So… what did it take for the Plame/Rove thing to finally blow up in the media? The White House Press Corps finally had irrefutible proof that the White House was lying to them. They had it, because Time handed over Matt Cooper’s notes to the Federal Prosecutor.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I remember a time when journalists actually did *work*, and weren’t just stenographers for the Man. And to me, I see this and I think, well, shit – what it took for this story to “stick” was to get it to the point where journalists, with a couple exceptions, didn’t have to do a goddamn thing except take notes about shit that was already happening – that people had already found – that took no work on their part to uncover, or understand. Hell, even after all this, the Republican machine is able to peddle bullshit like “Rove didn’t leak her *name*,” because some journalists are *so god damned lazy* that they’re not even willing to read the text of the law, which says unequivocably that it’s “identity” and not “name.”
I think sometimes about what the news media said in the wake of 9/11 – that the Condit bullshit, and the celebrity gossip they’d been peddling was garbage – and that from now on, they’d be “serious,” and get back to real, hard journalism. But instead, we have the Michael Jackson trial, we have missing white middle class women, and again, becoming stenographers for the right wing government and conservative media influence peddlers.
Not that this is a particularly novel or interesting observation – but I think it should be noted that the Rove story stuck only because the White House Press Corps’ feelings were hurt, which is mostly due to the fact that they were so goddamned stupid that they took Scott McClellan’s word, when it was obviously bullshit, as gospel, because they were too goddamn lazy to do a lick of actual work.
“Journalism” like that… call it what it is. Call it propaganda. Don’t let the “journalists” wield their titles with pride, or a sense of history – the White House PressCorps is merely a propaganda outlet, and aside from a select few who actually *do* something, they should all be ashamed.
They’re the highest paid stenographers in the world
I read a recent interview with Bob Woodward where he said that there aren’t many reporters nowadays who have the gumption to stand up to this administration and report on the real news and that reporters today are doing America a great disservice for their, in essence, half-assed job. While I agree with him, I want to turn around and ask, “then why aren’t you stepping up to the plate to fill that void?” I think the only “real” reporters that are doing their jobs are the online outlets who are still viewed as fringe.
– Becky
Woodward is the one reporter who got someone from the Bush administration fired: Tenent. Plus, he told the world that Bush had committed to war six to nine months before the invasion in his book published last October. He has been an invaluable source of information for 35 years.
As I understand it, Novak is not in jail for answering all the questions of the special prosecutor, although no one knows for sure. It’s a shame he won’t be punished, but these investigations need their stool pigeons.
I think we can count Helen Thomas among the few who are unafraid to ask the hard questions and get on the administration’s bad side. But you can see how often she gets called on to ask questions.