LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman. Winner 2013 Webby Awards for Best Political Website
May 25, 2013

 Choose a size
Text Size

Trending:     chris hedges     economy     elizabeth warren     politics     robert scheer
Most Read

Three Questions Left Unanswered by Obama’s Counterterrorism Speech

How to Make a Million Dollars an Hour

Marching in Chicago: Resisting Rahm Emanuel’s Neoliberal Savagery

Colbert Slams PBS for Appeasing Koch Brothers

'Left, Right & Center': Obama Ends the War on Terror

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
 * NEW! * A Cooler Century? Wait And See
New York City’s Summers May Heat Up

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture
A Call to Action
Act of Congress

Digs

Truthdig Bazaar
Past Imperfect

Past Imperfect

By Julian Fellowes
$16.49

more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Biden Watersports Don’t Inspire Confidence in the Media

Email this item Email    Print this item Print    Share this item... Share

Posted on Jun 7, 2010

With total disregard for his own safety, CNN’s Ed Henry commits an act of modern journalism, capturing this photo of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel wielding a fully-loaded water gun.

What to make of elite journalists trading their quills and cameras for water guns and a few laughs with the White House subjects they’re supposed to be covering? Glenn Greenwald writes that “all of this just helpfully reveals what our nation’s leading ‘journalists’ really are: desperate worshipers of political power who are far more eager to be part of it and to serve it than to act as adversarial checks against it—and who, in fact, are Royal Court Spokespeople regardless of which monarch is ruling.”

In case you missed it, media bigwigs such as CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Ed Henry got wet and wild at chez Biden over the weekend, giddily tweeting things like “Rahm was chasing Mrs Biden & she hid behind me so i got in his crosshairs—now i know how Sestak felt.”

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

About all of this, Ambinder writes:

“Does an afternoon of leisure with senior administration officials violate journalistic ethics?  To many, the self-evident answer is: ‘Absolutely.’ I have a different view, although perhaps it’s a way to rationalize my own decision to attend the Bidens’ first beach party for journalists. . . .”

Yes, “perhaps.”  I personally don’t think that these types of interactions “violate journalistic ethics” because I don’t think such a thing exists for them.  Rather, all of this just helpfully reveals what our nation’s leading “journalists” really are:  desperate worshipers of political power who are far more eager to be part of it and to serve it than to act as adversarial checks against it—and who, in fact, are Royal Court Spokespeople regardless of which monarch is ruling.  That’s why they’re invited into the heart of Versailles to frolic with the King’s most trusted aides:  it’s their reward for loyal service as Court courtiers.  Just marvel at the self-abasing joy in which Ed Henry wallows by virtue of getting to play water sports with Emanuel and the Bidens.  He sounds like a gushing pre-adolescent who just met his favorite boy band idol and got his water gun signed.  Digby asks, quite rhetorically:  “do you think this sort of thing makes it easier or more difficult for journalists to maintain their independence?”

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


New and Improved Comments

If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.

By skiwiz, March 30, 2012 at 1:32 am Link to this comment

Who are we to say what really went on behind the minds of those journalists. They might look like their having fun, but they actually might be lowering the guard of the politician in order to dig deeper secrets. Of course, this is just an opinion, so only the journalist would really know.

Report this

By ofersince72, June 8, 2010 at 10:55 am Link to this comment

We can once again thank Democracy Now for giving fair
coverage on Helen Tomas’ resignation.

The former Senator made a very good point when brought
up the difference in coverage between the murder of
the nine trying to enter Gaza, and the resignation of
Tomas.
We live in a fascist state, lets quit denying it.
and Cris Hedges you are a FALSE FLAG and former fascist
New York Times reporter whose colors may not have changed
. Warning America about Christian Fascists. what a joke.
You are here to give so called “progressives” talking
points…..Your total solution so far… Boycott FedEx.

Report this

By pundaint, June 8, 2010 at 10:07 am Link to this comment

It’s hard to tell the difference anymore.  It’s all Washington, and I say to
hell with them all.  Down the incumbents!  Politics or news they are not
doing their jobs.

Report this

By NYCartist, June 8, 2010 at 9:43 am Link to this comment

Glenn Greenwald is right on target.  From water sports to water boarding.  Re latter, see today’s DemocracyNow http://www.democracynow.org  Waterboarding as experiment…

Report this

By ofersince72, June 8, 2010 at 9:38 am Link to this comment

There were celebrating the retirement of Helen Tomas.
Who would dare tell the truth ask meaningful questions
at press conferences.  She dared mention a one state
solution.

Helen, we wish you well !!!!!!

Report this

By FRTothus, June 8, 2010 at 3:39 am Link to this comment

“The media want to maintain their intimate relation
to state power. They want to get leaks, they want to
get invited to the press conferences. They want to
rub shoulders with the Secretary of State, all that
kind of business. To do that, you’ve got to play the
game, and playing the game means telling their lies,
serving as their disinformation apparatus.”
(Noam Chomsky)

“To say ‘I’m an embedded journalist’ is to say ‘I’m a
government propagandist’.”
(Noam Chomsky)

Report this

By samosamo, June 7, 2010 at 11:17 pm Link to this comment

****************

 

Nothing about the msm surprises me much anymore, they just
continually depress me now, but wow, old biden yuking it up
with the ‘reporters’? And he is next in line to the presidency.
Maybe we need to protect o a little better until Nov. 2012.

Reminds of the good time interview w got from his buddy as fox
news, carl cameron. Boy, real tough questions there, the only
thing missing was some beer and an 8 ball, razor and straw or a
$100 bill and a couple of whores, or maybe that was just after
the cameras stopped rolling.

Report this

By rollzone, June 7, 2010 at 6:07 pm Link to this comment

hello. a beach party. at an imaginary beach. ShanGriLa is having another party between partying. journalism takes a bath.

Report this
Newsletter

sign up to get updates


 
 
 
 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
© 2013 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved.