Has McClatchy served its readers by investigating candidate Barack Obama?
The answer is a definite No.
In their election coverage, McClatchy reporters avoided the vast unexplored regions of Barack Obama's history and record -- they spent their efforts "debunking" charges from FOX News instead of focusing on Obama's actual history. For starters, here's a list of Obama's history that is unknown to the American public and completely unexamined by McClatchy:
- Occidental College records — Not released
- Columbia College records — Not released
- Columbia Thesis paper — ‘not available’
- Harvard College records — Not released
- Medical records — Not released
- Illinois State Senate schedule — ‘not available’
- Law practice client list — Not released
- Harvard Law Review articles published — None
- University of Chicago scholarly articles — None
- Illinois State Senate records—'not available'
Room for alot a investigative journalism in those areas. But from McClathy there was no digging, no curiosity. Not even a hint of effort.
When McClatchy reporters did cover areas that could be damaging to Obama's candidacy (ie, stories on Bill Ayers), the articles in many ways were indistinguishable from Obama campaign talking points. Literally. And when reporters quoted "experts" in articles favorable to Obama, the "experts" often turned out to be Obama partisans (here and here), or worse, Obama donors (see here and here).
Unfortunately, McClatchy readers know more about the history of Sarah Palin and Joe the plumber.
Subscribers might have a good argument for a journalistic malpractice lawsuit. If not reasons to cancel their subscriptions. Graphic via Bob McCarty, list based on a post at Free Republic.
4 comments:
Well, the liberal media might get Obama elected, but they most likely will not be around to report on his term in office.
7:50 Good point there.
Alan Mutter agrees in " Campaign ’08: MSM’s last hurrah"
"The 2008 presidential election likely will go down in history as the last hurrah for the mainstream media when it comes to its influence over national politics."
and
"[The] MSM will be marginalized as never before in terms of audience and credibility.
In fact, the marginalization is well under way."
http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/29/news/economy/candidates_tax_plans/index.htm?postversion=2008110316
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