The Press Manufactures John Kerry's tears

Scores of major news players last week concocted the phony storyline that Sen. John Kerry shed tears of regret while announcing his plans to sit out the 2008 race. He did no such thing. For observers who want to understand the media's mindset as the next White House run unfolds, they'd be hard-pressed to find a more telling and alarming example than the botched coverage surrounding Kerry's straightforward proclamation last week. Indeed, the incident raises all sorts of doubts, on the eve of the 2008 campaign, about the ability of Beltway journalists to perform the simplest tasks, such as taking notes when a prominent Democrat gives a speech and then accurately reporting on that speech.

Read the full Media Matters column here.