More Comments About ABC Debate April 17, 2008
There’s been such a huge outpouring of outrage, frustration and anger over the ABC debate on Wednesday, that a follow-up seems warranted. Here’s a current sampling of what’s transpired since then:
About the messages left at ABC:
By midafternoon Thursday, more than 15,600 comments were posted on ABC News’ Web site, the tone overwhelmingly negative.
MoveOn.Org has started an on-line petition. Here’s the cover message to its 3.2 million members:
Editor & Publisher called this week’s ABC presidential debate “perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years.”
Moderators George Stephanopolous and Charlie Gibson spent the first 50 minutes obsessed with distractions that only political insiders care about–gaffes, polling numbers, the stale Rev. Wright story, and the old-news Bosnia story. And, channelling Karl Rove, they directed a video question to Barack Obama asking if he loves the American flag or not. Seriously.
Enough is enough. The public needs the media to stop hurting the national dialogue in this important election year. Can you sign the petition to ABC and other media outlets and pass it on to friends who are also fed up?
A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to ABC and other media.
From StopBigMedia, project of the Free Press Action Fund dedicated to reforming the media:
Despairing, disgusting and disheartening – those words are flying around today to describe ABC’s irresponsible Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night.
Here’s another one – dangerous.
ABC’s failure to ask tough questions, act as a watchdog and hold our leaders accountable is not an anomaly. It is a testament to our broken media system.
So, why dangerous? Because ABC’s behavior is a precursor for more bad journalism to come under increasing media consolidation. We know that bad journalism equals less civic engagement, less political and corporate accountability, and less democracy. In other words, our journalism is in peril, and so are we.
Last night’s debacle has sparked outrage across the Internet. Tom Shales of the Washington Post called the debate “another step downward for network news,” while Editor and Publisher reprimanded ABC with a “most embarrassing performance by the media in years” award. According to some bloggers, the debate could have been held in a circus tent for its “freak show” factor; another called it “utterly asinine.”
From Obama blogs:
David Westin, President
ABC NewsDear Mr. Westin,
I write to thank you for your ABC News “Debate” last night. This “debate” served an important public function by showing ABC News to be fundamentally craven, insipid, inane, and an insult to the intelligence of every American who cares about this country’s future.
As you know, many Americans believe that the “MSM” (Mainstream Media) serves the interests not of viewers or voters, but of corporate sponsors and its own bottom line. Many also suspect that Barack Obama, in calling for an end to the power of “lobbyists & special interests”, represents a direct threat to the Mainstream Media’s continuing power, profits, and capacity to influence public opinion.
Last night’s “debate” provides powerful evidence in support of these beliefs & sentiments. Indeed, there are certain “moments” when the essence & core of a person or institution suddenly becomes crystal clear – such as Bill Clinton’s “I did not inhale” prevarication, or the Bush Administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina. In these singular moments, the truth of things was suddenly revealed. Similarly with last night’s “debate”.
The “debate” exposed with crystal clarity the essence & core of ABC News. For me it brought to mind the events in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. In their struggle for civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the SCLC hoped that the city authorities of Birmingham would respond with violence, thus revealing the essence of Jim Crow – ugly, violent, and morally indefensible. The strategy worked. Bull Connor & his police dogs & fire hoses, trained at thousands of peaceful demonstrators, gave the Civil Rights Movement exactly what it needed at that critical juncture - proving to ordinary Americans, and to the world, the violence & evil at the core of Jim Crow.
Your “debate” served a similar public function. It demonstrated unequivocally that ABC News has no interest whatever in promoting substantive public discourse on the issues facing American voters. Instead, by focusing on “flag-pins,” “bitterness & guns & religion”, and a host of other irrelevant & distracting non-issues, ABC News revealed its essence & core - a profit-making machine with no interest in accuracy or truth, and with deep antipathy at the prospect of an Obama presidency.
I therefore thank you for revealing with such uncommon clarity the truth about the core mission of ABC News.
Leave a Reply