MediaWatch: October 1993
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: October 1993
- On Health, Network Morning Shows Slant Left in Picking Guests, slightly Right in Questions
- NewsBites: Watching the Ad Watch
- Revolving Door: CNBC's New Chief
- Reporters Heap Heaving Helpings of Mush, Ignore Substanse of Testimony
- 'Kiss Ass, Move with the Mass'
- Wallace on U.N. Waste
- What a Difference a Producer Makes
- Janet Cooke Award: NBC's Jim Maceda Attacks Conservative "Myths" About Health Care
'Kiss Ass, Move with the Mass'
Rather's `Powder Puff' Hypocrisy
The night the President unveiled his health reform plan, Dan Rather anchored a 48 Hours special, with an interview of Hillary Clinton as the main attraction. Rather tossed the First Lady slow-pitch softballs like: "When you walked in, it was pretty clear you were excited, but also a little nervous. Am I right about that?" And: "You've been working hard already to introduce this plan to people, sell this plan to people. Are you having fun with this or is it all just hard work? It looks to be very hard work."
Rather's questions were sometimes thinly disguised tributes: "I don't know of anybody, friend or foe, who isn't impressed by your grasp of the details of this plan. I'm not surprised because you have been working on it so long and listened to so many people. Is it possible, and I'm asking for your candid opinion, that when this gets through, whether it passes or not, that we will have reached a point when a First Lady, any First Lady, can be judged on the quality of her work?"
Instead of asking tough original questions about the vague details that were released, Rather reiterated the points of the plan as questions: "Let me run down a checklist....just give me a yes or no answer. Will every resident of the United States be covered under this?...Will this entail any major increase in taxes?...Will this help reduce the deficit, perhaps by as much as $91 billion?" Rather ended his interview with a shameless plug: "Are you prepared to pay the ultimate price and go on David Letterman?"
Just one week later, Rather lambasted the press in a September 29 speech to the Radio and Television News Directors Association convention in Miami. Rather, who either has a short memory or a twin, stated: "They've got us putting more and more fuzz and wuzz on the air." He went on to complain that reporters "Do powder puff, not probing interviews. Stay away from controversial subjects. Kiss ass, move with the mass and for heaven and ratings' sake don't make anybody mad -- certainly not anybody you're covering, and especially not the Mayor, the Governor, the Senator, the President or the Vice-President or anybody in a position of power. Make nice, not news."
