Historian: 2008 Press Corps Isn't The Worst Ever, Fox Is The Best

In 2006, Princeton University history professor Sean Wilentz wrote a cover story for Rolling Stone titled: "The Worst President in History?"

The accompanying headline said: "One of America's leading historians assesses George W. Bush."

Also featuring a drawing depicting Bush wearing an elaborate dunce cap, Rolling Stone implied that the question was rhetorical and the punctuation mark unnecessary.

When it comes to reporting on campaigns, some real lowlights have emerged over the past year.
Remember the misinterpreted polling in Iowa and New Hampshire, the New York Times' poorly sourced blathering about John McCain's possible dalliance with a lobbyist, the insulting coverage of Hillary Clinton's cleavage and the over-the-top reporting of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor of Barack Obama? ...

He told me that journalists were capable of surprising him by doing solid -- as opposed to sensational -- work. In turn, Wilentz surprised me when he reviewed the media's coverage of the Pennsylvania primary, which Clinton won.

He said the best coverage by far came from the Fox News Channel. Wilentz observed that Karl Rove, contributor to Fox News and architect of Bush's two successful presidential campaigns, among others, had sounded "very, very knowledgeable." (Fox News is part of News Corp. (NWS: NWS 19.99, +0.13, +0.7%) , which also owns MarketWatch, publisher of this column.)

"What it showed is that the reporting of politics doesn't have to be bad," Wilentz said. "If you respect your audience without a partisan imperative, then you can have some sophisticated reporting."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[izAriver]

"He said the best coverage by far came from the Fox News Channel. Wilentz observed that Karl Rove, contributor to Fox News and architect of Bush's two successful presidential campaigns, among others, had sounded "very, very knowledgeable." (Fox News is part of News Corp. (NWS: NWS 19.99, +0.13, +0.7%) , which also owns MarketWatch, publisher of this column.)"

LMAO! That's the most ridiculous assertion I've seen in a long time. This "historian" is either being sarcastic or poopert owns his soul.

[Denni]

Well done, Willentz, on pimping the Clinton talking points... of course, you've thrown your credibility into a blazing hot fire, but you've done your Clintonista duty... the same channel that continued to 'misreport' false statements about Obama is the fairest? Sad.

[geobushono]

yup.....spreading the murdoch 'walkin around money'.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

"Aren't always bad" - Now there's a standard for excellence. The Bush culture is seeping up through the carpet of society. Nice work Brownie, I mean Media.

[allonfla]

No one channel is very objective but there are a few shows and commentators that are. Verdict with Dan Abrahms, Rachel Maddow, Eugene on KO, a few more but I forget their names.

[DesertLight]

Let me get this straight. You are calling that list objective?

[UnbiasView]

I was thinking the same thing, what a tool that guy is.

[NightRider]

"He said the best coverage by far came from the Fox News Channel."

Professors are notoriously known for doing hard drugs. I stop reading after that statement. The way to lose your audience.

[DesertLight]

Business as usual, fear and attack those with a different view point. The difference is, if you are a Liberal/progressive here you can pretty much get away with character assassination. If you are a conservative, better watch out or resort to one line replies and hope you are lucky.

[izAriver]

Merely replying in kind. Besides, someone has to correct the factual errors so prevalent in those "conservative" posts.

[lisakaz2]

It's not nec. the drugs. He's a HRC shill, that's all. I would never buy anything he says about current events. He thinks Obama was the race baitor, not the Clintons. Hillariously sad.

[pleeezzze]

We are all aware that that was true about Obama ,from the very beginning .

I had always refused to watch Fox, but lately I've done so because of the extreme Hillary bashing on CNN, MSNBC,NBC .

[LiberalBuzz]

Weintz is a CLINTON SUPPORTER and that was left out of the front page here. It should have mentioned that right up front.

THEN the headline might have read.

CLINTON SUPPORTER CLAIMS FOX'S COVERAGE OF PA PRIMARY WAS BEST.

THAT would have been more honest.

[DesertLight]

This one will be too hard for folks here to stomach.

[dogstar7]

" Wilentz observed that Karl Rove, contributor to Fox News and architect of Bush's two successful presidential campaigns, among others, had sounded "very, very knowledgeable."

Knowledgeable?
Unctuous and condescending sounds "knowledgeable" to Wilentz ears?

Future federal prisoner Karl Rove is a propagandist and an enemy of the Constitution.

[Fleisch]

Why does the summary skip the 3rd paragraph of the article, which says:
"He's an avid supporter of Clinton, whose staff has blasted much of the coverage. "

[LiberalBuzz]

I noticed that as well. Something stinks about this guys belief about The FoxNewsWhorehouse was the best during the PA primary.

The headline is a bit misleading as well since Weintz was only talking about the PA primary coverage.

So yeah, the quick read did manage to not tell the entire truth about this guy.

[dadw5boys]

FOX???? excuse me BULL$HIT. Sorry had some crap in my ears. What was that again? Bull$hit!

[WAstateliberal]

I almost can't believe this is posted on HuffPo as legit. Sean Wilentz? For fuck's sake, Sean Wilentz? Standards must have gone way down at Princeton since the Brooke Shields days.

[plainsman]

Well, at least we know who's under Ailes' desk.

[ProfessorDuh]

Hey, "professor," remember this recent "history lesson" from your pals at Fox News?
FOX and Friends Sunday 4/27/08 discussed a hypothetical Lincoln-Douglas style debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The man pictured opposite Lincoln in their "historical graphic" was Frederick Douglass, ex-slave, writer and abolitionist. Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln's Democratic challenger, was nowhere to be found.
Yes, Fox News ACTUALLY DID THIS.

[econdr]

I CALL BS.

Look this guy up on wikipedia. He is a prominent Clinton supporter.

Hillary clinton is in cahoots with Fox News now, and is doing everything in her power to legitimize fox news, while delegitimizing Barack Obama so she can run as the Corporate Democrat in 2012.

Very subversive....

[Binx101]

Matt Tailbi

Calling Matt Taibi

I trust what you've got to say ....

How about doing us a solid follow up ?

eh?

Binx101
The Almost Daily Binx
http://binx101.wordpress.com

[iPolitics]

I didn't know Princeton had a Community College.

[GayIthacan]

ROTFLMAO!!!!