I've been thinking some more about CNN hiring Tony Snow as a commentator.
Coming in the wake of Newsweek's hiring of Karl Rove, and the New York Times' hiring of Bill Kristol, 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.
Rove's commitment to deception is legendary. His entire career was built on it. Kristol is neoconservatism's crown prince. He was a prime mover in the push to invade Iraq, and his claims about the war's progress (or, rather, lack thereof) have been discredited again and again. His reward: a conservative slot on the Gray Lady's Op-Ed page. The Times might as well have given a weekly column to Jayson Blair.
Now CNN, the self-anointed "Most Trusted Name in News," has thrown its arms around Snow and handed him its international megaphone.
Are the cable network's execs all suffering from amnesia? Do they not remember the extremely distant relationship Snow had with the truth during his time as Bush's mouthpiece? (In the end, of course, the crux of this problem isn't Snow, who has been hospitalized, and to whom I wish a speedy recovery. It's about the people who hired him -- and Kristol and Rove -- and their reasons for doing so.)
The prerequisite for any TV pundit is credibility. Viewers won't agree with every opinion expressed; but they do need to trust that the opinion expressed is not some pre-packaged PR pitch cooked up in the White House to keep us in the dark.
This was always Snow's specialty -- along with a glib dismissiveness that made him the poster child for the Bush administration's brand of Callous Conservatism.
When the U.S. death toll in Iraq hit 2,500 in June 2006, Snow commemorated the news by saying: "It's a number."
When it was announced that in order to have enough troops for "the surge" a number of U.S. brigades would have to forego the customary preparatory training in the Mojave Desert, Snow shrugged it off: "Well, but they can get desert training elsewhere, like in Iraq."
He also regularly displayed a gift for obfuscating rhetoric. In August 2006, faced with a rash of bombings and killings that had left 3,400 Iraqi civilians dead, Snow insisted "There is not a civil war going on" and chalked the carnage up to "a number of sectarian violence operations going on."
In December 2006, trying to put a positive spin on the highly critical nature of the Iraq Study Group, Snow insisted the report agreed with Bush's "goal" in Iraq. Reminded that the report found that the president's policies in Iraq were "not working," he replied: "No, what they said is that you need a new policy."
And he never let little things like the facts get in the way of his mission. For instance, in September 2006, just days after a Senate report unequivocally concluded there had been no pre-war relationship between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda terrorist Abu al-Zarqawi, Snow insisted that such a relationship did exist, continuing to falsely link Saddam to 9/11- evidence be damned.
Misinformation accomplished.
The fanatical right has put a modern media twist on Lenin: "Self-loathing liberals will hand us the microphone with which we will bludgeon them."
UPDATE: Howard Kurtz's Take on Self-Loathing Liberal Media: Nave, Disingenuous, or Willfully Ignorant? TiVo Alert: Tune in to ABC's 20/20 tomorrow night at 10 pm to see John Stossel's piece on Right Is Wrong and HuffPost. Here's a teaser. And at 11 pm tomorrow I'll be on Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO.
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Still waiting for that "liberal" media to show its face.. I stopped reading/listening to the MSM long ago.
Ummmm, I've got some bad news for you...if you're reading Huffpo and following the links, you're still reading/listening to the MSM.
"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. "
Well Ms. Huffington while on the surface this seems like a valid concern/ observation I'd have to weigh in to say that your post reinforces an illusion that a "liberal media" exists. The commerical media has been the mouthpiece of this Administration for the long arduous 8 years we have had to suffer it. This reminds me of the constant "fight" between Democrats and Republicans; yet another illusion to make Americans think they have a choice in choosing a political party when in fact both parties have sold US out .
I liken the media's hiring of the Bush staff as a "coming out of the closet ", as it were. Sure, we thought they were liberal but on closer viewing not so much....but the media is just another GOP propaganda mouthpiece; only now it's official.
The media is owned by (6) companies and even though you think they are very different and non bias they are. The owners have an agenda. Afterall, they are corporations and what is the main thought for a corporation, more money.
Anyone can see that the news media does not want Senator Obama anywhere near the White House for more than one reason. They will do everything possible to make sure that he does not get there. They are even willing to boost up Senator Clinton who is running a piss poor campaign for someone with all this experience. So we have been had, will be had and there is nothing we can do about it. Thanks to Bill Clinton the broadcasting organizations can dwindle down to one owner for all three majors plus cable, not to mention the radio. Nice trick, just scan the radio stations for news and who is the home station, CNN, CBS, or FOX so where would you get the truth from? They have already tried it out with the Bush-oil war and we stood by and did nothing so they have the green light now to say and do whatever they want, they being the corporations.
""the mainstream media's embrace of these unabashed propagandists has revealed a self-loathing streak a mile wide.""
Why shouldn't they be self loathing? They are just agreeing with the rest of us.
C'mon Ms. Huffington. With the many political and position evolutions you've personally taken over the years, it's surprising to see you weigh in on this issue.
Besides, what is the huge fear of actually hearing a point of view different from your own. Know your enemies, I say.
This site is a PART of the very liberal media Arianna is condemning. Pot meet kettle.
I particularly liked the link to Rove's newsweek article advising Obama. Hell, not even Drudge bothered with that one.
So true.. How much weight can you give to the words of a woman who totally shifts her worldview around when she's 40? I can't believe people regard her as intelligent; her opinions change with the political winds.
Just because GWBush is a fool doesn't mean that everything Republican is bad.
Arianna I hope you never have to fight cancer, and have to still work to feed your family. Tony Snow, although you may think he's a liar, and therefore a bad person, is one of the finest and most caring men I have ever met. We all know that White House press secrataries, are just puppits for the president, be it republican, or democrat. So would you have some compassion for a dying man and let him provide for his family, and let him die in peace without downing a fellow human being.
I, too, think Snow is a decent person and wish him a speedy recovery. But even decent people should not be rewarded for misrepresenting the truth to the American people.
There are many ways for him to "provide" for his family. Perhaps he should teach history in a public school. It is a noble profession with basic health benefits and millions of people are able to support a family on the $40,000 a year salary.
Just like I said Tony was just a puppit for Bush, just like the next prez. will have a press secratary do the same.
Not in california or New York
CNN and Newsweek? I dont know they were liberal media. When The Nation starts hiring Karl Rove is when I'll start worring. As it stands I wouldnt consider CNN as liberal.
Carol
Good grief.
There are wacko right wing pundits and there are wacko left wing pundits. None of them have any credibility, because all of them are just playing the standard partisan game: spin, hyperbole, denial. And to think that "your side" is any "better" is a perfect example of denial.
What, is each "side" supposed to be able to pick the pundits for the other side? Is this a joke?
If you're truly confident in your opinions and positions, you're not afraid to have people hear, read and see the opposite side. This is absurd. America's contemporary poltical culture is an embarrassment.
Here's hoping this comment even makes it past HuffPost's "censors".
That is the problem, they are on both sides playing us the middle.
What side was Thomas Paine on ???
Binx101
The Almost Daily Binx
http://binx101.wordpress.com/
I'm an independent progressive who will vote for Obama if I get the chance...but really I'm more than a bit puzzled by this post.
Since when did CNN and Newsweek become part of the "liberal media" in Arianna's thinking? I thought making that complaint was the job of Hannity, Coulter, Limbaugh, et al.
And with all this ad hominum coming out of Arianna's mouth, how (pray tell) is she any different from the right-wingers she excoriates? I mean, really, exactly what does it do for the debate with the right to call Limbaugh, O'Reilly, et al names, as she does in her new book.
That's just schoolyard stuff.
I thought Arianna remarks were right on,except it is the Liberals who are blinded by the truth?
I keep telling these dopey Dems in Cali that all these programs and networks (accept Keith Olbermann) are bought and paid by the establishment that want news and things to be a certain way. CNN is giving McCain the biggest pass any candidate has ever received. Thomas Friedman has gone insane, stating previously on Charlie Rose that American GIs are instituting US foreign policy by going door to door to Iraqis and pointing their guns and saying, "Suck on this".
I watch it for the purposes of identifying all the false stories and determine their intent. The Rev. Wright issue was classic. It happened 5 years ago. Now Bill O is blasting Bill Moyers as well. They will stop at nothing.
Excellent work on Maher last night, Lady A, you were wonderful and lovely too. Bill always finds a way to be a disappointment anymore though. Is he just too long in the same gig, or what? Sometimes still brilliant, other times he almost seems to be going the way of Dennis Miller. Like when he stunned me by saying it's OK to torture, he just didn't want to know about it.
"Liberal Media"??? What "Liberal Media"??? All the networks are trying to OUTFAUX, FAUX - to the point that FAUX has to play catchup!!
The United States is slowly but surely becoming a full-on Fascist country.
NOTHING will stop this, short of violent overthrow.
If you don't have the stomach to do anything about it, other than posting pathetic and ineffectual complaints about it on an Internet message board, stop your bellyaching and just deal with it.
"If you don't have the stomach to do anything about it, other than posting pathetic and ineffectual complaints about it on an Internet message board, stop your bellyaching and just deal with it."
Isn't that exactly what you are doing?
If you were practicing what you preached, do you think, we would have been priviledged to witness your comment...or, is it ALL "bellyaching".., without exception...?
One must "bellyache" when one's belly aches..., Grasshopper....
For years Judy Woodruff would put her liberal spin on CNN as she delivered her nightly news stories. I am glad to see CNN has hired a competent and great journalist in Tony Snow.
Oh, you're the plant from Free Republic. See the difference here is you are permitted to make such comments and not be totally ridiculed, or kicked off. If you think T Snow is a competent newsman, than you either have not been paying attention, or you bought the whole Bush story the past 7+ years. You are still playing the whole polemic game. Follow your righteous Rep brethren who want truth, like Chuck Hagel and Lincoln Chaffee. Ideology is the danger my friend.
Indeed, ideology is the danger.
On BOTH ends of the spectrum.
Outstanding on Bill Maher show April 25.
I remember when you, Arianna, were far more conservative. I'm glad you have changed but what made you do so? Such an awakening might be good for current day people to hear.
The answer is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Watch Obama's speech. Scroll down for report of convention and full text...
***UPDATE: Round 4 and more*** Round 3
Loading comments…
Posted April 24, 2008 | 11:34 AM (EST)