MediaWatch: December 1992
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: December 1992
- Networks Select One "Year of the Woman" Over Another
- NewsBites: Clinton Tilt
- Revolving Door: Too Randy
- Post-Election Economic Numbers Embarrass Negative Media
- Post-Election Gushing
- Martin's Money
- Herbert's Hunger Hype
- Janet Cooke Award: Gumbel Consults Only Far-Left TransAfrica
Janet Cooke Award: Gumbel Consults Only Far-Left TransAfrica
NBC's AFRICAN ADVENTURE
In a history-making week of live broadcasts from Africa, NBC's Today show gave its viewers a look at the continent beyond the rare portraits painted on the nightly news. During the six weekday shows from November 13-20, viewers were treated to shots of wildlife, a showcasing of the continent's cultures and the various political and economic situations.
But co-host Bryant Gumbel's portrayal of some "one-party democracies" rang hollow. At the end, Gumbel thanked those who helped: "The cooperation of the Zimbabwean government was essential. The good folks of Zimbabwe Broadcasting, South Africa Broadcasting Corporation helped us a great deal. Also some of the people who helped us from behind the scenes: Africa News Service, TransAfrica, also Neal and Company."
TransAfrica as the only political source? Bryant Gumbel's use of TransAfrica for the Africa broadcasts explained the one-sided reporting which earns him this month's Janet Cooke Award.
Introducing the second show on November 16, Gumbel laid out his thesis: "[African] dreams of freedom got warped by global politics, as the aid they needed came tied to policies they didn't. Africans became silent prisoners of Cold War designs. The leaders were courted by Moscow and Washington, the people were not. So violence and economic ruin prevailed. Today, the hot struggles borne by the Cold War still burn in five African nations. But they are the exception in a continent where freedom is now the rule. The residue of oppression is now giving way to the dawn of democracy, shedding new light on the misnamed 'Dark Continent.'"
Gumbel's view might be explained by his heavy reliance upon the far-left lobby TransAfrica. Robert Winters wrote in the Capital Research Center's December 1989 Organization Trends newsletter: "The organization's financial relationships reveal an affinity for Marxist-Leninist regimes while calling into question its depndence and credibility." According to Winters, TransAfrica's contributors have included the governments of Cuba, Angola, and Libya.
Much of Today's rhetoric on African politics sounded like a TransAfrica press release. On the November 13 show, Gumbel referred to Zimbabwe's Marxist leaders Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo as "freedom fighters," and the one-party revolution as a "war of liberation."
On Angola, Gumbel commented: "The ruling faction, the Marxist MPLA, bolstered by the Soviets and the Cubans, fought with the UNITA rebels, supported by the U.S. and South Africa. UNITA's Jonas Savimbi narrowly lost the presidential election in September. Now he's throwing the country into violent turmoil demanding a second vote monitored by the UN."
That's a distortion. A November 6 Washington Times editorial clarified the situation: "If anyone had doubts that the government of President Eduardo dos Santos and his MPLA had not been playing fair in the country's elections a little over a month ago, the brutal crackdown on the opposition ought to have dispelled them by now...Tanks, helicopter gunships, heavy artillery, all were put to use in Luanda's crowded suburbs. No one caught with a UNITA symbol was safe...All media access was controlled by the government...And not only did the [MPLA- dominated] national election council attempt to steer election observers to carefully selected polling stations, when the German observer team objected loudly, its car was confiscated."
Africa analyst Margaret Calhoun of the Washington-based International Freedom Foundation (IFF) pointed out that besides UNITA, 10 of the 13 opposition parties lodged complaints of massive voter fraud.
Regarding Namibia, Gumbel claimed the country's Marxist President Sam Nujoma had "worked for human rights for years." On November 20, he asserted: "Today Namibians of all colors are working together under a liberal constitution brokered by the United Nations two years ago. With a multiracial democracy and a remarkable willingness to forgie the past, Namibians are working toward the future."
IFF's Calhoun rejected Gumbel's assessment of the Namibian "democracy." In the March 21, 1990 Wall Street Journal, she wrote: "Namibia has been pressing for direct grants from foreign governments rather than private investment -- so long as these grants are available for use at [the ruling South West Africa People's Organization's] complete discretion...Although SWAPO has failed to welcome private investors, it is generating many new jobs in the public sector -- jobs that are available only to SWAPO party members...[This] may be intended to swell SWAPO's voting rolls in time for the upper chamber elections next year." Calhoun quoted Moses Garoeb, SWAPO's party boss, saying "the multiparty democracy prevailing in Namibia is not necessarily the true choice of the Namibian people."
MediaWatch contacted Today Executive Producer Jeff Zucker's office. Zucker's spokesman, Lynn Appelbaum, downplayed TransAfrica's influence, saying that the research for the show was "extensive" and Trans-Africa was only one of "a number of organizations" consulted. Appelbaum wouldn't comment on why the group warranted an on-air thank-you from Gumbel. When asked if MediaWatch could have a list of the sources NBC used, Appelbaum replied: "No...There have been so many researchers working on this...The list is so long...We believe our reporting was fair."
TransAfrica painted a different picture of their role. A spokesman told MediaWatch that Gumbel initially approached TransAfrica. He explained: "We suggested research that he should look at before he goes [to Africa]...[Gumbel] had discussions with Mr. Robinson...We gave him information on the human rights [and] political and economic situations...For this show he contacted us on different issues to see where he should go."
The spokesman, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that Gumbel made two visits to TransAfrica's D.C. offices. Gumbel knew TransAfrica from at least 1990, when he served on dinner committee during Nelson Mandela's tour of America. The event raised $340,000 for TransAfrica.
There is no evidence Gumbel consulted any conservative sources, such as the International Freedom Foundation or the National Center for Public Policy Research. Today should be applauded for attempting to educate the public about parts of the continent beyond South Africa. But by providing only one point of view, Today did more to propagandize than educate.
