CyberAlert -- 06/06/1996 -- Gumbel, Rather & MRC Press Conference

Four quick items today:

1) Bryant Gumbel blames conservatives for the Medicare financial crisis.

2) To Dan Rather you're either for "peace" or you're a "right-winger."

3) An ABC reporter takes a shot at right-wing politicians for exploiting strains in society.

4) MRC announces "Media Reality Check '96" campaign. Press conference will air on CSPAN2.

1

The expected report finding that Medicare will go broke in 2001, one year earlier than expected, led to a Today show segment Wednesday morning (June 5). In a discussion with Tim Russert about political posturing on Medicare by both sides over the past year, Gumbel asked Russert:
"Tim, curious. Would we still be having this discussion if everyone hadn't attacked the President's health care reform plan for political expediency about two years ago?"

2

Here's how Dan Rather introduced a CBS Evening News story Wednesday night June 5:
"Arab leaders who've made peace with Israel held an emergency summit today. They're trying to close ranks and preserve the peace process now that Israelis have voted out the government that made peace with the PLO and voted in right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu."

3

Steve Allen of the Internet Guild alerted me to this gem buried in the last paragraph of Washington Post "Metro" section columnist Donna Britt's May 31 offering. Britt explored why blacks are still mad at Janet Cooke, the Post reporter who in 1981 won the Pulitzer Prize for a story she made up about an 8-year-old heroin addict. Britt later quoted current ABC News reporter Michel McQueen, a colleague of Cooke's at the Post in 1981, explaining how Cooke "adroitly manipulated racial-gender tension." Three paragraphs later McQueen asserted:
"Ultimately, I don't relate to Janet as a black woman. I see her as a...human being who exploited strains in our society to her benefit. Whether you're a right-wing politician, or a black scam artist, you should pay the price for that."

4

At a press conference Wednesday morning MRC Chairman L. Brent Bozell III announced the MRC's "Media Reality Check '96" campaign to fight back against media bias. This e-mail service is one of many elements. CSPAN2 will show the 35-minute press conference at 7:20am Eastern Thursday June 6. It may also air sometime Thursday on CSPAN.
Set your VCRs. Or, I can fax you his statement.

-- Brent Baker

4