MediaWatch: June 1, 1998
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: June 1, 1998
- If you Impugn, You Are Immune
- NewsBites: The Alexis Nexus
- TV, Print Outlets Slow to Recognize China Missile Scoop
- OverHolster Overhauled
- Revolving Door: NBC's China Waiver Saver
TV, Print Outlets Slow to Recognize China Missile Scoop
Another Clinton headache arrived in the April 4 New York Times.
Jeff Gerth and Raymond Bonner reported the Justice Department
was looking to prosecute two defense contractors who may have
illegally provided China with space expertise that
"significantly advanced Beijing's ballistic missile program."
But in February, Bill Clinton "quietly approved the export to
China of similar technology by one of the companies under
investigation." The Times noted the chairman of that
company, Loral, one Bernard Schwartz, was the largest
individual contributor to the Democratic National Committee last year.
Network coverage? Nothing except on the Fox News Channel, which
reported it 11 days later.
On May 15, the New York Times
reported that Johnny Chung told investigators that a large
part of the almost $100,000 he gave Democrats in the summer of
1996 came from Liu Chaoying, who works on defense
modernization, such as satellite technology, for China's People's
Liberation Army. Two days later, the Times added how Clinton
overrode then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher's decision
to limit China's ability to launch U.S.-made satellites on
Chinese rockets.
Where were the networks? On the 15th,
in the midst of heavy coverage of Frank Sinatra's death, ABC
devoted 75 seconds to it, CBS 27, and NBC 15. Two nights later,
ABC reported one story, but CBS and NBC ignored it. A few
nights later, the networks each devoted a few seconds to Newt
Gingrich's announcement of a special committee to investigate the China
matter (ABC 17, CBS 18, NBC 23). It took CBS five nights before
it aired a full story, NBC six (offering only 62 seconds in
the first five nights). NBC's Today didn't air a word on it in the first week.
The news magazines have also been AWOL on this story: In its May 25 issue, Newsweek
matched its 20-plus pages on Frank Sinatra's death and its 11
pages on India's nuclear test with a page and a half on the
China story. One U.S. official told Newsweek about Liu: "Getting [U.S.] parts and technology is part of her brief." Time and U.S. News offered nothing.
In the June 1 issues, only Time printed a three-page story, claiming "there may be less to the China connection than meets the eye." Newsweek offered a paragraph in its "Periscope" section. U.S. News
made China the sixth item in its "Washington Whispers" section
without any mention of missiles or Loral: "Clinton and Chinese
leaders are miffed at Republican criticism of the administration's
China policy."
