Helen Thomas On Blogs: Dangerous

It appears Public Eye at CBS has plucked a gem from an interview with Helen Thomas at HuffPo I imagine few Right-siders read. It's a real laugher if you've followed Thomas at all, particularly her pronouncements as regards America killing civilians in Iraq.

Q: Do you think technology is changing [journalism]? That a good reporter will always find a venue because there are so many media outlets now?

Thomas: No, but I do think it is kind of sad when everybody who owns a laptop thinks they're a journalist and doesn't understand the ethics. We do have to have some sense of what's right and wrong in this job. Of how far we can go. We don't make accusations without absolute proof. We're not prosecutors. We don't assume.

Q: So if there's this amateur league of journalists out there, trying to do what you do...

Thomas: It's dangerous.

Comments

[Tommy]

Man, that's just funny as hell.

[jblog]

And now, in the "could she possibly get it less?" category...

[BobInStamford]

Doesn't she know that Log Cabin patriots like Rod Majors are out there trying to tell the GOOD NEWS about Iraq. I say waterboard her.

[Helen Thomas]

It is dangerous. The Bush Administration removed the grates on the internet tubes, and children are getting sucked in there every day.

[BD]

Isn't it amazing?

Helen's either breathtakingly deluded or she possesses not a whit of intellectual honesty.

[Kaitain]

In other words, she's afraid of getting sacked by some blogger.

[Jeffersonian]

Isn't it time for her nephews to stuff her back into the attic?

[Capitalist Infidel]

What's dangerous is the fact for decades the Helen Thomas's of the world were the only form of "journalism"

[Gullyborg]

Helen Thomas is still alive?

[southdakotaboy]

What an arrogant old hag. What a pompus wind bag. What an ego centric buffoon.

[Phoenix]

ha... the person asking her the question is great. .. "... trying to do what you do?" What a howl.

[templar knight]

Helen Thomas is the mother of chris/Boob. I just can't figure out which one got the worse end of the deal. Needless to say, the ones of us who have to interact with either one are cursed.

[JustADude]

Most blogs don't even pretend to be Journalists and do original research reporting. For one thing most blogs don't even have access to the news makers of the day and if they tried they are brushed off.

The vast majority of blogs are just opinion and only a very small percentage even try to do original reporting.

[bilbo]

I want Helen in a thong and a zorro mask!
*
SWEET!
*

[Bonk -A-Donk]

Helen is still sitting in the rocker at the Bates Motel, doing what she do best.

[jl]

Journalism wouldn't be in the sorry state it's in if Helen Thomas were alive!

[Yoda]

"there's this amateur league of journalists out there"

Known as mainstream media, they are.

[seekeronos]

The World according to Helen Thomas: Only "journalists" who are vetted by the Socialist... erm, Democratic Party and are properly credentialed by a Party-approved J-School may call themselves journalists and report news.

[todler]

wow, she sounds just like that blowhard Steven A Smith from ESPN. He said almost the exact same thing a couple of days ago. I wonder if it is an organized campaign or something.

[Scrapiron]

Wasn't Thomass in a fantasy movie? She was the character that didn't need a mask to scare children....The extra 's' is correct.

[ss]

I honestly didn't expect a literal "laugher." But then I got to the part about journalistic "ethics." Seriously. That got me.

[Neal K]

She looks like the trash heap from Fraggle Rock.

[Big Daddy T!]

Helen Thomas? I'd hit it!!

Neal K.....you're a funny guy. Classic.

[Eric Jensen]

What amazes me is that most "reporting" is one person digging something up, or one "event" occuring that draws our attention, and the "reporters" are simply repeating that story. NO invensigative "journalism" whatsoever. Bloggers main role, IMHO, is to shed light on stories not covered, or barely at that, by these so called professionals. We also have several true reporters, imbeds that tell what they see, in Iraq (sorry, not familiar with any bloggers if Afghanistan). Ok, enough of my BS. Reading various blogs has kept me aware of events I wouldn't (and still don't) from the MSM. I would even say this of the DKos group. I don't agree with the genera; position 98% of the time, and I ammuse myself with much of the postings. But they harp upon some topics that truly nead to be discussed. OK enough ramblings. Enjoy the site and the commentary. EJ

[Eric Jensen]

oh lawdie, what a bunch of typos

[buzz]

Didn't Helen Thomas turn into a Muppet about 15-20 years ago?

[Now Im Blind]

http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/helen%20thomas.jpg

nuff said.

[BobInStamford]

Wow, I thought you patriots loved the elderly. Hell, you voted for a guy with Alzheimers TWICE and hold him up as a 'hero'. Such fickle patriots.

[LOL]

I love the desperate blog-triumphalism in this thread. So pathetic coming from the Reichkorps of thoughtless dittoheadedness.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=9248

Go on, continue to pretend your being "journalists" by sitting on your ass in your house all day. Maybe if you guys were junk food critics? But pretending to be some kind of usurping media when you don't go out and actually investigate anything? Pathetic

[advovate4justice]

I agree with Bob & LOL. Bloggers must be stopped.

[Scrapiron]

BobInStamford, I knew that Slick Willie and the Weasel couldn't remember the answers to any of the questions they were asked but I didn't know Slick was suffering from Alzheimers. Guess we'll have to excuse the 'I did not have sex with that woman'. He has a valid excuse for not remembering he stained the dress and should not have been convicted of lying under oath. I guess most democrats think they're educated above a guy with a degree from Harvard and Yale. That much education and still a stupid democrat is scary.

[Rabid Conservative]

In other words, believe us, we have our news approved by the Democratic, Socialistic and Communistic party bosses, so it MUST be correct. By the way Helen, have you been to Iraq lately........

Aging well just isn't her thing...........

Oh LOL and BobinStamford: 1) what part of "I did not have sex with that woman." don't you understand?; 2) a political party that actively wants this country to lose in Iraq and in the global war on terror so they can benefit politically are not patriots, they are traitors.

[mcconnell]

Did anyone watch when Pres. Bush talked with the reporters at the White House a few days ago on tv where he purposely ignored Thomas while she held her right hand up (no higher than her chin) in the hope that Bush will pick her for questions? She had her right hand up for quite some time if you have watched carefully during the 45 minute time Bush had with the reporters fielding their questions. I believe Heln pretty much scowled with her right hand waiting for Bush to acknowledge her presence. I'm assuming he was trying to "punish" her for what she did/said to Dana Perino, White House press secretary, not too long ago.
http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2007/11/dana_perino_and_helen_thomas_s.html

Kind of hilarious when Bush ignored Thomas. Though I didn't see the whole thing.

[daveinboca]

Back before this ancient crone became a household name or a college speaker, I had her over to our house for dinner with her late husband. She had nasty things to say about religion [she was Greek Orthodox Lebanese before the devil snatched her] and drained about a half-bottle of Dewar's as she single-handedly depleted my supply of primo hootch.

A cautionary tale of how booze and hatred of religion turns a person into a specimen of loathesome toxic waste. [Christopher Hitchens was also over to dinner, but displayed wit and knowledge, unlike the shrew who drank my Dewars.

[Bandit]

BinS wants Helen's job - makes as much sense

[Math_Mage]

BobinStamford: So because the right is supposed to like the elderly, they're not allowed to be mad at an old person for misrepresenting the conflict in Iraq and then saying bloggers are dangerous because they don't have ethical standards?

[N, O'Brain]

"Hell, you voted for a guy with Alzheimers TWICE and hold him up as a 'hero'. Such fickle patriots.

Posted by: BobInStamford | Thursday, December 06, 2007 at 11:22 PM "

That "guy with Alzheimers" destroyed the Soviet Union, rescued the American economy from the throes of Jimmah "The Rabbit" Carter's insanity and remade the American military.

You're youthful hero got BJs in the Oval Office.

My only wish is that Helen Thomas lures you under the bridge.....

[Fred Beloit]

By H. Thomas: "We do have to have some sense of what's right and wrong in this job." Funny her sense of what's wrong in this job doesn't include this; It is wrong during a press conference with the POTUS to make a propagandistic speech when one has been granted permission to ask a question. Of course Bush ignores her now. Who wouldn't?

[Grizzly Recare]

It's good that the old bat thinks bloggers are a danger. It's about time the heat was turned up on the news cadre. Her quip about about ethics just kills me...

[Christopher Taylor]

Only someone who has gone through journalism school can understand that it's wrong to lie and that you ought to report on topics accurately? This isn't exactly rocket surgery.

[IslamoLlama]

"It is wrong during a press conference with the POTUS to make a propagandistic speech when one has been granted permission to ask a question. Of course Bush ignores her now. Who wouldn't?"

Where are the Jeff Gannon's of Yore? True, honest, intellectual gay hookers who aren't afraid to ask the tough questions of our President, like "How are you going to work – you've said you are going to reach out to [Democrats] – how are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?"

That's hard hitting journalism! He would have asked another, but he couldn't get Rove's dick out of his mouth fast enough.

That said, the conservative crowd seems to be absolutely tight assed about any form of journalism that isn't lubed up and gently inserted into them by FOX and Friends. Sure, the press is absolutely reaming the entire Republican Party with Gay Senator after Iraq War Story after NIE Report, but this just proves exactly how dangerous and unhealthy the journalistic lifestyle choice is.

Someone has to protect the Sanctity of Journalism. That's why the good folks at Wingnut HQ are both defaming Helen Thomas for daring to question their Citizen Journalism and using her words as a pointed attack against DKos et al. Proving that blind cognitive dissonance can cut both ways if you swing it around in front of you wildly enough, Dan and company have demonstrated a stunning lack of cohesive thought and the true mental gymnastics necessary for a proper level of Right Wing Groupthink.

Yeah, with gotcha-style insight like this, the 'Pubs have it all locked up in '08.

[Techie]

"Citizen Journalism"?

I missed the part where Helen Thomas "enlisted", IL.

[Mike B]

"Someone has to protect the Sanctity of Journalism. "? Is that what Helen Thomas, opinion writer, is doing when she insists that US troops target innocent civilians?

[templar knight]

"Yeah, with gotcha-style insight like this, the 'Pubs have it all locked up in '08."

Islamopimp, you perps on the Left have claimed time after time on DKos that Bush and his minions are taking over the country, will install fascism, and suspend the elections. In that case, how can "the 'Pubs' lose in 'O8?

You must not believe what Kos says. Neither do I. You might need to return to the bong, and leave the talking to us men and women who have a little sense.

[USpace]

She's a Lefty witch, a horrible and hateful person...

absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
politics is religion

feeling is most important
thinking is not required

absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
claim to care for people

call yourself progressive
bad policies hurt poor folk
.

[Fred Beloit]

"...he couldn't get Rove's dick out of his mouth fast enough."

"...any form of journalism that isn't lubed up and gently inserted into them."

Ah yes. Writing instructors always teach that writers should write what they know about. IslamoechrisBoob is a lesson in point.

[Worst_President_Ever]

Then there's Dan Bartlett explaining how the Bush Administration user Conservative Blogs:

"That’s what I mean by influential. I mean, talk about a direct IV into the vein of your support. It’s a very efficient way to communicate. They regurgitate exactly and put up on their blogs what you said to them. It is something that we’ve cultivated and have really tried to put quite a bit of focus on."

[Fred Beloit]

Yep, he may have been onto something, Worst. That sure describes what Kos and Huff have done for the Dems.

[Worst_President_Ever]

Dan Bartlett was White House Communications Director. He's not a Democrat. For most of the time Bartlett was communications director, Republicans were in power.

If all you're doing is acting as a stenographer for Republicans - or Democrats - you're not a journalist, you're a shill.

[Fred Beloit]

And if you like the NYT and TIME, Worst, you like propaganda.