Arianna Huffington criticized by WAPO media critic for cherry-picking facts to make a point

[mickeyraul]

Arianna Huffington is being criticized for omitting key facts in her rant accusing the media of hiring a few right-wing writers whom she calls "the enemy".

Arianna Huffington, former conservative, denounces the MSM for daring to hire . . . conservative commentators:

"Coming in the wake of Newsweek's hiring of Karl Rove, and the New York Times' hiring of Bill , the mainstream media's embrace of these unabashed propagandists has revealed a self-loathing streak a mile wide.

"What is it with these media outlets? Have they been so cowed by the Right's relentless branding of them as 'liberal' that they feel compelled to show that they are not by sleeping with the enemy? And make no mistake, Rove, Kristol, and Snow are the enemies - of honesty, truth, facts, reality, and the public's right to know. Anything."

Here's what Arianna isn't telling you. When Newsweek hired Rove, the magazine also hired Markos Moulitsas. Kristol's once-a-week column is balanced on the Times op-ed page by Maureen Dowd, Paul Krugman, Frank Rich and Bob Herbert. And CNN almost never puts on conservative contributors without balancing them with libs; indeed, Snow appeared with Dee Dee Myers during his debut this week. So is Arianna saying the media shouldn't employ conservatives at all?

Kurtz didn't mention David Brooks, who is a conservative in the Times, but his point is still valid.
To those who would note that these conservative writers often fudge the facts, remember that Maureen Dowd often makes stuff up, including calling Al Gore a liar. Same goes for Frank Rich, who has also lied about Gore and once called his Inconvenient Truth movie "a high school movie".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042501113_pf.html

[olkaz]

1. two things

A. This has nothing to do with the Primary.

B. Her point is valid. Offsetting opinions make no sense in a world of objective truth. Hiring idealogues is a means to end that sacrifices journalistic integrity.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

4. There aren't always two sides to the story.

The world is round, gravity is a "theory" but it's a pretty observable one. No one would expect CNN or the NYT to provide "balance" in the form of the Flat Earth Society or adherents of Intelligent Falling.

[olkaz]

5. Exactly.

I'm so sick of this "balance" idea.

The news used to just be the news.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. It's getting more and more difficult to distinguish fact from spin. nt

[redqueen]

7. It's "false balance" and we should make sure to call it what it is.

Just as anti-choice views are NOT pro-life... false balance is not balance.

[Mass]

2. When did it ever bother the Wapo that right wing people cherry-pick facts?

[knixphan]

9. ding ding ding!

[CK_John]

3. Arianna Huffington is just jealous that she can't run for president. n/t

[City Lights]

8. I'm one who doesn't think Markos balances out KKKarl.

Nothing against Markos, of course, but Markos is most certainly not a liberal version of Rove.

Personally, I don't consider Howie Kurtz a reliable source. His criticisms are, for the most part, directed at liberals.

And I'm guessing Arianna has nothing against honest conservatives. Her gripe is with propagandists. Kristol citing Newsmax as a source on the Op-Ed page of the NYTimes was disgraceful and Howie should know it.

[SeaLyons]

10. Olbermann sure as hell

NEVER has anyone on his show that has an opposing view. Only those that echo his hatred of HRC. I have never seen anyone on KO do anything but join in on the bashing of Hillary. No one can deny that.

[dionysus]

12. that hateful, hateful, mean ol olbermann!!!!

:rofl:

[SeaLyons]

13. he's not hateful....

just a piece of shit with no credibility because of his irrational hatred of HRC.

[dionysus]

14. uh-oh!!! angry shillbot upset that KO tells the truth...

banky will make it all better

[SeaLyons]

16. you better hold on to that banky..

you might need it.

[Elidor]

11. His strawman point is not valid at all

He deftly turns the issue aside and suggests that Ariana is against conservatives having a voice in the news media. The point is not conservatives in the media, it's propagandists in the media, the very people who lied us into a stupid war.

And the false equivalence of Moulitsas is laughable. Anytime you find yourself agreeing with Howie the Putz, you've already been duped.

[barack the house]

15. To article not poster:Oh that's ok then if you hire proven liars it counters it with a liberal, erm.

These GOP pundits why are they so destructive they have to share the mess with us. I don't get it.