NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, CNN and the rest of the gang ignored the New York Times April 20 blockbuster about the Pentagon's program of briefing retired military officers who, in turn, spewed Defense Dept. “talking points” as on-air correspondents. Take a bow, NYT.The Pentagon, five days after the Times story broke, suspended the briefings upon further review. Note to DOD PA staff: the policy was another PR triumph in your effort to massage and control the U.S. media. Though the occupation isn’t going well with no future exit policy in sight, the U.S. public remains detached from that reality because the media long ago abdicated their watchdog duty concerning President Bush’s nasty Iraqi affair. The networks ignored the Times’ blockbuster because it reveals their duplicity in promoting the Administration’s “selling” of the war and the occupation of Iraq.
Media Matters contrasted the news blackout to the over-the-top coverage given to a picture of a partially uncovered Miley Cyrus that ran in Vanity Fair. [VF does a great piece about RFK's presidential run in the same issue.] ABC, CBS and NBC devoted big chunks of time during their April 28 evening newscasts to 15-year-old Miley, whose alter ego is the $1B Disney “Hannah Montana” franchise. ABC, which is owned by Disney, gave two and a half minutes to Miley, while CBS and NBC each devoted two minutes to the “story.”
Where is the public outrage about the jumbled priorities of Big Media? A buddy of mine called last week to express disgust with the Federal Communications Commission, which he accuses of waging war on the VNR business.
He said: “The FCC has time to threaten stations with losing their broadcast licenses for airing VNRs that frequently contain information of use to viewers, but nothing to say when the networks are either co-opted or tricked by the White House into selling the war that has led to more than 4,000 dead Americans. It’s unbelievable.”
That is very well put. America deserves better from its broadcasters.