[Marxism] Journalists protest ABC "moderators'" role in debate

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080505/open_letter 


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This protest highlights a rather broad mainstream elite response to the
debate, and especially the moderators' role: Have We Come To This?  The
answer for this "we" is, of course, yes -- and to much, much worse too.

One solution, not the only one naturally, would be to include other
candidates such as McKinney and Nader, who would hold this crap in the
contempt it so richly deserves, in the debates.
Fred



Journalists Slam ABC Debate Tactics
by _NONE

[posted online on April 18, 2008]

In an open letter to ABC, journalists and media analysts condemn the
network's poor handling of the April 16 Democratic presidential debate. 

We, the undersigned, deplore the conduct of ABC's George Stephanopoulos and
Charles Gibson at the Democratic Presidential debate on April 16. The debate
was a revolting descent into tabloid journalism and a gross disservice to
Americans concerned about the great issues facing the nation and the world.
This is not the first Democratic or Republican presidential debate to
emphasize gotcha questions over real discussion. However, it is, so far, the
worst.

For 53 minutes, we heard no question about public policy from either
moderator. ABC seemed less interested in provoking serious discussion than
in trying to generate cheap shot sound-bites for later rebroadcast. The
questions asked by Mr. Stephanopoulos and Mr. Gibson were a disgrace, and
the subsequent attempts to justify them by claiming that they reflect
citizens' interest are an insult to the intelligence of those citizens and
ABC's viewers. Many thousands of those viewers have already written to ABC
to express their outrage.

The moderators' occasional later forays into substance were nearly as bad.
Mr. Gibson's claim that the government can raise revenues by cutting capital
gains tax is grossly at odds with what taxation experts believe. Both
candidates tried, repeatedly, to bring debate back to the real problems
faced by ordinary Americans. Neither moderator allowed them to do this.

We're at a crucial moment in our country's history, facing war, a terrorism
threat, recession, and a range of big domestic challenges. Large majorities
of our fellow Americans tell pollsters they're deeply worried about the
country's direction. In such a context, journalists moderating a debate--who
are, after all, entrusted with free public airwaves--have a particular
responsibility to push and engage the candidates in serious debate about
these matters. Tough, probing questions on these issues clearly serve the
public interest. Demands that candidates make pledges about a future no one
can predict or excessive emphasis on tangential "character" issues do not.
This applies to candidates of both parties.

Neither Mr. Gibson nor Mr. Stephanopoulos lived up to these
responsibilities. In the words of Tom Shales of the Washington Post, Mr.
Gibson and Mr. Stephanopoulos turned in "shoddy, despicable performances."
As Greg Mitchell of Editor and Publisher describes it, the debate was a
"travesty." We hope that the public uproar over ABC's miserable showing will
encourage a return to serious journalism in debates between the Democratic
and Republican nominees this fall. Anything less would be a betrayal of the
basic responsibilities that journalists owe to their public.

Spencer Ackerman, The Washington Independent
Eric Alterman, City University of New York
Dean Baker, The American Prospect Online
Steven Benen, The Carpetbagger Report 
Julie Bergman Sender, Balcony Films
Ari Berman, The Nation
Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium
Michael Bérubé, Crooked Timber, The Pennsylvania State University
Joel Bleifuss, In These Times
Sam Boyd, The American Prospect
Lakshmi Chaudry, In These Times
Joe Conason, Journalist and Author
Brad DeLong, Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal and UC Berkeley
Kevin Drum, The Washington Monthly
Henry Farrell, Crooked Timber, George Washington University
James Galbraith, University of Texas at Austin
Todd Gitlin, Columbia University, TPM Cafe
Merrill Goozner (formerly Chicago Tribune)
Ilan Goldenberg, The National Security Network
Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films
Christopher Hayes, The Nation
Don Hazen, Alternet
Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
Ed Kilgore, The Democratic Strategist
Richard Kim, The Nation
Ezra Klein, The American Prospect
Mark Kleiman, UCLA/The Reality Based Community
Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed
Ari Melber, The Nation
Rick Perlstein, Campaign for America's Future
Katha Pollitt, The Nation
David Roberts, Grist
Thomas Schaller, Columnist, The Baltimore Sun
Mark Schmitt, The New America Foundation
Adele Stan, The Media Consortium
Jonathan Stein, Mother Jones Magazine
Mark Thoma, The Economist's View
Michael Tomasky, The Guardian 
Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks
Tracy Van Slyke, The Media Consortium
Kai Wright, The Root




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