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Reuters Propels Iraq Flip-Flop Lie
I see raider99 has raised in general form a topic I bring up here in specific form. The posts are by no means identical, though I like raider's thinking very much.
You don't have to be an investigative reporter to see Reuters pushing for John McCain. The story is still right there on the Reuters homepage. Or you can find it here, among the "news" service's most-read stories of the day.
Here's John Whitesides, a Reuters political correspondent, who takes Obama to task for being "puzzled" by a controversy Whitesides perpetuates in his lead:
ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Saturday his plan to end the Iraq war was unchanged and he was puzzled by the sharp reaction to his statement this week that he might "refine" his timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops.And now here's the Obama statement that Whitesides reinvented as "timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops":
"When I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies," he said. “I have been consistent, throughout this process, that I believe the war in Iraq was a mistake.”Nowhere does Obama say "timetable." He says "policies."
But Whitesides has the gall to write a story with the headline: Obama "puzzled" by Iraq comment frenzy. And Reuters has the gall to print it, even though both the reporter and his editor know that the frenzy was created by the press and is being perpetuated by the inevitable "reaction" story that continues the lie.
I called Reuters and complained. You should, too, at (646) 223-4000.
Call today or call tomorrow. Always be polite but firm and to the point. News operations have deadlines. So call all day and tie up their damn lines until Reuters stops the smears. It's the only way to win against the MSM.
Now apply that and get to it whenever and wherever outright lies are sold.
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Comments (25)
By the way — and this is VERY important — Whitesides never bothers to quote Obama's original statement in his reaction story. As a result, the causal reader would never know Obama wasn't flip-flopping.
July 6, 2008 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good example, Ripper, and good solution. I only wish this were an isolated incident. Maybe we should have progressive phone banks going constantly and calling, emailing and otherwise putting pressure on all the news outlets - all the time. An organized campaign against deceitful, biased and distorted news. I'd put in my time if someone has or is willing to organize it.
July 6, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like this idea. After Obama was ambushed by ABC in that farcical debate last Spring, they was an immediate deluge of protest - not only directly to ABC, but to all of the media outlets. It was front page news the next day, and the principals were forced to clarify just what the hell they were trying to pull. We need to be doing lots more of that.
July 6, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent point.
July 6, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
raider99, I've called a lot of news outlets this year. Sometimes I had success all by myself. For instance, I got CBS News's online editor to flesh out a quote from Rev Wright that was being reduced to its most inflammatory micro-kernel of a sentence. I saw that result within minutes of my conversation, but it took a couple hours of persistent calling to get patched through to the right guy.
News operations are very insulated from the public, oddly enough. The bureaucracies of the larger operations run into the hundreds of people and scores of departments and desks.
I would phone bank, as well, but I haven't researched all the numbers that might have to be called.
Does anyone know of a list?
Also, email campaigns can work great.
THE IMPORTANT thing to know is that INDIVIDUAL initiative often pays off. Organized complaint campaigns have less effect. So people should just get the number the best they can and call whenever they see an egregious offense — save it for the egregious ones.
And then, there's also a chance that bitching to an advertiser will produce wondrous results. Haven't tried it yet, but the MSM is ALL about money.
July 6, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the individual approach works better than organized protest, perhaps we need one central clearing house of the stuff that happens on the MSM, with video and quotes plus names and numbers so that individuals can have the information they need and make the relevant calls.
I get most of my information about these egregious MSM moments from blogs because I haven't the stomach to watch any of it. Also, I have the time to do blogs, because I can do it quickly and in my own time, but even if I were to record the shows, it's bigger than I could possibly cover. I like Jason Linkins' Sunday roundup on HuffPo because it's always humorous, but generally a good synopsis. However, something organized, but individual at the same time would seem to include the best of both worlds. What do you think?
July 6, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I also avoid the MSM outlets and get my news through the net. Some kind of an "All Points Bulletin" would be cool - a Spin Alert. This is what the MSM is saying. Here's the McCain Camp's talking points on the issue. Here's what the Obama camp is saying. Here's what we can do to get the MSM to clarify their reporting. And then put all of the contacts out there - telephone, email, snail mail.
July 6, 2008 8:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ripper: Great post. I like the idea of complaining with the fury-of-a-thousand-angry-nuns if our candidate is being treated unfairly (and he is).
But I also think Barack's been getting rolled for the past 10 days. HE must control his message, and take charge of the debate against McCain.
I thought the days of Democrats apologizing and "excuse me Mr. tough Republican" debating were over. Instead, he's getting rolled. They're drinking his milkshake. I'm sick of it. Barack, stop using endless mealy-mouth words; use confidence and posturing. Work the refs! BARACK, FIGHT DAMMIT!
July 6, 2008 6:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
UPDATE on Reuters:
I spoke with the World Editor (option 2) at 7 p.m. Eastern, who said he would NOT pull or correct the story but that he would pass along "my perspective" to the article's author, John Whitesides, and that maybe Whitesides might clarify things in a later piece, but that was highly unlikely as it was not likely to be a story 48 hours after Whiteside wrote his piece. I tried to explain that my "perpsective" was not at issue or at stake, but that a simple matter of substituting a specific policy for the word "policies" was at issue, and at stake is the White House.
But he hung up up before I could finish the point.
The phone number for the Reuters Washington-based World Desk is 202-898-8300. Anyone else care to finish my point?
July 6, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
And all these years I thought the Republicans had the monopoly on media paranoia all to themselves.
Silly me.
(What a ridiculous waste of your time and effort.)
July 6, 2008 8:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gosh, could you be a little clearer for me.
July 6, 2008 8:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
On second thought, that's clear enough. Nothing was wasted or ridiculous about the attempt. I have succeeded before, Fredo. And since I've spent most of my life in newsrooms, I'm well acquainted with the arrogance of editors. And putzes who are more adept at writing than reading.
July 6, 2008 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
RM,
I'm in no way defending the media---they're great at covering Madonna, Britney, Princess Di (even tho she's dead) and so on.
But you guys have a dead-in-the-water opponent to attack in McCain; why not concentrate on him?
Fredo
July 6, 2008 9:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
No harm in working the refs. Especially when they "carry McCain's water" and "Kiss his a$$" and "buy him donuts with sprinkles" everyday. Obama's people should throw a fit and do it themselves, but since they're silent, Ripper et al. have to pick up the slack. Keep up the fight!
July 6, 2008 10:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, work every angle. And don't give McCain any handicap.
July 6, 2008 10:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama Guys & Gals: This stuff is all in your minds.
He's been treated like a cupcake for months and months and months...now he's in the Big Game, and he's gonna get hammered, as is McCain.
But I must admit, I love reading these "they ain't fair" threads.
July 6, 2008 11:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
FreddyB: Cupcakes? Did you bring one with sprinkles for Senator McCain?
But seriously, I like your posts, so I'm surprised you think the basic unit of citizenship ("The Complaint") is somehow ineffectual or worthless. I mean, what's a blog post worth in comparison to a complaint? Blogs are worthwhile, and so is registering discontent with a money-making venture that shapes public opinion.
ANYWAY, I hope you give conservatives just as hard of a time as you do us liberals on this thread. The movement-conservatives infesting the GOP since 1994 are the BIGGEST bunch of complaining crybaby b!tches we've ever seen.
July 7, 2008 1:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
It won't work this time, the American people just want this group of Criminals out of the white house and that includes McCain. McCain's mental, and emotional stability can not be trusted at 71 years old and after 5 years as a pow. Anyone who thinks this man does not have some lasting affects from his tramatic experiances as a POW is crazy. By the way make sure your legislators support the Media Ownership Reform Act (Upcoming legislation to restore the Fairness Doctrine (fairness in broadcasting).
July 7, 2008 1:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I called and was directed to the Washington office @ (202) 898-8300 where I spoke to the world desk editor, who promised to look into it.
I doubt they will with my call alone, but it's worth a shot of putting pressure on them with a few more calls..
July 7, 2008 9:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
All you can do is respond to each instance of bias with a corrective email or letter or phone call. Accusations of overall bias fall on deaf ears. But pointing out each instance of bias as they occur, while time consuming, does make a difference. We fight the sons of bitches by holding them to a standard. And the standard is the truth. The standard is sticking to verifiable facts.
July 7, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely.
July 7, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
UPDATE: Mon 11 a.m. Eastern
I spoke with Howard Goller, daytime World Editor at Reuters in Washington, and he promised to look into it. He took the time to understand my point and give it weight, though he made no promises other than to inquire further into the reporting of the story by Whitesides. This conversation was very pleasant and followed several conversations with arrogant underlings. We'll see what happens. Goller is to call me back.
July 7, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
What you're doing, Ripper, is awesome. But what concerns me is how much time it has taken you to get to Goller. Most of us don't have that much time to follow through with all the offenses we witness, so that's where my concept of a clearinghouse type site that includes not only the offensive reporting, but also the contact information that gets people more quickly to the people who make a difference. It's easy enough these days to call or write your senator or representative, even if you would never actually talk to them, but it's far more difficult to know who to talk to or to write to at a media company or advertiser.
July 7, 2008 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think that what's really great about what Rip is doing here is that, he's not just one person calling to bring attention to how the press has mishandled an issue. He's calling and then reporting back on a public blog about his efforts to bring attention to this issue and how his complaints are being received. If he reports back that Reuters is blowing him off, complete with the names and positions of the person(s) doing this, that's really bad PR for Reuters. We (Rip's audience and comrades) conclude that Reuters is turning a deaf ear to this segment of their audience and conclude that we need to assist in turning up the volume. And the problem escalates for Reuters.
July 7, 2008 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're right, raider, a database online would help. If we could get one going that allowed people to post articles needing follow-up, complete with author, news organization, etc., we might be able to link in the right contact, email and phone number for folks to use.
Hey! Coders!! Anyone want to help?
July 7, 2008 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
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