ABC's "Closer Look" channeled Toensing to provide one-sided legal view of

[hang a left]

ABC's "Closer Look" channeled Toensing to provide one-sided legal view of CIA leak investigation



In an ABC World News Tonight segment billed as "A Closer Look" into the investigation of the alleged leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, ABC News senior foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Karl presented a one-sided report on the possible crimes involved that solely reflected the legal analysis of Republican attorney Victoria Toensing. Purporting to review the possible outcomes of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation, Karl presented only Toensing's oft-repeated claim (offered here, here, and here) that this is "a nearly impossible case to prosecute" because the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act (IIPA) sets a "high bar" for prosecutions under it.

In relying solely on Toensing, who in numerous media appearances (here and here) has promoted the argument that the IIPA is inapplicable to this case, Karl's report omitted mention of another statute that has been much discussed as a possible focus of Fitzgerald's investigation -- the 1917 Espionage Act. Others have argued that the outing of Plame constituted a violation of that act, which prohibits the distribution of classified information to someone not authorized to receive it. That argument went unarticulated in Karl's segment.

Moreover, the focus on the IIPA in news reports such as ABC's, to the exclusion of other parts of the U.S. Code, lends support to a false claim made by several media figures that by investigating possible violations of other statutes, Fitzgerald is overstepping his mandate. Media Matters for America has debunked this claim (here and here).

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[annabanana]

1. It doesn't matter how "close" you "look"

If there's a blindfold on...

[kevinbgoode]

2. ABC News has increasingly become the mainstream

broadcasting news organization for the religious Right and "conservative" Republicans. Hardly a week goes by without the news organization championing some evangelical wingnut cause, usually without any coverage of others involved in an issue.

I rarely watch their coverage - they look more and more like a branch of Faux News and CBN.

[Massacure]

3. Because Peter Jennings was fighting cancer and is dead now.

Peter made sure not to air any bullshit stories, and would always call out bullshit when he saw it. I liked him during the 2004 election. He debunked a lot of misleading things from both sides of the isle.

[wishlist]

5. I especially miss Peter Jennings during these current events

He made a good effort to present a full picture, not just the one-sided pro-Administration talking points

[KC21304]

7. You got that right. I always watched ABC.

I miss him everynight.

[creeksneakers2]

4. ABC is almost as bad as Faux now

I switched to NBC. Big improvement.

[KC21304]

6. Was Toensing put forth as a legal expert

or a Republican partisian ? On Hardball last week she said Wilson was a liar. I don't see how she can be considered by any network as anything but a GOP hack.