VITAL SIGNS ed, "There is, I think, a bias within the ing told President Clinton, "If we could MEDIA media toward dealing with problems in a be one-hundredth as great as you and way that involves spending more money. Hillary Rodham Clinton have been in ... I think that there is a tendency the White House, we'd take it right now among many [in the media] to feel that and walk away winners. Tell Mrs. the best solution is a government solu­ Clinton we respect her and we're pulling tion. Youmay call that liberal." for her." Walter Cronkite recently advo­ Mike Wallace of CBS News sharply cated a new political system. He told Los Myopic Media disagreed, denying the existence of any Angeles Times Magazine, "We may have by Marc Morano liberal bias in the news media and using to find some marvelous middle ground the election of recent Republican Presi­ between capitalism and communism." dents to prove it. According to him, the Other journalists at the dinner were he 1996 Radio and Television Cor­ media could not be all-powerful and lib­ not happy with Goldberg's critique. An­ Trespondents Dinner in Washington, eral because Republicans have been so drea Mitchell of NBC News stated, "I re­ D.C., in March may be remembered for successful at winning the White House. ally disagree with that and I think Eric shock-jock Don hnus's tasteless diatribe, "When people suggest there is a bias in Engberg is a terrific correspondent." but the real discord occurred behind the the media and we have all of this power Judy Woodruff of CNN cautioned that, scenes, hiterviews I conducted with top and then of course the bias is always sup­ "I think Mr. Goldberg went a little bit news pla\ers at the dinner revealed a posed to be liberal and not conservati\e. too far." Bill Plante of CBS News was in media sharply polarized. Network news Under those circumstances, how many no mood to discuss Mr. Goldberg's titans clashed over the present state of Democratic Presidents and how manv charges. He agonized, "My feelings of the media. Republican Presidents have there been what Bernie did are too personal and too The journalists in attendance had var­ beginning with Richard Nixon and much connected to CBS to have shared ied responses to CBS News reporter Ronald Reagan twice, George Bush, It's [them]." Bernard Coldberg's allegations of liberal just in my estimation, it's almost a joke." According to John Cochran of ABC bias in network news, hi a March edito­ Mr. Wallace added, "I would defy you News, Richard Nixon was justified in his rial in the Wall Street journal, Mr. Gold­ to know what... [Dan] Rather's politics distrust of reporters and may not have berg criticized fellow CBS newsman Eric or Walter Cronkite's politics [are] ..." been the paranoid obsessed man the me­ Engberg for "setting new standards for The challenge is easily met. Dan Rather dia portrayed him to be. Mr, Cochran bias." Goldberg charged, "The old argu­ at a May 27, 1993, CBS affiliates meet­ stated that there was "an anti-Nixon bias. ment that the networks and other 'me­ dia' elites have a liberal bias is so blatant­ ly true, it's hardly worth discussing anymore. ... It comes naturally to most LIBERAL ARTS reporters." Walter Cronkite was exceedingly agi­ tated at the mere mention of Mr. Gold­ berg's name. He grumbled, "Oh Gold­ berg, for heavens sake." Mr. Cronkite, then apparently catching himself, abruptly changed his tone and sarcasti- callv stated, "Goldberg's a marvelous fel­ low. I'm glad you quoted him." He then went on to agree with the basic premise of Goldberg's allegations. Mr. Cronkite explained, "He's got a point, but we've all made the same point before. Every­ DIVORCING THE RACES body knows that there is a liberal—that there is a heavy liberal persuasion among Black nationalist and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has come up with a final correspondents." He added that re­ solution for America's racial problems. According to the South African Mail & Guardian's February 2/8 issue, Farrakhan told Muammar Qaddafi that he dreamed of porters are of the "liberal persuasion" be­ establishing an independent black homeland in Africa and populating it with the more cause thev begin their careers covering than one million black convicts in American prisons. When asked if his proposal courts and police stations, that any re­ amounted to a call for segregation, Farrakhan remarked that "when two people are in porter "brought up that way has to have a disagreement in a marriage, they should first try to reconcile. When their differences degree of humanity." are irreconcilable, the judge then will grant the petitioner a decree of divorce." Lisa Mvcrs of NBC News also agreed with Goldberg. She borrowed a page from Goldberg's analysis when she stat­ JUNE 1996/49 LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED I'm not even sure it was a liberal bias.... lives. I think Nixon was somewhat right, it The new novel Blood Sport by James FOREIGN AFFAIRS wasn't just paranoid. Sometimes people B. Stewart on the Whitewater controver­ really are after you and sometimes that sy was dismissed as old news. Tom was the case with Richard Nixon." Brokaw commented, "I don't think that The members of the fourth estate re­ there is any real big smoking guns or big acted with disbelief when confronted explosions." Bill Plante lamented that, with a quotation from Bryant Gumbel of "The problem with the media coverage The Cuban NBC's Today show. Mr. Gumbel called of Whitewater is it has been done over Pat Buchanan "Mr. Puke-anan" on the and over again." John Cochran suggest­ Cash Cow February 20 broadcast of Today. NBC ed that Whitewater was not even an im­ by Mario R. Sanchez anchorman Tom Brokaw said, "I didn't portant story. He admitted that he had hear him say that. I mean I never heard not read Blood Sport, but he was reading him say that." Bill Plante had the same a "fascinating" book by Elizabeth Drew hen the Cuban air force shot reaction: "Did he actually say that? I on the Republican Congress. He related Wdown two unarmed civilian never heard him say it. Was it on the that Ms. Drew's book "had nothing to do planes, killing four men, there followed air?" Deborah Norville, former Today with gossip or Whitewater or what hap­ yet another round of senseless debate show coanchor, expressed shock at Mr. pened to Vince Foster or any of that. It over how to handle Fidel Castro and his Gumbel's comment. Her face conveyed has to do with what's happening with aging revolution. Cuban exiles renewed disbelief as she asked, "On the air?" She the issues of importance to the Ameri­ their call for vindication of still more then added, "I don't think I want to can people." deaths, while Time magazine ran Cas­ comment." Dee Dee Myers of CNBC, Bernard Goldberg's criticism had at tro's justification of the "defensive" act. formerly Clinton's spokesperson, was not least momentarily forced a myopic The Clinton administration condemned surprised at all about Gumbel's refer­ media to engage in a much needed Cuba and sought the counsel (i.e., polit­ ence to "Mr. Puke-anan." She stated, "I self-examination. In today's newscasts, ical support) of the self-proclaimed lead­ think reporters all the time say things sensationalism has replaced sober analy­ ers of Cuban-Americans. The Republi­ similar to that. Not necessarily on the air sis. The network news media and the can hopeful(s) denounced the atrocity but behind the candidates' back. political left in America share the same and assured a disbelieving public that They don't have much respect for the modus operandi. Both set out to identify Castro would not survive their adminis­ people they cover." Al Roker, the weath­ a "crisis," exaggerate the extent of the tration. Congressmen of select districts erman of the Today show, would not ad­ "crisis," and then invariably point to a clamored to condemn the inhumanity. dress the question directly. Instead he lack of government spending or regula­ The interested media pontificated while stipulated, "I've never worked with a lib­ tion as the chief cause of the "crisis." As the disinterested media shifted the eral anchorman. They're all very conser­ a result of this incestuous relationship, blame. vative." Presumably this would include the mainstream press has virtually given To promote the status quo, indis­ Mr. Gumbel, who besides the "Puke- a leftist bent to almost every issue. Lib­ putable acts are endlessly disputed. anan" reference once promoted an NBC eral elected officials and advocacy groups There arc those who justify the murders, News special on racial attitudes by stat­ have perpetually been able to look to the for after all, the four dead men had in the ing, "This is not going to tell you media as an extension of their public re­ past flown missions over Havana to drop whether or not you are a racist or a lations efforts. Whether it is the net­ leaflets; for the planes were "over" liberal." work news hyping the latest environmen­ Cuban territory (wrong: they were in in­ The recent Harris survey that showed tal "catastrophe" or sounding an alarm ternational airspace, one flying toward Americans to be increasingly distrustful about GOP policies that they claim will the United States and the other in a par­ of network news did not seem to concern result in "mean-spiritedness" or "starv­ allel course); for the dead were merely the journalists.