MediaWatch: September and October 1988
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: September and October 1988
- Study: Coddling Democrats & Discrediting Republican
- NewsBites: Putting Up Their Dues For Duke
- Revolving Door: Reagan-Basher for Editor
- Double Standard Evident in Coverage
- Pro-Soviet Documentary Finds New Outlet
- Bites of Quayle
- Convention Quoteables
- Janet Cooke Award: Quayle Hunting: ABC News
Revolving Door: Reagan-Basher for Editor
Reagan-Basher for Editor. U.S. News & World Report has moved decisively to the left. On September 1 Roger Rosenblatt replaced former Reagan aide David Gergen as Editor of the weekly news-magazine owned by Democratic Party donor Mortimer Zuckerman. Gergen "will expand his role as a writer" as Editor at Large.
As an analyst for CBS News during the Republican Convention Rosenblatt was asked to assess the Reagan Administration record. He declared: "I think it's a dangerous failure at least in terms of programs. A mess in Central America, neglect of the poor, corruption in government...And the worst legacy of all, the budget deficit, the impoverishment of our children."
Before joining U.S. News earlier this year, Rosenblatt spent eight years as a Senior Writer for Time, a couple of years writing editorials for The Washington Post, and served as Literary Editor of The New Republic. In the early 1970's he taught English at Harvard before becoming Director of Education for the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973.
Speaking of U.S. News. A few months ago Putnam published a disparaging review of Reagan foreign policy efforts, Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era, written by Steven Emerson. A look at the book jacket flap reveals where the U.S. News & World Report Senior Editor formed his opinions. In the mid-1970's he worked as an investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and later served as Executive Assistant to the late Senator Frank Church, a liberal Democrat.
Putting Up for the Duke. Finally, another U.S. News staffer with liberal connections is putting his beliefs into action. Associate editor Robert Shapiro is on leave from the magazine until at least November. Why? To try to elect Michael Dukakis President. His role: Deputy Director of Issues for the Dukakis for President Committee.
Shapiro's political preferences are well known. He was a 1972-73 Fellow with the radical left Institute for Policy Studies. Before moving to U.S. News in 1985, Shapiro served as Legislative Director for Senator Patrick Moynihan (D-NY).
