I don't know if you've read the email obtained by Salon's Glenn Greenwald from NBC News' Allison Gollust to David Barstow over his recent front page piece detailing how Pentagon/private-sector flack Barry McCaffrey appeared on NBC News forever and ever without news consumers ever once receiving details on his many entanglements and conflicts of interest, but I just get lost in wonderment when I peruse it. I've appended the whole thing at the bottom of the post, for your bemusement.
Greenwald offers the essential exegesis on the matter, but I'd like to draw some attention to some specific parts of NBC's defense:
We've yet to see concrete proof of a correlation between any of his outside business interests and his statements made on our air. Truly, the opposite appears to be the case. General McCaffrey put himself at odds with the Pentagon decision makers time and time again -- not only on NBC's air, but in his public appearances and many writings. In fact, he has lost potential outside opportunities precisely because he had made an ethical decision to be objective and make critical comments when warranted.
Our relationship with General McCaffrey is based on trust, a basic tenant of journalism. He has provided us with periodic, detailed reports on his outside activities and meetings. He has assured us that he is not directly incentivized in any of his outside business relationships. We have agreed that he would either recuse himself from any discussion where a conflict might exist or disclose a relationship should that be necessary.
It's a little astounding that this letter was sent to Barstow, as its defense is of the glib "clear the air with pleasantries" variety that P.R. professionals run up the flagpole for the public to view. It's extremely unlikely that Barstow would be moved by Gollust's defense. As Alex Pareene -- in a fantastic takedown -- points out:
To start: as the Times piece did actually point out, each time McCaffrey criticized Rumsfeld and the Pentagon, they threatened to cut him off and he walked those criticisms all the way back. Because he was repeating Pentagon talking points and couldn't jeopardize his good favor with the Pentagon by being critical, because that would jeopardize his consulting firm's ability to get their clients access to the Pentagon, which is the gist of the massive ethical clusterfuck that NBC refuses to acknowledge. Further: McCaffrey provided NBC with "periodic, detailed reports on his outside activities and meetings," which revealed relationships and conflicts that they didn't feel the need to inform the viewers about, because McCaffrey promised he was totally independent and his word was good enough for them.
So, yeah. You might buy this defense if you'd never read Barstow's article, but Barstow wrote Barstow's article!
But, as long as we're on the topic of who substantiated what claim, I'm really intensely curious over one of Gollust's contentions -- namely, that McCaffrey "lost potential outside opportunities precisely because he had made an ethical decision to be objective and make critical comments when warranted." If we're all just journalists here, a-journalizin', I have to wonder: why would NBC be in the position to have kept track of all of McCaffrey's lost income opportunities? Furthermore, why on earth does Gollust think that a print reporter for the New York Times would find McCaffrey's meager sacrifices impressive? Is legitimacy predicated on being slightly less wealthy? (And hey, who's to say Barstow hasn't NOT SOLD OUT EVEN MORE?) Anyway, since NBC is in the position to know about all of McCaffrey's lost income opportunities, I should very much like NBC to cite an example!
Also, I have to love the malapropism in Gollust's email, where "trust" is said to be "a basic tenant of journalism." Truly, I wonder if NBC is ever going to give trust back its security deposit.
RELATED:
NBC Loves Its Resident War Profiteer [Gawker]
----------------------------
[READ THE EMAIL.]
From: Gollust, Allison (NBC Universal)
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:35 AM
To: [David Barstow]
Cc: Capus, Steve (NBC Universal); McCormick, David (NBC Universal)
Subject: From NBC NewsDear Mr. Barstow:
Here is our on the record response to your request.
Before we address the issues you have raised with your current article, it bears repeating that we remain very concerned about your first article. We believe it left your readers with an inaccurate and incomplete picture of the NBC News military analysts. It ignored the criticism expressed by our analysts of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon strategy in Iraq. Further, it suggested that every military analyst listed or pictured in the NY Times article became a conduit for unfiltered propaganda.
This is a gross distortion of the truth as it relates to the NBC News analysts.
With regard to General Barry McCaffrey, it was evident you were aware of his critical remarks because you acknowledged them in your emails to the General even before the article was published. Yet, you left this important contextual information out of your article. Our lingering concerns have only been reinforced by your most recent email to us with questions regarding General McCaffrey, some of which are based on false assumptions.
The basic premise that General McCaffrey profited from his on-air appearances defies logic given the critical tone of the General's repeated comments regarding Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon.
We've yet to see concrete proof of a correlation between any of his outside business interests and his statements made on our air. Truly, the opposite appears to be the case. General McCaffrey put himself at odds with the Pentagon decision makers time and time again -- not only on NBC's air, but in his public appearances and many writings. In fact, he has lost potential outside opportunities precisely because he had made an ethical decision to be objective and make critical comments when warranted.
Our relationship with General McCaffrey is based on trust, a basic tenant of journalism. He has provided us with periodic, detailed reports on his outside activities and meetings. He has assured us that he is not directly incentivized in any of his outside business relationships. We have agreed that he would either recuse himself from any discussion where a conflict might exist or disclose a relationship should that be necessary.
General McCaffrey is a retired Four Star General, a two-time recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest award for valor. He is one of the foremost experts on defense matters and has earned a reputation for his independent thinking.
We are proud to have General Barry McCaffrey as a member of the NBC News organization, where he provides objective and non-partisan analysis. He is a true American hero who is not afraid to speak his mind even if it sometimes ruffles some feathers in Washington. We believe our viewers have been, and will continue to be, well served by his incisive and thoughtful comments.