People Getting Numb To Stories of Alleged Relationships?
More on the New York Times report on John McCain’s friendship with a lobbyist for a Television company. The timing of the report and the lack of on-the-record testimony, except for one former McCain staffer, would suggest that this was not the great paper’s finest moment. There was no confirmation that there was anything more than a friendship, but the implication in the Times piece was that there could have been more.
All of this brings me to a vibe that I’m getting from voters and readers who are getting angrier at the media for floating stories that have no definitive meaning. The public, tired and tested by the Clinton scandal and other buzz out there, have to be fully convinced of impropriety before they will make a judgment. A partial and incomplete report that is vague and foggy, will simply not do.
What concerns me is the fine line between truth and tabloid. Truth is facts, pure and simple. Tabloid, which can be a very exciting format, embellishes to the point that you are not quite sure where the truth ends and the excitement begins.
In my career, I’ve watched many people tarred and feathered for relationships that didn’t exist. I’ve also seen people’s lives upset by rumor, buzz and innuendo.
The net result is a dramatic decline in respect for media.
We get blamed for everything, from the weather, to political failures. The truth is that we use “unnamed sources” too freely, and that we don’t check and verify.
I have complained here frequently about desperate local TV stations who are so hungry to be first that they are quite often wrong. Bad information is hazardous to the public safety.
It is hard to believe that the New York Times would take risks just to be first.
One would hope that their follow up reports will have more specificity and a clearer understanding of John McCain’s alleged conduct. After all, he could be the 44th President.
In the meantime, I hope that we, as a business, don’t take more unjustified hits for this.
On the political front, the good news is that Republicans and Democrats despise us with equal fervor. That is usually a good sign that we are doing our jobs. But, more than the feelings of politicians, we need to guarantee that our bond with the people of America remains based on trust and mutual respect, and of course, solid information.
Comments(14)
It is funny to hear conservatives complain about the liberal media being biased. I seem to remember the Clintons often complaining about right wing media conspiracy. The truth is, the media is out for whatever will get a headline.
hello Larry,you mention the Clinton scandal well he denied it, just like John Mccain did with his sex scandal with a monotone voice yesterday,well time will tell if the maverick is telling the truth or the untruth,i put my money on the latter.
where there’s smoke there’s fire,the NY Times is much to fine a newspaper to just make things up.
why do we care if john had an affair,8 years ago.Go back in history,many presidents did,and way before bill did.
To this day I wonder how a lowly intern had access to the President of the United States.Let this stupid story die,
Everyone is counting hillary out,the media had chosen obama long ago.If hillary isn’t the nominee,I am starting a write in campaign for her,I will not
vote for the antichrist.
That’s right JR, Clinton denied it. What he told his wife is his business. When he lies to the public (you and me) it’s my business. Eve his closest friends say that BS is in his DNA.
To JR and Pat. Justifying the bad behavior by saying “others did it” is not the answer. We’re smarter and should be more demanding. Let’s make it better.
All part of the general moral decline in this country. People do pretty much whatever they want because they think they can lie their way out of anything and there rarely are any consequences even when they get caught lying. Even when speaking under oath in a court of law. Sad.
It’s sad that the sorted personal lives of our elected officials is no longer an issue even though it may be the truest indicator of their character. If an individual wants to hold this country’s highest office, they should be scrutinized and be beyond reproach.
We’ll see if there is any ‘fire’ to the McCain story in the coming months.
As much as the media bashers want to jump on this accusation of an affair, this article is not about an affair. It’s about the way the maverick senator was involved with lobbyists without regard to the potential of conflicts. It mentions that he stayed off the commercial DC to Phoenix route, but took free flights home on corporate jets. It’s an article about Senator McCain’s blind spot.
If it’s true that McCain had an affair with a lobbyist who was working to get legislation passed that McCain had influence over, its a huge deal and will cost him the nomination. Makes Huckabee look smart for haning around, maybe he knew the story was coming. This scandal would be much bigger than the Lewinski scandal. Hopefully its not true, as the NY Times article does not prove anything concrete. The content of the NY Times is no longer repsected, even liberal intelletuals take the Times with several grains of salt these days.
Larry, “not the great paper’s finest moment” is pablum if you are truly a straight talker. The article was crap and as a reporter would you or would you not have published it? You seem to think it was reckless to publish, why not say so, and why be so tentative in your condemnation of the Times?
LK: “It is hard to believe that the New York Times would take risks just to be first.”
It’s not hard to believe if you take an objective look at what the NY Slimes has published over the past 7 years.
Pinch Sulzberger is consumed with BushHate and hatred of Republicans (similar to Will Bunch and Dick Polman). The NYT is nothing more than a shill for the Democrat party. He ought to just rename the paper to the Daily DNC Newsletter.
As for Jack Russell’s “NY Times is much to fine a newspaper to just make things up”, that is hilarious. Ever hear of Jayson Blair? Rick Bragg?
If you are really interested in analyzing the NYT liberal bias and inaccruacies, check out http://www.timeswatch.org.
In the meantime, I hope that we, as a business, don’t take more unjustified hits for this.
Unjustified? The media deserves all the hits they get. They have gone from reporting stories to putting their liberal bias into every story they write.
The print media wonders why circulation comtinues to tumble, but ignore their shift from objective observers of events to mouthpieces for the left. You guy’s made your bed, enjoy sleeping in it.
hello Larry,it’s amazing when ever a rightwing family values party member gets caught in a sex scandal or other dirty deeds they blame the media,the media’s bias,the media’s liberal, blah,blah,blah.
the media’s been bashing the Clintons for almost two decades,and want Hillary to fall on her face,they even attacked Chelsea,but we don’t hear the rightwinger do-gooders complain about that.
as for joe,that straight talking maverick should fess up,atleast his sex scandal is with a woman,’where there’s smoke there’s fire’.
I know the NYTs endorsed Hillary, but I just can’t get it out of my mind that the timing of the McCain story came right behind Mrs. for the first time as an adult…………foot in my mouth Obama’s speech. When I first heard her all I could think was my God what do we have to do in order to appease these people. Yeah that’s right I said these people. What else can I say? I was also saddened by the fact she really meant what she said. This was a very hot button issue before the McCain story. Now it’s a footnote.
Calling the NYT a shill for the Democrats is laughable. Was it a shill when it broke the Whitewater stories about Bill Clinton?
Like someone above said, the story isn’t about sex or an affair. The only story here is McCain allegedly accepting gifts from lobbyists like corporate jet rides.
George: You say things your way. I say things my way. But you did write a great note.
Pablum? That’s what I ate as a kid.
Joe, The NYT Watch has as it’s mission
“Documenting and Exposing The Liberal Political Agenda of the New York Times”
Do they get extra credit for announcing their bias on the masthead?
The Times article was not a journalisic decision ( more like a business decision) and has had the effect of helping McCain. There was no substance to it and a Journalism 101 student would see that. The Times supported Mac editorially. There is more to all of this than we’re seeing right now.