allegations about the "state of the Democratic party," etc) or employ the use of a derisive tone ("To hear Democrats tell it...Wait a minute," etc). It's tame comparatively, I know, but taking little liberties like that leads to taking bigger ones, and passing this off as fact and not opinion is inappropriate. Even our local conservative station refused to run it as is (but they're an ABC affiliate, so it was technically the ABC Newsroom that made the decision. Don't want to give them too much credit).

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. But they are reporting Democratic opinion

I don't think it looks like they're passing it off as fact. It looks as if the article will be only about Democrats, so they have to use phrases like that to make it clear it's Democratic opinion, not fact. If they just started the article "an anxious and isolated public craves a sense of national community..." then they would be presenting an opinion as a fact.

[newyawker99]

13. Hi LilyLibber!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[RazzleDazzle]

8. But Chriss Matthews can get speaking fees from rightwing orgs

and that's no problem:

MSNBC Changes Their Story -Matthews' Fees Went to Charities
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=686711&mesg_id=686711
Link: http://thinkprogress.org/2006/03/17/msnbc-update/


And yeah, I absolutely do believe those fees went to charities. Right. Uh-huh.

[PBass]

9. Uh, I was wondering how long the author of the article

about Bush using straw-man arguments, would still have a job.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060318/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_s_straw_men

Also an AP author