THE MEDIA HAS LOST ITS ETHICS AND CREDIBILITY

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THE MEDIA HAS LOST ITS ETHICS AND CREDIBILITY

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Obama Administration director of communication, Anita Dunn boasted after the 2008 election that “ very rarely did we communicate anything we did not absolutely control.” This was recorded in a video conference with the government of the Dominican Republic.  In the 2012 campaign the mainstream media is still shamefully doing the bidding of the Obama administration.

Every presidential administration attempts to influence the national conversation. The 4^th Estate, the press, needs to be a pillar of our representative republic. Media is supposed to question the government in power to increase accountability by searching for the truth. Too many prominent media members are protecting and advocating for the Obama administration rather than doing their duty in finding and presenting the actual facts to the American people.

For more than two weeks the mainstream media was an accomplice in maintaining the false storyline of the Obama administration.  The media was content to repeat it was an anti Mohammed video that was the impetus of a peaceful demonstration gone awry. The supposedly spontaneous demonstration turned into a violent attack on the American consulate killing the Ambassador of Libya, three other Americans and caused the destruction of the US consulate and a safe house. This narrative was sold to us by the administration with the media repeating the talking points but not investigating the facts and the actual events leading up to the incident and its aftermath.

The media did not report that previous to the attack in Benghazi there had been eight major attacks on western interests in Libya, two of which were on the consulate. It did not report the many pleas for more security forces sent by Ambassador Chris Stevens to protect him and other diplomats. Even on the infamous day of 9/11/12 Stevens was communicating the need for more protection.  The media did not uncover that Charlene Lamb and others of the State Department observed the actual attack in Benghazi in real time for a 7 hour period or the State Department’s emails, which show the Obama administration knew within 2 hours that an Al Qaeda affiliated group was taking credit for the attacks.

The Obama administration chose not to dispatch available US security which were mobilized and stationed close by but not alllowed to stop this horrific massacre.

The media intentionally or unintentionally has been an accessory to the administration’s cover-up.  It did not question the press secretary, Jay Carney’s statement on 9/14 and Ambassador Susan Rice’s weekend statements on five channels that the Benghazi attack was the result of the spontaneous protest to the hateful video. On 9/25, two and a half weeks later, in an address to the United Nations, President Obama mentioned the video 6 times. The Obama administration would not have produced a $70,000 video apologizing for this obscure anti Mohammed trailer if he was not implying it was the cause for the unrest in the Middle East.  

Yet in the 10/16 presidential Townhall debate, Candy Crowley of CNN was asked by President Obama to get the transcript of his speech in the Rose garden to prove on 9/12 he said it was “an act of terror.” Crowley answered the president by saying, “Governor Romney, he did say this.” Then President Obama said, “could you say that a little louder, Candy?”

This was a despicable display of the media’s out-of-control advocating and colluding with President Obama. There was no reason for Crowley to have the transcript or for President Obama to know she had it.  Crowley was not supposed to be a fact checker, to comment on answers, or ask follow up questions according to the co-signed memorandum of agreement. She was supposed to be a moderator, a facilitator. Not only did Crowley not abide by these rules, she interrupted Mr. Romney 28 times and Mr. Obama only 9.

Later in the evening, after the debate, she admitted her mistake on CNN. The transcript of the Rose garden speech did mention an act of terror in reference to the 2001- 9/11, not to the Benghazi incident as Crowley later admitted.  It was another act of gotcha questions by a biased media member.

President Obama or his surrogates refused to talk about terrorism for they have already stated that Al Qaeda is on the run and terrorism is under control. The truth of this attack would contradict the campaign narrative. “An act of terror” is very different than terrorism, which is a use of force and violence to coerce a government. In fact, to this day, Fort Hood’s massacre is referred to as “workplace violence” not an act of terrorism which it obviously was.

The unwillingness to be professional objective members of the media should be of grave concern to every American regardless of political affiliation. The mainstream media has become the state run media and is a disgrace that has to be corrected.

The mainstream media should realize that they are cutting their own throats by being partisan shills repeating the administration’s talking points. Newsweek’s unwillingness to reveal the Lewinski scandal to protect President Clinton was a major lost opportunity to insure its status as a credible and trusted publication. Newsweek’s circulation dropped like many news publications and is presently relegated to only a digital presence.

Our leaders have to know that any illegal or irresponsible actions cannot be hidden forever and will eventually face public wrath. For our nation to get back on solid moral ground we need the members of the press to be committed to report and investigate our government’s actions without bias to help or hinder either political side.  Historically our free press has kept our nation on the straight and narrow path.  Personal views and preferences should not prevent the reporting the truth.

The media can no longer be a cheerleader for a particular side or charismatic person but instead should be guided by ethical obligations if it wants to survive.