Internal Memo: ABC Biased for Kerry

DRUDGE REPORT 2004?

It would seem the cat is now also out of the bag at ABC - which is very much in the bag for Kerry.

Halperin Memo Dated Friday October 8, 2004

It goes without saying that the stakes are getting very high for the country and the campaigns - and our responsibilities become quite grave

I do not want to set off (sp?) and endless colloquy that none of us have time for today - nor do I want to stifle one. Please respond if you feel you can advance the discussion.

The New York Times (Nagourney/Stevenson) and Howard Fineman on the web both make the same point today: the current Bush attacks on Kerry involve distortions and taking things out of context in a way that goes beyond what Kerry has done.

Kerry distorts, takes out of context, and mistakes all the time, but these are not central to his efforts to win.

We have a responsibility to hold both sides accountable to the public interest, but that doesn't mean we reflexively and artificially hold both sides "equally" accountable when the facts don't warrant that.

I'm sure many of you have this week felt the stepped up Bush efforts to complain about our coverage. This is all part of their efforts to get away with as much as possible with the stepped up, renewed efforts to win the election by destroying Senator Kerry at least partly through distortions.

It's up to Kerry to defend himself, of course. But as one of the few news organizations with the skill and strength to help voters evaluate what the candidates are saying to serve the public interest. Now is the time for all of us to step up and do that right.

Comments

[Mike]

More evidence of two things: a) the unbelievable lengths to which the mainstream media will go to advance their agenda instead of reporting news, and b) the signs of a traditional media that simply will not survive in their present form in the face of the truth from the blogging community. The media seem to believe they hold the same position as Pravda did at the height of the Cold War -- too bad for them that the Internet has destroyed their monopoly and will continue to make them less and less relevant.