Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Howard Kurtz, Unreliable Source By Larry C. Johnson

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (01/01/06 through 01/22/2007) Donate to DU
 
Coexist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 06:51 PM
Original message
Howard Kurtz, Unreliable Source By Larry C. Johnson
Edited on Tue May-30-06 06:53 PM by FLDem5
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/053006R.shtml

Author's Note: Knowledge is power folks. This is not about trashing Howie's wife. Let's just have some basic disclosure. By way of disclosure, my wife is the Head Nurse of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. No Conflict. - LJ

Tuesday 30 May 2006
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

I'm writing at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic. Lufthansa is now offering wireless internet on board the airplane, and the connection is amazing. Anyway, it is time to blow the whistle on Howie Kurtz and his hypocrisy. Kurtz, the media reporter for the Washington Post, tries to present the persona of the objective journalist. But a review of his pieces shows a decided tilt to the right and a tendency to be an apologist for the Republican administration. Why is that?

It's all about love. You see, Howie's wife, Sheri Annis, is a Republican consultant/activist. I don't begrudge the lady making a living. I just think it is important that Howie disclose his conflict of interest on this front. Yes, Howie's wife is fair game. She is not undercover. She is not doing classified work. But, she is carrying water for the Republican party and little Howie is more than willing to drink from that cup. Hey, as someone who has been married for 30 years, I fully understand the power of the wife.

I first dealt with Howie when he wrote the story on Robert Greenwald's documentary, "Outfoxed."

Howie, acting as a journalist, wrote the following diatribe:

Robert Greenwald, an admirer of Michael Moore, is trying to give Fox News Channel the kind of cinematic spanking that Moore just delivered to President Bush in "Fahrenheit 9/11."
"Fox is not a conservative network, it's a Republican network," and its fair-and-balanced slogan is "ridiculous," the Los Angeles director says in explaining why he sought funding from two liberal groups - and took out a loan - to make the documentary "Outfoxed."

But Greenwald, whose last movie was "Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War," makes no effort at fairness or balance himself. Not only did he avoid contacting Fox, and indulge in some misleading editing, but the film also features a parade of the network's liberal detractors - including Al Franken, Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders, the group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting and out-of-the-closet liberal columnist Walter Cronkite.


That, my friends, is the work of a political hack. Start with the fact that Michael Moore is not the central focus of the film. Then consider that the facts Robert Greenwald presented are not refuted because, surprise, surprise, they can't be refuted because they ARE FACTS!

So, the next time you read little Howie, just remember, he certainly appears to be carrying water for his wife to ensure she stays on good terms with the Bush White House.


Bravo, Sir!
(on edit: in the interest of full disclosure - you should know I recently bashed Kurtz a little myself, and so giggled really hard while reading this editorial: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/FLDem5/52)




Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
bridgit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 06:54 PM
Response to Original message
1. works for me, kurtz is an 'inside dog' with a prejudice eye imo...
he belongs on foxnews :thumbsdown:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
billbuckhead Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 06:56 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. Why is a CNN guy defending Faux News, anyhow?
Nevermind..........
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
bridgit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 07:00 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. there'ya go...
:rofl:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 06:55 PM
Response to Original message
2. Recommend to expose said political hack! nt
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
blm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 07:00 PM
Response to Original message
5. Hey Larry - Can a group of you work to expose GOP control of media -
it really is getting so lopsided that it's safe to say that broadcast news shows are the PR Dept. for BushInc.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Catherine Vincent Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 07:12 PM
Response to Original message
6. K&R!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KharmaTrain Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 07:20 PM
Response to Original message
7. Whorie The Hypocrite
I couldn't pass this one up...I've been trashing Mr. Kurtz...the Whoriemeister for a long time for a variety of hypocrisies. One is the one Larry wrote about...I remember commenting at the time about Kurtz's hit on both Moore and Greenwald based pure on beltway blather and nothing more.

Whorie gets to play both sides of the street. His "main" gig is being the "media critic" (fox in the foxhouse) for the Washington Post or TV star at CNN...and he uses both to push talking points and misinformation...then hides under the guise of a "media critic" as opposed to a journalist or "pundit"...he's attempted to create his own Private Idaho...I've always seen it as a glass house...and so does Larry. He'll jump from one medium to the other and back again so he can't be pinned down what he said or where he said it.

Whorie's main weapon is using others to say what he needs to spin. He gives credibility to Glenn Reynolds or Assrocket or Puke Hewitt...letting them sow more astroturf than Monsanto can manufacture....and if he has an Arianna Huffington or John Aravosis, they're always tagged teamed...and always called on any claim they make, while the Repugnican spinner not only attempts to discredit these people but once again put the spin out...crafty. Or he'll use an unsourced quote in his collumn...the "the word is..." charge (just like how Faux comments in his hit on Greenwald) without any specifics...but it's not needed cause Whorie is never put under that "critical lens" he claims he puts others under.

Overall, Whorie is a product of the corrupt corporate media that permates the major news organizations. It's about access and careers...money and getting on the "A" list...getting the big "get" over any objectivity or even-handedness. It leads to the ruses we see on many of these shows that no longer are news (we all get that from the Internet) but strictly spin and manipulation.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Coexist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 07:28 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Great post - thanks for your thoughts
You distilled Kurtz and the Talking Head shows down to a few great paragraphs. Nice work.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KharmaTrain Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 07:42 PM
Response to Reply #8
9. Nice To Be Noticed...LOL
Usually my posts go thud around here...guess I'm not sexy enough. :rofl:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Coexist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 07:49 PM
Response to Reply #9
10. I feel your pain
Edited on Tue May-30-06 07:49 PM by FLDem5
I think I am the original DU "Black Anchor".
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
blm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-31-06 12:40 PM
Response to Reply #7
14. They don't even CARE that people know they're carrying Republican water -
they know who signs their checks. Their masters expect full protection for House of Bush and House of Saud. And that means tearing down all credible opposition.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
bleever Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 08:19 PM
Response to Original message
11. Thank you, Larry Johnson.
And thank you, FlDem5.

:thumbsup:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Cha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 08:26 PM
Response to Original message
12. "Unreliable sources" is
Edited on Tue May-30-06 08:28 PM by zidzi
right and I saw this way back before 2002 when I stopped watching cable newslies. howie thinks it's his job to catapult the propoganda..and when are we going to get rid of him and all of his ilk? I'm very much looking forward to that day.

howie kurtz the fascistwing hack.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Berry Cool Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-30-06 08:35 PM
Response to Reply #12
13. Well, it certainly explains why he bashed Olbermann not long ago.
That column really ticked me off, too--and so did an online Q&A he had about it, in which he made it abundantly clear which side his bread is buttered on, as far as I'm concerned.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Fri Apr 26th 2024, 02:50 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (01/01/06 through 01/22/2007) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC