Filegate Lacking on Networks
Three related items today, all on
coverage of Whitewater and the FBI files discovered in the White House:
1) "Harsh"
is the term chosen by Bob Schieffer of CBS News to describe the leaked
report from the Republican staff of the Senate Whitewater committee.
2) Washington Post
media reporter Howard Kurtz asserts that FBI file story would have
"rocketed to the front page a whole lot quicker" if it involved
the Reagan administration.
3) A day by day
chronology since the FBI file story broke of what happened each day and
how the network evening shows did or did not cover the revelations.
Warning: this is a long section.
1
On Face the Nation on Sunday June 16 host Bob Schieffer explained that
Republicans on the Whitewater committee leaked their report, which he
asserted, charged that '"First Lady Hillary Clinton upon learning of
the death of White House counsel Vince Foster dispatched her trusted
lieutenants to contain any political embarrassment or political damage' --
that might arise on the night of his death. That's a very harsh, that's a
very harsh assessment it seems to me. Democrats on the committee
apparently have not even seen the draft of the report yet. They say it's
outrageous that the committee could come to that kind of a conclusion
without even interviewing the First Lady."
2
Here's an exchange from the June 16 Fox News Sunday between Washington
Post media reporter Howard Kurtz and host Tony Snow. (I'd note that Fox
News Sunday was the only Sunday morning show to focus on the FBI files)
Kurtz: "There's no question that the press initially blew this
story. This should have been all over the front page and all over the
networks and it was not..."
Snow: "So why wasn't it covered?"
Kurtz: "I think there was an initial reluctance on the part of many
journalists. A) we didn't have all the answers, so we weren't sure if it
was as big a story as it now appears to be. And secondly, probably, a
feeling that this sort of, that a political snooping operation was not the
kind of thing they expected from the Clinton White House, whereas if
hundreds of files had been obtained by Ed Meese in the Reagan
administration on Democrats I think this story would have rocketed to the
front page a whole lot quicker."
3
While the widespread "leaking" by the Republican report from the
Senate Whitewater committee generated some publicity over the weekend
(Nightline Friday night and stories on the networks on Sunday), the
networks have hardly been aggressive in covering the FBI "filegate"
story.
Prompted by some end of the week media inquiries,
on Friday MRC media analysts Steve Kaminski, Clay Waters, Jim Forbes,
Geoffrey Dickens and Gene Eliasen provided me with a review of how the
network evening shows have covered the story. Interns Jessica Anderson,
Andrea Wilson, Jonathan Stuart and Diane Lewis pitched in to complete some
transcripts.
Below I've combined that information with the
revelations/events of each day. You'll see two patterns: 1) A major
revelation occurs, but only some networks cover it. 2) Even when they do a
full story one night, they then drop it without follow up. In other words,
there's little evidence of aggressive or enterprise reporting. If there's
a report issued or a Dole comment they'll cover it, otherwise forget it.
-- Wednesday June 5: Memos show
that the White House received confidential FBI background files of Billy
Dale seven months after the travel office chief was fired.
ABC
World News Tonight (WNT): No story
CBS Evening News (EN): Story placement #2. Full
story by Rita Braver. Rather introduced story in the context of "new
troubles for President Clinton tonight from Capitol Hill in the Whitewater
offensive and White House travel office mess." Braver concluded by
noting that "so far polls show voters don't seem to care very
much."
CNN The World Today (10-11pm ET) (TWT): #20. Full
story by Terry Freidan.
NBC Nightly News (NN): #3. Full story by Jim
Miklaszewski.
-- Thursday June 6: Washington
Times has story in June 7 edition about changing White House explanation
for file request.
ABC WNT:
No story
CBS EN: No story, but they do have story on how
law professor Stephen Gillers has troubles with Hillary Clinton's story
about involvement in Castle Grande deal.
CNN TWT: No story
NBC NN: No story
-- Friday June 7: White House
admits collecting FBI background reports on 338 Bush and Reagan officials.
ABC WNT:
No story
CBS EN: No story
CNN TWT: No story
NBC NN: 4th story, an anchor-read item. Brokaw
relays White House "mistake" line as if not in dispute:
"The White House said pulling the files was a procedural error by a
member of the White House security detail, an army employee. However,
those confidential files did make it all the way to the White House before
this mistake was discovered."
-- Saturday June 8: Dole raises
Watergate comparison, suggests it's an "enemies list." Dick
Armey calls for hearings.
ABC WNT
(actually World News Saturday): Does its first piece, a brief story by
anchor Aaron Brown.
CBS EN: #3. Full story by Sharyl Attkisson.
Anchor Bob Schieffer in his introduction says "Bob Dole took his
hardest swipe yet at President Clinton today."
CNN TWT: Full report by Candy Crowley.
NBC NN: Full report from David Bloom. Anchor
Brian Williams introduces story by claiming Dole is making the campaign
ugly: "The politics of Campaign '96 are getting very ugly, very
early. Today, Bob Dole accused the White House of using the FBI to wage
war against its political enemies, and if that sounds like another
political scandal, that's the point. NBC's David Bloom is traveling with
the Dole campaign tonight."...
David Bloom: "Never before
had Bob Dole made such a detailed critique of alleged misdeeds by the
White House. Making it clear once more that Republican attacks on Bill
Clinton's character will be at the centerpiece of this campaign. David
Bloom, NBC News, Marietta, Georgia.
-- Sunday June 9: Chief of Staff
Leon Panetta appearing on Meet the Press apologizes, sort of.
ABC WNT:
Lead story by Jerry King. Anchor Carole Simpson's introduction:
"President Clinton, traveling out West, had to battle to keep his own
issues on the agenda. It was thanks in large part to his likely opponent,
Bob Dole, who hammered away at the latest issue in the campaign, those FBI
background files that ended up in the White House."
CBS EN: Lead story, a full report which makes
Republicans look like the desperate aggressors: "For a year and a
half, the Republican-controlled Congress has been bent on holding one
hearing after another, investigating the Clinton White House. This
provides them fodder for yet another. Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News,
Washington."
CNN TWT: Anchor-read brief item
NBC NN: Lead story, full story by Jim
Miklaszewski
-- Monday June 10: Bill Clinger,
Chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, says the
White House may have received more than the 339 files.
ABC WNT:
#3. Full story on the scandal by Brit Hume.
CBS EN: Full story by Bill Plante who reported
that Clinton out campaigning, but "the partisan fight over the White
House search of FBI files continued."
CNN TWT: Anchor-read brief.
NBC NN: #2. Full story from Brian Williams who
referred to a "small firestorm about FBI files."
-- Tuesday June 11: Two former WH
counsels, Fred Fielding and C. Boyden Gray, say they are baffled by how
files got into White House; Washington Times reports that FBI procedures
violated.
ABC WNT: Anchor-read brief from Peter Jennings.
CBS EN: No story
CNN TWT: No story
NBC NN: No story
-- Wednesday June 12: President
Clinton apologizes, says "I'm sorry that it occurred" and that
he "would never tolerate or condone any kind of enemies list."
ABC WNT:
No story
CBS EN: Apology noted at beginning of story by
Bill Plante on Clinton going to a re-built church, and mention of Dole
attacking Clinton over the files in conclusion.
CNN TWT: Anchor-read brief.
NBC NN: No story
-- Thursday June 13: Senate
Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch announces hearings would be held;
a former FBI agent writes Wall Street Journal op-ed saying White House
explanation "is really too much for this FBI veteran to
believe;" FBI announces overhaul of procedures; New York Post reports
that civilian army staffer Anthony Marceca was specifically requested by
WH and has ties to Democratic politicians.
ABC WNT:
No story
CBS EN: No story
CNN TWT: * All Freemen coverage *
NBC NN: No story
-- Friday June 14: FBI Director
Freeh issues report that charges White House with "egregious
violations of privacy," says he and FBI were "victimized,"
reveals that 408 files obtained, up from 339.
ABC WNT:
Lead story.
CBS EN: Lead story. Unlike ABC and NBC, CBS
reporter Bill Plante notes political connections of Marceca.
CNN TWT: Lead story
NBC NN: Lead story
-- Saturday June 15: Day after
stunningly critical FBI report that contradicts initial WH line.
ABC WNT:
No story
CBS EN: Sharyl Attkisson story -- about
two-thirds on Dole's ties to tobacco PACS, one-third on FBI files
CNN TWT: No story, but full story on GOP
Whitewater report
NBC NN: No story
-- Sunday June 16:
ABC WNT:
No story, but full story on GOP Whitewater report
CBS EN: No story, but full story on GOP
Whitewater report
NBC NN: Full story by Joe Johns looking at
upcoming hearings
Last
Tuesday (June 11) at the National Press Club, Tom Brokaw insisted:
"Someone said to me on the way in here today...that there's not
enough outrage out there about the FBI files, for example, that have ended
up in the Clinton administration and the Clinton White House, at the
moment. It's not because the press hasn't publicized this."
NBC
Nightly News didn't air a FBI story that night, or the next, or the next.
Another one ran three days later -- on Friday when Freeh's report
came out.
--
Brent Baker
![](//cdn.mrc.org/archive/images/backtop.gif)
4
|