Journalist: My Political Job Is "Apolitical"
Fun little media/politics story today from the New York Times:
Republicans have long accused mainstream journalists of being on the payroll of President Obama and the Democratic Party, a common refrain of favoritism especially from those on the losing end of an election (see Bush vs. Gore, Clinton vs. Bush and Bush vs. Dukakis).
But this year the accusation has a new twist: In some notable cases it has become true, with several prominent journalists now on the payrolls of Mr. Obama and the Democratic Congressional leadership.
My favorite what-me-biased quote from the journo/G-men comes from former L.A. Times managing editor Douglas Frantz:
As the chief investigator of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Frantz said he was acting much like an investigative reporter, but with two potential tools he could only dream about having previously: subpoena power and, should his application be accepted, security clearance to review classified data.
With a press aide for Mr. Kerry monitoring the interview — the sort of arrangement that annoys reporters — Mr. Frantz said he did not view his new job as promoting any partisan aim.
"Pursuing the truth is apolitical," he said.
I look forward to Frantz' apolotical truth-pursual of the still-unrecognized-by-the-U.S. Armenian genocide.
