Between Thee And The Bedpost
By Steve Hynd Monday Sep 29, 2008 9:15pmOn Friday's Hardball, Chris Matthews interviewed his daughter, Caroline, as one of the student members of the group Concerned Youth of America, and just didn't bother mentioning the familial relationship. Apparently his daughter had asked not to be identified as such and, rather than interview another member of the group and thus preserve his journalistic integrity (heh), Matthews went right ahead anyways.
It's such a small-beer breach of what passes for journalistic ethics nowadays as to go almost un-noticed, although in the halcyon days of journalism it would probably have gotten him fired or at least earned the censure of his peers. It simply doesn't compare, though, with the likes of Andrea Mitchell reporting on the bank bailout plan - and blaming Obama for its failure - while married to Alan Greenspan and not making full disclosure of that fact before every report.
Indeed, there are a great many more media/political marriages creating potential conflicts of interest that don't get enough attention or even disclosure. Back in May of last year, Washington Monthly's T.A. Frank had a look at some of Washington’s power couples. Included in his list were such media figures as:
- Ron Brownstein, LA Times, married to Eileen McMenamin, John McCain's communications director.
- NBC’s David Gregory, married to Beth Wilkinson, general counsel for Fannie Mae.
- Time’s Matthew Cooper, married to Mandy Grunwald, ad guru for Hillary Clinton.
- Campbell Brown, anchor for the weekend edition of NBC’s Today Show, married to Dan Senor, GOP operative and former head of the Coalition Provisional Authority.
- Jim VandeHei, former Washington Post reporter and founder of The Politico, married to former Tom DeLay staffer Autumn Hanna VandeHei.
- National Review writer Kate O’Beirne, married to WH staffer Jim O’Beirne.
- Robert Kagan, op-ed writer, married to Victoria Nuland, current ambassador to NATO.
I'm sure there's at least some of those which come as a surprise to most readers, as they were to me. I find myself wishing I'd known all this before I read or watched these media figures. Maybe their marriage doesn't effect their work, maybe they keep the two utterly separate and never discuss insider information with their spouses. if so, they're like no marriages I've ever seen in the real world.
You can add, to such egregious conflicts of interest, the mainstream media's natural tendency towards stenography of the Powers That Be in order to preserve it's precious access to them, and the unfortunate tendency of some to represent themselves as nonpartisan reporters of "just the facts" even while their not-often-acknowledged resume speaks otherwise. No wonder the the notion that the establishment media comprises - on its own - a Fourth Estate, still able to impartially produce news which informs voters of the bare facts so that those voters can make decisions thereby, is as dead as the Dodo.
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Walter Cronkite, we need you!
We have journalists in the U.S.?
Let me see, how does this go…
Oh - frist
never mind
Tiny Tim married to Miss Vicki.
Not only was that his daughter but I hear he gets jiggy with Andrea Mitchell when Alan Greenspan is out of town.
WTF? You can trust nobody. I feel like I'm in the X-Files.
Bill O'Reilly is married to a loofah.
These people aren't really journalists any more; they're representatives of the country's elites, the rich, powerful and connected. They're all villagers, we're not, and that's too bad for us peasants.
BTW, Jimboslice, why is it "reasonable" to blame "the Jews"? Have you decided to bring your scummy, racist ideas over from Little Green Footballs?
Don't forget Howie Kurtz. I think he's married to a Republican operative as well.
I was actually watching that episode of Hardball and I have to disagree. Mathews, in passing, noted that one of the females was his daughter. I forget exactly what he said, however, he did make note of the fact that he had interviewed a family member.
I was actually watching that episode of Hardball and I have to disagree. Mathews, in passing, noted that one of the females was his daughter. I forget exactly what he said, however, he did make note of the fact that he had interviewed a family member.
Geez, I hate to make this picky comment in your otherwise literate diary,
but I think "anyway" is more formal and preferred to "anyways." I see "anyways" creeping
up in lots of diaries and it bugs a sometimes grammatical purist like me.
i heard andrea won't let alan greenspan kiss her on the neck anymore 'cause he keeps trying to bite.
conflict of interest means nothing anymore
neither does separation of church and state.
America 2010 baby!
what does andrea mitchell and alan greenspan in bed at night look like?
That list of power couples is very interesting.
One must really commend the media on their pure unadultered chutzpah. They are true masters at the game of misinformation, inside connections and deals.
I can only hope that people are finally waking up and calling them on it. There's not much time left.
Considering the previous post I guess I will not mention that it is nice to see the institution of heterosexual marriage is at least fighting on in face of the onslaught from the gay agenda. Oh, I did?
Andrea Mitchell ought to be covering dog shows.
Partial pundits with a conflict of interest like her seem to think that the Am people give a rats ass about her husband's opinion.
He got us here.
welcome to fascists journalism Amerika
style. biased all the way. spin and then
spin the spin as truth.
Maybe I missed it, but I didn't hear Obama saying he was going to get the Democratic party to vote for this bill. I did hear McCain say he was going to make sure his party voted for it.
The bill failed.
More Democrats voted for it than republicans. How is it, that Obama failed? McCain is the one that didn't get the votes.
And Karl Rove is married to (fake) journalist Jeff Guckert/Gannon ..........
Suddenly backroom politics is back in vogue for journalists?
99% of the people in this country are not qualified to judge what's going on in the economy, Congress, and the White House (me included)
What Bush has created is a country that trusts no one.
"mudflats" is experiencing a "denial of service."
Gee, I wonder which one is Tweety's daughter? The blond who speaks so fast that she mushes all her words together? Nah...
By the way, the short kid on her right is another one of Steve Doocy's sons, and the tall kid on her left is another one of Mike Wallace's progeny, produced through parthenogenesis.
You the man!.jimboslice!..Amen!..thank you for addressing the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room!..Obama or McCaine is a win win for Israel.......
Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them?
Wait. Woodward and Bernstein aren't Woodward and Bernstein anymore. They've become stenographers also.
Never mind.
and what was Andrea doing? Fucking Greenspan while he was fucking us.
I still don't see how Andrea Mitchell has a conflict of interest. Yes, she's married to Alan Greenspan, and he was the head of the Fed at one point.. so?
when i try to go to "mudflats," i get a page that only says this:
http://www.themudflats.net/
what does this mean?
That is one of the legacies of the Bush years. The FOX-ification of the news has set in. Now, those well-paid "journalists" can do anything they want without even getting a slap on the wrists. The lack of public disgust at all the nepotism and cronyism shows that FOX's influence is working.
Lousy browser isn't giving me proper HTML edits...
ajrw@28 -- The reason this is important is many feel that Alan Greenspan basically set this disaster in motion. While she has right to not testify against him in a court of law, human decency should be that she recuses herself from these sort of stories because it gives her the appearance (and by the crud she is shoveling it is more than appearance) of impropriety.
Why is it that nothing rhymes with orange, silver, and purple?
andrea, do you actually suck that wrinkley 'ol thing?
I would pay good money to see footage of Mitchell actually talking to a member of the Black Caucus. Where did she get her info?
Could it have been hiding where only Alan Greenspan has gone before?
Nicky @ 17, are you referring to my comment?
lmao on that last one on the list.
Married to a NATO ambassador. Yeah, just bleeds bias doesn't it? Ridiculous.
Scy @ 2:
No, journalists report the news. The bunch of talking heads we have nowadays are more interested in creating the news. Just reporting it wouldn't have enough impact - they have to juice it up.
Thank GAWWD the Congressional Black Caucus didn't vote for this bailout bill! Kudos to them for NOT voting EN MASS! *lol* Naomi Klein warned everyone of the shock doctrine and at least this time the CBC didn't fall for it... not a one!
That's a good thing Andrea!
Perfectly Hacktastic!
Maybe they didn't vote on it because they were told not to by their constituents, you hacks!
Why don't these hacks cry about something else like the lack of protection for the middle class in this scam of a bill?!?! HACKS!!!!!!!
Revolutionaire @ 37,
Neocon cheerleader of invasions and surges Kagan is married to the person Bush appointed as ambassador to NATO to make sure NATO supported the wars and you don't see a problem there? Really?
She's angry? SHE'S ANGRY? My God, no integrity whatsoever. The blogosphere can't take over too soon.
mitchell has been soft on the mccain campaign recently and more aggressive with the obama supporters. she was nice to pfotenwhatever about rick davis ties to freddie mac. i'm chalkig it up to criticism of her husband by the dems.
mitchell should not rant about anything regarding this issue. she should stay away from it. this crisis would not even be upon us if it were not for the active participation of her husband. she has no sense of propriety or basic ethics.
Yeah... ethics, what's that?! and Integrity... wha????
pmb @ 27:
Nah... she probably has a headache... that's lasted for about 50 years from the look of her sorry ass!
Nicky @ 17:
fuckyou!
it is a class stuggle and until americans figure that one out these have mores will pretend they are telling americans the news without bias.
we are now witness to the fruits of capitalism.
imperialism
wars for profits
corp controlled news
the rich getting richer at the middle class expense
politicans bought and paid for by lobbyists.
the list is long
the have mores are smarter than the have nots that is why they have more.
The idea of Greenspan and Andrea Mithcell doing sexytimes is something I never want to think about again. Also, whenever Andrea says something, like blaming Obama for this crisis, I just imagine her floundering in all those balloons during the DNC. Ohhh that was very funny! And, really, is anyone that surprised at this "revelation?" We lost objective journalists that are free of conflicts of interests before I was born.
A little off topic...why was Rachel Maddow is ignoring the 2 ton pink elephant in the room during her show, that representatives listened for once to their constituents who are mad as hell at this bailout (I watched Maddow's show tonight and couldn't have cared less that the republicans are running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Does make me laugh though). *I do realize that many representatives listened out of fear of being voted out.*
Yeah...our MSM blows hard which is why I am happy we have the internet.
In the show I watched where he aired the segment, he did acknowledge that she was his daughter. He explained that she didn't want him to identify her, but that, of course, he would and that he was a proud father.
I guess it was shown elsewhere without identification?
Gee, I can't think of a ********** reason why the Congressional Black Caucus wouldn't want that bill to pass. Not one. F-U, Andrea.
I think the balloons were at the RNC? I remember thinking that I was surprised the right-wingers didn't attack Brian Williams for jokingly calling them a "bunch of balloon-wielding thugs"- great phrase.
I have some sympathy for Matthews here. What's he supposed to do? Cancel the whole thing because at the last minute his daughter said she didn't want to be identified? He also has his brother on sometimes to talk about PA politics and always identified him- same with Brezinski's father on Morning Joe. To me the questionable decision is having your relatives on for a chat in the first place, not whether/how/when it's pointed out in the course of that chat.
As for Adrea Mitchell though... I'm glad she's finally getting called out for some of her crap. She can be way worse than Tom Brokaw sometimes when it comes to buying into Republican framing and talking points, yet she's considered infallible and beyond reproach now just because she was one of Tim Russert's understudies, as if that automatically means she holds as much integrity.
For as much complaining about Russert as there was on this blog, I think he was the only one at NBC news who would have had the spine and journalistic ethic to call the McCain campaign out on this nonsense (can you imagine how great it would have been to watch him interview Palin- I doubt she'd even be on the ticket anymore by the time he was done...). Objectivity is dead.
Religion and sex are powerplays
Manipulate the people for the money they pay
Selling skin, selling god
The numbers look the same on their credit cards
Politicians say no to drugs
While we pay for wars in South America
Fighting fire with empty words
While the banks get fat
And the poor stay poor
And the rich get rich
And the cops get paid
To look away
As the one percent rules America
Queensryche- "Spreading The Disease" 1988
How can you throw Chris under the bus like this?? He's one of your biggest Obama fans/supporters. His commitment is so strong that he even sold his soul at the Democratic Convention.
The media is only concerned with preserving the plutocracy. Americans are so naive to think they have a free press. There were probably those in the former Soviet Union that thought their press was free as well.
To be fair, I thought Mitchell wasn't "blaming Obama" so much as holding all legislators responsible, including Obama, for not getting this thing past.
I believe where the MSM fails, as they so often do, is not telling the entire story with a comprehensive context so people truly understand what is happening, what the ramifications are, and where and what the profound significance of all of this is.
I also believe that even on that silly "Morning Joe" they were kind of getting to some truth by expressing outrage toward all parties. Not, however, for failing to pass this profoundly inadequate, misguided, and flawed bill, but because the corrupt system, mindset, and all the players involved, especially Congress, are at the heart of the problem.
The solution, even this stop-gap measure, needs to address the root causes of the problem otherwise we are all doomed to revisiting this crisis over and over again until there is nothing left.
We can debate the particulars of how to get out of this mess to some extent, but without acknowledging and addressing the fundamental corruption and immorality that is a large precept of our political and economic system we will just continue to throw good money after bad while whistling in the dark and crossing our fingers to absolve us from our lies.
Mika Brezinski's father also happens to be Obama's foreign policy adviser, from what I've read.
passed - not past
Like an old wagon wheel needs to be well greased to operate......so does the lovely Andrea.
Actually, I want to know where Andrea was going when she was talking about the Congressional Black Caucus and started saying in an odd tone, "And, you know, many of them are from "districts."" Then she changed gears real quick as she caught the racist crap in her filter before it came out.
Not only should the network recuse Andrea Mitchell from reporting on the bailout since she hasn't the sense to own up to the conflict herself, but she also engages a high level of stealth by concealing her NeoZionist credentials when reporting/commenting on the Middle East.
President Lincoln was BRUTALIZED by the "journalists" of his day.
At the turn of the twentieth century, "yellow journalism" was rising to its hey-day... and helped to befuddle the nation before, during, and after WWI.
Hitler effectively used his modern press and mass media in Germany to assist in the MURDER of SIX MILLION PEOPLE.
In this modern era we have FOX NOISE, Rush and Hannity SCREAMING "Drill Here, Drill Now..." accomplishing nothing... and Scarbourough blaming President Clinton for the Stock Market Crash of 2008!
We will ALWAYS have THE MEDIA... informing us AND butchering the TRUTH... at the same time. Individuals and groups will ALWAYS us it for their own means and purposes. Buyer BEWARE!
These MSM people are no more journalists than Ronald McDonald is an unbiased food critic.
Like Ronald, they are all just clowns serving their corporate masters and dishing out crap for those who don't have time to find the real stuff.
"I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because o-some-a.......
Take it from the place that brought you Miss Teen South Carolina!
"for our childr"
spurious voter @ 15:
Adjacent ZIP codes.
I've often wondered how NBC could present Mitchell as a "unbiased" journalist, while she has been married to an administration official.
But then not much about todays' journalism surprises me anymore...
Where is Izzy Stone now that we need him?
You forgot the McCain fembot who is married to the Mortgage Assoc. lobbying group.
BTW - Tweety did acknowledge the relationship, I saw it too.
Well, not the whole group - oops
If by interveiwed you mean , "Hi, Hello, That's my daughter, she is so beautiful, I love my daughter, another shot of my daughter there, front row, holding the sign."
Torrie Clark ('member that sweetiepie?) m. to a former FannieMae douche...
FRODO @ 64:
The Real Fake News ....
Who couldn't tell which one was Tweetys daughter? It was the one talking so fast I couldn't understand what the hell she was saying. Like Father like Daughter. That was a dead giveaway.
James Carville and Mary Matalin has always been the strangest connection for me. For the life of me I just can't understand how two people can be on such opposite sides of the political spectrum(or are they?) and still maintain a marriage.
Chill @ 71:
Carville tries to bang the conservative out of her every night. Doesn't look like it's worked though...
"I've been ranting all day..."
Yes, we got that...
now go get a real job.
Andrea Mitchell has no place in critiquing politics and the economy given her relationship to Greenspan. Look at the questions raised by Gwen Ifill having written a book on Obama (I have only heard). Mitchell can't be impartial and impersonal on these subject. There are many qualified journalists who could better represent NBC. Notice how Tom Brokaw has shown a bias in many viewers eyes.
Obama didn't suspend his campaign to round up the votes to pass this plan. He chose not to be a drama queen like Crash McCain.
Obama allowed the congressional leadership and those on the appropriate committees to do their jobs. And, the Dems did their job. The Repugs didn't deliver the promised votes and since McCain wanted to claim credit, he now gets the blame.
Andrea Mitchell needs to stop making stuff up because her alleged insider info always seems to favor the Repugs.
Chill @ 71:
It's because neither of them really believe in anything except for money and power for themselves...
During that interview Matthews focused on the other students in the group far more than his daughter. Last night he did bring up that that was his daughter and mentioned that she did not want him to mention that was the case during the interview. If you timed that clip his daughter did not really have as much to say as the other students. Is this really important enough to blog about?
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WAR IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, THE 5 MILLION IRAQI REFUGEES, DOUGLAS FEITH STILL RUNNING FREE, NIGER DOCUMENTS ETC ETC.
Chris H. @ 10:
I have to concur --- I believe it was at or near the end of his show, but he did make a point of saying it was his daughter.
Could any of these three shrill talking heads have figured out that many House representatives are actually AGAINST this bill, and that is why they voted against it. The reason there was a vote on this bill was because the Administration and their flunkies in Congress were trying to ram this bill down our throats without any review or debate. Furthermore, not everyone agrees that this bill is good for the country. The bill is certainly good for the elite that run Wall Street and K street and those are the only two streets that most 'TV journalists' care about.
I never thought id see the day where Steve Doocy had more integrity than Chris Matthews
asnevitt @ 48:
The media outlets want this bill to pass. They know who butters their bread.
I've always thought the media could do better... but during this election cycle.. it became abundantly clear that the media here really doesn't do its job. Example..When Hilary lost in Iowa...CNN spent hours and hours asking questions about what can Hilary do? How can she improve? NY 1 (Time Warner/CNN affliate) interviewed people asking about what she could do to win..
The Wolf Blitzer debate whereby Hilary was given more talking time than others, next was Blitzer , then Obama... and the 2nd tier no the 3rd tier candidates were only allowed a one sentence answer..
Lastly, the Larry King interview with Clinton the day before the PA primary. It's no accident that CNN airs Ten Houses & 13 cars McCain's ads as if it's news.. He gets free air time, yet Obama has to buy the time...
We should contact CNN about Mitchelll and her spouse...she must go...or at the very least, she ought to identify who her spouse is. Even Donna Brazile during the primaries was a CNN consultant, but they never said she had worked for Pres. Clinton.
As Weston notes... the "journalists" know where their bread is buttered...
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