AP's 'Talking Points' Defending Fournier Surface

[Newsjock]

Source: Editor & Publisher

Longtime Associated Press political writer, and now AP Washington bureau chief, Ron Fournier, has been targeted by liberal groups and blogs lately for what they perceive as biased AP reporting against Barack Obama and Joe Biden. This was pushed along by a recent report at Politico.com that Fournier had been approached about working for John McCain in 2006.

AP has denied any slant and today Politico writer Michael Calderone posted on their site what AP calls "talking points" sent to AP editors by Ellen Hale, AP's vice president for corporate communications. Here is the August 26, 2008, memo -- the full story is at www.politico.com.
*

Chiefs, RVPs, APME:

As many of you know, some political groups and left-leaning blogs have aligned to organize a newspaper letter-writing campaign against AP Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier. The campaign started this weekend with an email writing push aimed at Kathleen Carroll and Mike Oreskes, but has now moved on to urge newspaper readers to write their local editors.

Below you will find some talking points to help guide you as this issue plays out. Please feel free to use them in talking with editors and readers and forward to other AP staff you think might find them useful.

Read more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003844567

[SpiralHawk]

1. AP is in the PR business. Ptooey.

Don't need no more steenkin propaganda catapults.

[Blue_Tires]

2. funny to think this is the same organization that turned me down for job

multiple times (!)

[DCKit]

3. You obviously didn't pad your resume with enough outlandish claims.

Gotta spin it, baby! AP is the big time.

[elzenmahn]

4. I've been noticing it too...

...since Obama emerged as the nominee, and even a bit before, I've noticed the AP's coverage of him becoming increasingly slanted and negative.

But during the DNC convention, the slant was so bad that I thought I was in one of those crazy rooms where at one end, you look like a midget, and at the other end, you look like a giant!

I'd just love to see what Fournier and the rest at the AP pull out of their collective kiesters during the RepubliCANT convention.

[depakid]

5. Any newspaper who prints political stories from AP is automatically suspect

of spreading propaganda. To the extent they care about their credibility and their circulation they'll refrain from using such stories. Simple as that.

[myrna minx]

6. K&R n/t

[Doctor_J]

7. American Pravda slanted? Who could tell?

:eyes:

[grasswire]

8. this is surely enough recommendation!

From the article: "He has a strong reputation among his peers for honesty and even-handedness. In 2000, Washington Post media writer Howard Kurtz described Fournier as one of the "most dogged shoe-leather scribes around," but one who "avoids the spotlight himself."

I busted a gut laughing when I read that. Kurtz is the only person quoted in support of Fournier.

[grasswire]

9. Fournier ruined the AP brand

That's what AP VP Ellen Hale has not yet realized. The brand is now ruined.

[KT2000]

10. Denied any slant??

Are they kidding?
They are clueless then.