53 (and counting) journalists circulate letter condemning ABC over debate

[Shakespeare]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/18/_journalists_slam_abc_debate_t/

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 Berube, Crooked Timber, 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

[Arugula Latte]

1. Wow, that is great.

There are some big names on that list.

[Shakespeare]

3. I'm very happy to see Conason's name on there.

And hopefully, more will sign on.

[Bigleaf]

19. I used to love listening to Joe on Frankens show. Remember him smacking down Klein?

[CTyankee]

37. I love Joe Conason! Remember how Al Franken and Kathleen Lanpher used to sing

"Carry on Joe Conason" as his theme song when he was about to come on the show? Joe and Kathleen did a take of of Al's "Oy, Oy, Oy" once called "Goy, Goy, Goy." It was when Al was over in Iraq. I had the biggest laugh of the day...

[Shakespeare]

41. I REALLY miss Al's show.

And Fridays with Joe was teh best!!

[colorado thinker]

58. Me, too

Remember when Air America was fun AND informative?

[CTyankee]

73. I loved how Joe would get so passionate about an issue.

He wasn't one of those beltway snob politicos who were snide and sarcastic all the time.

Joe could be devastatingly funny. His book "Big Lies" is hysterically funny in the part going after the RWingers about their sexual hypocrisy. If you haven't read it, do so! You'll be delighted.

P.S. What was the name of that little quiz show that he and Al did on Fridays, where Al would announce the show as "Peabody award winning" and Joe would cough?

[PoliticalAmazon]

78. Count the hours until Hillary slams them as "unimportant". n/t

[WillyToad]

80. Ironically....

....these are the same types of questions that have been asked in most of the debates over the last year, but there is no big stink about them until Obama is on the recieving end.

[pdxmom]

2. I wonder if the Clinton's are going to call all these folks whiners, too. N/T

[Dr Fate]

4. Hear hear! n/t

n/t

[hisownpetard]

5. Terrific. Happy they did that!

[BeyondGeography]

6. It WAS a disgrace

K&R

[whatchamacallit]

7. The Clinton camp already has their own counter letter

signed by Rush, Hannity, Kristol...;)

[BlooInBloo]

9. Cliton supporters LOVE it when Democrats are attacked - as long as it isn't her.

[IsItJustMe]

13. Isn't that the truth.

[ClericJohnPreston]

59. No

it isn't.

Watching Obamites blubber in unison like an echo chamber is very informative. Do any of you demonstrate independent thought, or is it that you like repeating yourself ad nauseum?

[IsItJustMe]

72. Look, I am a Liberal and the DLC can go straight to hell. When I hear people like Clinton attack

and some of her supporters attack Liberal principles and Liberals in general, don't expect me to like it.

[ekwhite]

79. Sounding a bit BITTER there aren't you?

Some of us remember when there were real debates, like Nixon-Kennedy or even Reagan-Carter. Do you think that this kind of 'gotcha' debate really served EITHER candidate? Or you just parroting the latest talking point from the Clinton campaign?

[Zachstar]

8. These people have my thanks.

It is high time people stood up against this sham of a debate.

[IsItJustMe]

10. Far out!!!

[cliffordu]

11. Most Excellent!!!

[VenusRising]

12. That's fantastic.

I hope that ABC, George, and Charlie all get the message loud and clear.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

65. that will only happen if we keep the pressure up.

KEEP ON WRITING, keep on e-mailing, etc.

[tblue37]

14. What they mean is "At long last, have you no decency?" n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. They're calling for a return to serious journalism

Great to see them taking a stand on this!

[CTyankee]

38. Yes! I've been around a LONG time but I don't think I ever saw this during a

presidential election season! And my first prez election(to vote in) was in 1960.

[TahitiNut]

55. Same here. I've watched ALL the presidential debates since Kennedy-Nixon.

This one was such an abominable hatchet job that there's nothing even close in second place. That's saying a lot since they've been pretty poor ever since the League of Women Voters stopped hosting them.

[CTyankee]

74. I worked at the National headquarters of the League in Washington at the time

they got stripped of managing the debates. It was disgusting. The parties did it to them. The LWV might have been a bit high minded and school marmish but they had high standards.

[babylonsister]

16. K&R! My thanks to all! nt

[azmouse]

17. It's good to see people are waking up to this BS and fighting back.

[Kurovski]

18. Whip the media into shape.

It needs it. k&r

[bridgit]

20. It's been going on so looooong, was that the only ABC debate? And what is the deal...

with Charley Gibson? I thought these guys were paid very handsomely to formulate questions. If 'that thing' was all they had to offer after all the paychecks, that they should all be fired!! For noncompliance :thumbsup:

[goletian]

21. ABC IS A FUCKIN JOKE NOW

they should fire both of those clowns for making a mockery of our country with these debates. imagine how retarded questions like "is wright as patriotic as you are?" would sound in places like the uk, etc... man those guys really dropped the ball.

[DerekJ]

22. :) n/t

[meow mix]

23. K&R

[DAGDA56]

24. All are print or radio journalists/bloggers...

...I'm waiting to see who the first TV journalist to join the list will be...I may have a long wait.

[progressoid]

76. With the severe lack of actual TV journalists, it could be a long wait indeed.

And of those that are journalists, they aren't going to put their heads on the chopping block for this.

[EFerrari]

25. We need to hang on to this list! It could come in as handy as

a pair of asps in a basket. lol

[ScarletSniper]

26. WONDERFUL!!

[TragedyandHope]

27. Thank you all

In other words, ABC, take your flag pin and stuff it!

[crispini]

28. Dead to me! All of you, dead to me!

:rofl::eyes:

[SoonerPride]

29. K & R

Bravo

[Ian_rd]

30. All those are left-leaning outlets and people

I suppose then that the Right has truly taken over mainstream media if the only people who find this shit deplorable are liberals.

[Uncle Joe]

31. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Shakespeare.

[Shakespeare]

32. kick n/t

[JackBeck]

33. But I thought it was only thin-skinned Obama supporters

whining about the debate.

[City Lights]

34. Excellent!

Hope you're listening, _abc, cause many of your peers have joined thousands of your viewers in letting you know that you suck.

You are a disgrace.

[Az_lefty]

35. Excellent! K&R

:toast: to real journalists

[Bucky]

36. Hey cool! It's a list of reporters who'll never be invited to appear on ABC News shows!

The preceding list is actually of people putting their professional integrity in front of their careers.

[Scurrilous]

39. K & R

:thumbsup:

[hvn_nbr_2]

40. 53 (and counting) journalists about to be blacklisted. nt

[MetaTrope]

52. Didn't you notice the only one connected to a major metropolitan newspaper is "formerly" with it?

Nobody stepping on any corporate masters' toes in that group.

[Shakespeare]

42. Nighttime kick. n/t

[Annces]

43. Great

Heap some shame on those tabloid journalists, or give them a job with Reader's Digest.

[jgraz]

44. Quite the honor roll of journalistic integrity there.

I fully expect to see Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann on that list soon.

[Shakespeare]

56. I'd love to see some more broadcast journalists on the list. n/t

[eagertolearn]

45. We all need to do this. Moveon.org has a petition to sign too.

This why I now cruise the internet for news. I know a lot of it comes from TV but I can listen to what I want to listen to and not wait around for something that might be real and of interest!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

66. they asked for 100,000 signatures. They got more than 200,000

sooner than they had expected.

that means a hell of a lot.

[defendandprotect]

46. Looks like roughly 50 journalists and I would imagine it could easily be

300 --- ???

or more --- ???

I can think of a number of journalists who would be very likely on the list but absent so presume
they did this in a hurry?

The thing that I think is obvious is that ABC so very much wanted to avoid presenting any info of
any importance to the public --- and evidently almost every issue is dangerous for those who really control our nation -- that they either felt they had the power to do this without being seriously questioned --- or they are simply doing what Cheney did in saying FU to us and "So . . . ?" ---

[Bensthename]

50. .

[stillcool]

47. I'm impressed!

A who's who of informative journalists. Good for them!

[D23MIURG23]

48. K&R

[Tatiana]

49. Joe Conason... WHOA that name just leaps out at ya!

Good for them! :toast:

[K Gardner]

51. I've been waiting for this. Peer pressure. K&R

[Bensthename]

53. In the end this will have helped Obama..

People are pissed at his treatment and then surprised with the way he answered these stupid questions with such grace and tact. Then the next they keep showing him brushing it off like it was just dandruff, LOL. That was great..

[blogslut]

54. good

I hope more join the list.

[futureliveshere]

57. Wow.. cool.. great post..K&R

[Hope And Change]

60. K & R!

:kick:

[JeffR]

61. Some impressive names there.

As a pinhead, I'll just say, "Agreed!"

[Pooka Fey]

62. K&R

[Califooyah Operative]

63. rec'd. nt

[jorhead]

64. It's crap like this that makes me happy i'm an independent

Instead of blindly towing a party line like so many dems and repubs. Why is there a double standard?

If such things were asked of repubs, you guys would be cheering and letting everyone know of these guys greatness. Just like the repubs are doing. So please don't act all high and mighty when both of the parties supporters act the same. Different parties, same blind whining crap. Amazing ain't it?

The MSM is not left wing or right wing, it's opinionated and there lies the problem. Fact based journalism went out the window a long time ago. Once again the double standard applies when you don't hear something you like. It's ok to have opinionated as long as it support your thoughts, who cares about facts?

So please do yourself and everyone else a favor, don't think yourself better than the repubs. Other than different political views you guys all wine and cry the same. So Sad really.

[emmadoggy]

83. Why are you here? Did you even READ the letter in the OP??

These are JOURNALISTS expressing disgust with the conduct of other journalists. And, as they point out, this conduct would be abhorrent whether it involved a debate for Democrats OR Republicans.

So "please do yourself and everyone else a favor" and "don't act all high and mighty".

[SoxFan]

67. Ed Kilgore

Ed's a good man. I'm glad to see his name on this letter.

BTW, those of you who thing the Hillary/Obama race is some sort of DLC proxy war should take note. Ed was a long time communications staffer for the DLC, and clearly, he has some issues with the tone of the Clinton-Media Complex.

[Phred42]

68. It's PAST TIME to return control to the League OF Women Voters

And broadcast real debates on PBS only.

We must remove the profit from electing our Government Officials if we are to keep OUR Democracy.

The Privatization of our Presidential Debates is Fascist and has destroyed the integrity and relevance of the event.
Corporate America is simply NOT responsible enough to be allowed to control these defining moments in history.

To not understand this is to demonstrate a dangerous level of ignorance - willful or otherwise.

[RoccoR5955]

69. I even heard Daniel Schoor on NPR today condemn these moderators. n/t

[ekwhite]

77. Yep he said he agreed with Tom Shales N/T

[me b zola]

70. K&R

:kick:

[lisainmilo]

71. Nice.....Very Nice! n/t

[Martin Eden]

75. Damn Straight, K&R that

I was disgusted by the questions asked by the moderators.

It was indeed a gross disservice and insult to the voters, as well as a journalistic disgrace.

[Shoelace]

81. heh, Laura Ingraham thought it was a "good debate"

I'd bet Ann Coulter thought so too. Faux News is gloating over it.

Kudos to the journalists who signed that letter!

:kick:

[liberaldem4ever]

82. That's an impressive list k&r

:kick: