Another Dead Canary

West puts another nail into the coffin of objective journalism

Oct 28th, 2008 by Joe Newman | 1,946

I’m not sure why this YouTube clip contrasting WFTV-Orlando anchor Barbara West’s interviews with Joe Biden and John McCain makes me so angry. We’ve grown to expect media bias at the cable networks, whether it’s the unabashed right-wingers at FOX News or the liberals at MSNBC. So maybe it’s a little idealistic to still expect integrity and objectivity in our local news anchors.

West’s questions were pulled directly from the Republican Party’s talking points (see the entire interview here), which shouldn’t be surprising considering that her husband is a Republican operative. I don’t have a problem with West or any reporter asking the candidates tough questions, but these were less questions and more accusations.

Compare the way she approached Biden with her earlier interview of McCain, where she literally spoon-fed him big juicy meatballs.

Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas, whom I worked with for several years and who is a pretty middle-of-the road guy politically, had this to say about West:

You have to see this to believe it.

This is the most embarrassing interview I’ve ever seen on local television. This has nothing to do with whether you are for Obama or McCain. It’s about being professional. Quoting Karl Marx?

Even Sean Hannity wouldn’t be so ham-handed. Making matters worse, it looks like Barbara is just dumbly reading questions someone just handed her, then staring blankly at the screen. Biden made her look like a complete dimwit. Not that this was hard.

How could WFTV allow this to happen?

Her tone, her body language and the way the questions were phrased made it very clear that she was hoping she could goad Biden into a gotcha moment. She failed there miserably. But if her mission was to become a hero to the far right, then she succeeded with flying colors.

Unfortunately, she just reinforced the public’s perception that journalists have their own agenda. That’s a shame for the legions of hard-working journalists who are NOT partisan hacks.

Firedoglake has a petiton asking WFTV for an on-air apology. Go sign it. It won’t accomplish anything but it might make you feel better.

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West puts another nail into the coffin of objective journalism

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