CNN's Yellin: Network execs killed critical White House stories




On Wednesday night, CNN's Jessica Yellin talked to Anderson Cooper about Scott McClellan's tell-all memoir and agreed with the former press secretary that White House reporters "dropped the ball" during the run-up to war.

But Yellin went much further, revealing that news executives--presumably at ABC News, where she'd worked from July 2003 to August 2007--actively pushed her not do hard-hitting pieces on the Bush administration.

"The press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives, frankly, to make sure that this was a war presented in way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president's high approval ratings," Yellin said.

"And my own experience at the White House was that the higher the president's approval ratings, the more pressure I had from news executives--and I was not at this network at the time--but the more pressure I had from news executives to put on positive stories about the president, I think over time...."

But then a shocked Cooper jumped in, asking, "You had pressure from news executives to put on positive stories about the president?"

"Not in that exact.... They wouldn't say it in that way, but they would edit my pieces," Yellin said. "They would push me in different directions. They would turn down stories that were more critical, and try to put on pieces that were more positive. Yes, that was my experience."

Video and more

Either the overarching goal of media is profit, or it is informing citizens. I know people would like to say it's both, but if these two are not resolved, then in a pinch, one will win. In this case, for the last 8 years, the media has either been in cahoots, or it is simply following profits. If the President is popular, viewership will likely be reduced if media is in opposition, and conversely. So these meda execs will simply say they were watching out for stockholders, and the matter will be over. The profit motive forgives all sins.

deleted - dup

I thought it was common knowledge by now that the corporate media was too easy on the run up to the Iraq War. And now the corporate media are covering their own asses!

Let me paraphrase what I hear these douchebags saying:

Tom Brokaw: "duh...well, hindsight is 20/20, you have to judge us in the context of 9/11."

Brian Williams: "We didn't think the White House would LIE to US! GOSH!"

Chris Matthews: "I am SHOCKED to learn that the President and his Press Secretary would lie to us."

and most egregious of all of them...David Gregory.

David Gregory: "How dare Scotty attack me and say I was a complicit enabler in the run up to the war!"

(Gregory is so jealous of the attention Simple Scotty McClellan is getting that Gregory is now following the White House's own talking points by saying that Scotty was "out of the loop."

It is not surprising that the corporate media is trying to cover its own ass and not taking responsibility for being the cheerleaders for the Bush Administration, but this bullshit is getting pretty thick...

FACE UP TO IT, CORPORATE MEDIA. YOU WERE USED BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

In closing, Helen Thomas should win the Pulitzer Prize for being the only White House reporter who had the courage to stand up to the Bush Administration.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/5/3...2071/884/524907

If David Gregory doesn't have the sense to admit that the consolidated, corporate media failed to ask the tough questions in the run-up to the war, what does that say about him? Is he more concerned with his career than serving the public by performing a thorough job as a journalist?

Barackthestablishment's diary :: ::

If David Gregory, or any member of the media with access to the President and his cabinet, did, in fact, ask tough questions in the run-up to the war, then show us the video. Every White House press conference since Bush took office has been recorded. If there were tough questions asked - by David Gregory or any other member of the media - show us the video.

Jessica Yellin was the same reporter that pushed President Clinton over the edge in South Carolina when she asked him about his remarks about Jesse Jackson winning SC twice.