Critiquing the Press

Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Columnist
Monday, February 6, 2006 12:00 PM

Howard Kurtz has been The Washington Post's media reporter since 1990. He is also the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and the author of "Media Circus," "Hot Air," "Spin Cycle" and "The Fortune Tellers: Inside Wall Street's Game of Money, Media and Manipulation." Kurtz talks about the press and the stories of the day in "Media Backtalk."

Howard Kurtz was online Monday, Feb. 6, at noon ET to discuss the press and his latest columns.

Read today's Media Notes Why Anchors Matter , ( Post, Feb. 6, 2006 )

The transcript follows.

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Chicago, Ill.: Does the Washington Post want to be a national or local newspaper? I ask, because instead of Deborah Howell answering the mail she gets from readers concerning the Post's coverage of national news, she wrote a 750 word plea for more questions about local news!

I don't think the Post can have it both ways. The Post can't interject itself into national issues at the level of a paper like the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, then back away and claims its a local paper when the heat starts to come. If the Washington Post has national reach; if the Washington Post has reporters on NBC, CNN, ESPN and MSNBC; If the Washington Post has reporters covering the White House and foreign correspondents; how can its editors and ombudsmen still claim its a local newspaper? Maybe I should cancel my subscription and throw it in the garbage.

Howard Kurtz: Easy. As she pointed out, 90 percent of its circulation is within 50 miles of Washington. Unlike the NYT, WSJ and USA, you can't easily buy it in Michigan or Missouri. But I'm not following your argument. The Post isn't backing away from anything. It's a newspaper with a large national and foreign staff that also has global reach thanks to the Net, and nobody here would deny that. The fact that it's primarily a local paper in terms of dead-tree sales doesn't mean we shouldn't be held accountable on national and foreign reporting. As best I could tell, Deborah Howell was just soliciting more letters -- which is to say, criticism -- on local issues.

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Washington, D.C.: I've been trying to follow the Danish cartoon controversy fairly closely, but was surprised to learn today the cartoons (and subsequent apologies by the Danish paper) ran last September. From watching TV coverage and skimming newspaper articles, I have no idea why people are rioting in February over cartoons published in September. Any thoughts?

Howard Kurtz: The reason is that newspapers across Europe recently reprinted the same cartoons in freedom-of-speech solidarity with the Danish paper.

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Oakton, Va.: Clearly, Howard, there has to be a middle ground in this Woodruff "grandstanding" discussion. It showed terrible business sense for ABC to put a brand-new relatively unknown anchor in this much danger three weeks into his new high-profile job. Couldn't they have put him in Iraq, but in a less vulnerable situation? You can't tell me that ABC execs would have felt comfortable putting Jennings in this vulnerable a position three years ago...

Howard Kurtz: But they did, as my column points out this morning. Jennings went to Iraq a number of times, including one year ago. Elizabeth Vargas went in December. Why is it "terrible business sense" to send an anchor to a war zone? Was it terrible business sense for CBS to let Cronkite go to Vietnam? Obviously there are risks involved, but they are risks that both Woodruff and ABC fully understood.

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New York, N.Y.: Howard,

Certain points were brought up on CNN's "Reliable Sources" on Sunday regarding the fix in which ABC News now finds itself after Bob Woodruff's injury.

The idea of alternating Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson to anchor with Elizabeth Vargas elicited one comment that it would look too much like a local news broadcast to have two people side-by-side in the studio.

But, another guest pointed out that it looked a bit like a stunt to have one anchor always in the field (regardless of where he or she is reporting).

I guess such analyses beg the question: Is a double-anchor, per se, a bad idea?

Howard Kurtz: No. Huntley and Brinkley seemed to pull it off pretty well. But I do wonder why you need to anchors to share 22 minutes of news if they're both going to be in the studio. ABC's idea was that by installing Vargas and Woodruff as a team, one or the other would constantly be on the road, giving ABC a presence at breaking stories around the world. Obviously, they're not going to be able to keep that up with Charlie and Diane, who already have fulltime jobs at Good Morning America, but ABC hopes their backup role will be temporary.

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Ellicott City, Md.: I was shocked at your guest saying pretty much that the anchor should go to these hot spots but not to the one he was at. Or so that seemed to be his statement. I guess if these reporters had crystal balls and could see in advance that they were going to get hurt, then they would skip those stories, but they don't know and can't live in a bubble.

I mean, why should they be allowed out of the newsroom, they could get hurt in a car crash going home?

Howard Kurtz: Maybe they could get a cot.

I thought ABC's Martha Raddatz put it well when she said it was vital for her (as the former Pentagon reporter), and for Bob and Elizabeth and other anchors, to go and see firsthand for themselves what is happening in what is arguably the world's most important story. In other words, it's not just about the number of days that someone like Woodruff (who covered both the 2003 war and the Afghanistan conflict) is on the scene, but the depth it gives him the rest of the time in understanding that story. But as we've learned, even being embedded with the U.S. military in Iraq carries substantial risks.

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Washington, D.C.: A Post editorial Saturday characterized the Senate vote in which 19 Democratic senators joined every Republican in rejecting a filibuster as "bipartisan". What is bipartisan about 19 conservative Democrats joining solidly conservative Republicans in voting for a conservative for the Court? If a significant number of the 25 liberal Democrats who voted for the filibuster had instead crossed over and joined the conservative Republicans, that would be bipartisan. It is misleading for The Post to routinely compare Republican voting which is almost completely down the line conservative, with Democratic voting which splits consistently between liberals and conservative "centrists" who vote the Republican conservative. Why not report voting behavior along ideological lines as well as party lines? Remember, we can't tell the players without a score card.

Howard Kurtz: First of all, I don't think there are 19 conservative Senate Democrats. Second, if 19 of 44 Dems join the Republicans on something, it's not outlandish to say it has bipartisan report. But most important, the Post editorial page is in the business of making arguments. You can agree, disagree or think those folks are off their rocker, but it is a clear repository of opinion.

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Cartoons: Howard, that is outright wrong.

Danish Imams, upset that the newspaper didn't apologize in September, started circulating the 12 cartoons, as well as three additional (and even more inflammatory) cartoons that they claim to have received in the mail, in the Mideast.

When that got traction in the Mideast at the end of January, you got demonstrations and boycotts, and demands that such cartoons be outlawed by the United Nations.

When those demonstrations got widespread coverage, the newspapers in Europe (and later in Australia and New Zealand) reprinted the cartoons (and added new ones) in a demonstration of solidarity.

The reaction to that was the firebombing of embassies, etc.

Howard Kurtz: Well, I gave you the truncated version. But the publication in the other papers still seems to have been the flash point.

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Washington, D.C.: As a media expert, are you at all troubled by the world governments' reaction to the Muslim protests? The EU is now talking about making it illegal to insult one's religion, and while the U.S. is probably just trying to score points with Muslims, the State Department's condemnation of the cartoons seems kind of chilling.

Howard Kurtz: What troubles me is that the rioters don't seem to understand that these European governments don't control what is printed in the newspapers. It would be like throwing rocks at the Pentagon over the Toles cartoon. I guess many of the protestors are unfamiliar with the concept of freedom of speech.

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Miami, Fla.: I was surprised that ABC is calling on Charlie and Diane to fill in for Woodruff. Is ABC so short on anchors that they have to call on those two again - it hasn't been the first time. Why can't Vargas just do it herself - sounded to me like they didn't have enough trust or faith in her abilities to "go it alone" for the duration - which I anticipate will be quite long.

Howard Kurtz: ABC isn't short on anchors or potential anchors at all. But Charlie & Diane are their two best-known journalists, and their presence will clearly help in the short term. As for why Elizabeth Vargas isn't flying solo, ABC says the job--now expanded to include a daily Webcast and West Coast updates that require an anchor to remain in the studio until 10 p.m. EST each night--is too big for one person.

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Irvington, N.J.: Did the anchors of pre cable days, like Cronkite, Reasoner, Severiad, etc. go on location. Is sending the anchor on location a function of improved technology or a necessity to compete for ratings?

Howard Kurtz: They did travel, but not nearly as much. One reason is that the satellite technology didn't exist for them to do live broadcasts from a remote location hours after landing there. During the Vietnam War, for example, film had to be flown to another location, often London, for processing and editing before it could be put on the air.

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New York, N.Y.: Why is ABC is having Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson split anchoring duties with Elizabeth Vargas? CBS and NBC seem to do fine with a single anchor, and so do ABC until recently. Why can't Vargas anchor solo for the time being? Is ABC not ready for a solo female anchor?

Howard Kurtz: As I just noted, ABC has expanded the job. I certainly don't think gender is an issue. Vargas's desire to occasionally see her family might be.

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Clifton, Va.: Re sending journalists to a war zone: neither a defense nor a criticism either way, but most previous wars had a front.

Howard Kurtz: Vietnam certainly didn't.

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Hartford, Conn.: One part of Bob Woodruff's misfortune is the timing of his injuries. Since it came so soon after his promotion to co-anchor, it's hard not to see his reporting in Iraq as a result of ABC trying to establish brand identity. He wasn't there three months ago before the election, for example, when there was "news" besides the insurgency. Sure, his resume gives him more credibility than Bob Schieffer (not to pick on Bob), but after a few days of standups, the heavy lifting goes back to the beat reporters and Iraqi translators and stringers.

Howard Kurtz: But Woodruff has made repeated trips to Iraq since the 2003 invasion. At the same time, I don't think anyone would disagree that the heavy (and risky) lifting is done by correspondents who spend long periods in places like Iraq, and not by visiting anchors. And that applies to the many brave newspaper and magazine reporters there as well.

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Parkville, Md.: I realize that Brit Hume loathes the mainstream media, but I have to say that I found it particularly shameful that he would take Bob Woodruff's personally tragedy in Iraq as just one more opportunity to seed ill will against the press. In his "grapevine" commentary of Feb 2nd ( Behind the Scenes ) Hume states:

Some U.S. forces are grumbling about the press coverage of ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt...

...a senior officer tells UPI, "The point that is currently being made -is] that press folks are more important than mere military folks."

The segment is one-sided, and offers no opportunity for rebuttal from a representative of ABC. Sour grapes? Any comments?

Howard Kurtz: Well, Brit is right, as far as his item went. Some military people are griping about it. I quoted from the same UPI report in this morning's column. But I do think that's hardly the only opinion out there. ABC's Martha Raddatz said on my show yesterday that she's received a torrent of supportive e-mail from military people, including families who have lost loved ones in Iraq.

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Cleveland, Ohio: Howard: While watching "Reliable Sources" Sunday morning, I was surprised to learn there had been so many negative comments regarding the coverage of the injuries of ABC's anchor and cameraman. What I didn't hear during the discussions that took place was anything about the restrictions the Pentagon has placed on the media covering the deceased and injured. We aren't allowed to see the dead and injured returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. I think that should be the bigger story, not the fact that an anchor got injured. Thoughts?

Howard Kurtz: The Pentagon originally restricted coverage of the returning coffins, but after a university professor who's an ex-CNN correspondent filed suit over the issue, a settlement was reached in which such pictures are now allowed.

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Baton Rouge, La.: " Easy. As she pointed out, 90 percent of its circulation is within 50 miles of Washington."

Come on Howard -- this covers a very large portion of the American population!

Howard Kurtz: Are you serious? We're basically talking about D.C. and parts of Maryland and Virginia. The Post is even hard to find once you reach Baltimore or Richmond.

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ABC's new plan: Can I just say it was a horrible idea to put Charlie and Diane on the evening news as fill-ins? ABC should have just let the fine backup staff they have contribute as both anchor and "roving reporter"--I very much like the dual anchor format when it has that justification. Obviously Vargas cannot do everything, but adding the two morning vets is disruptive and takes away from what ABC was supposedly trying to do. It also looks like they do not have confidence in their staff, which I think is the better of the big three.

Howard Kurtz: Since neither Charlie or Diane has done a single broadcast, I'm going to reserve judgment. Keep in mind that Gibson repeatedly filled in for the ailing Peter Jennings for months. The risk for ABC is that both Gibson and Sawyer will be absent more often from GMA as it tries to close the ratings gap with Today.

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Woodhaven, N.Y.: Howard,

Regarding news anchors reporting from hotspots:

What percentage of such reporting would you consider true reportage (i.e., enlightening an audience to a little-known or little-reported fact), and what percentage would you consider simply getting the "brand" a little "goodwill" publicity?

Howard Kurtz: It varies. In Woodruff's case, the mere fact that he was riding in an Iraqi military convoy shows he wasn't just there for a photo op. When he went to Israel and Gaza earlier in the trip, he interviewed Mahmoud Abbas. When he went to California, he interviewed Google's co-founders. So there's been a reporting component to most of what he's done. And the other networks do this sort of thing as well.

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Washington, D.C.: Mr. Kurtz, normally I like your coverage, and its insightfulness. However, was appalled at the cartoon you displayed in last Mondays Post. (re: cartoon of limbless vet) It must have been an honor receiving a very rare letter from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Have you since felt any sense of regret for displaying the cartoon, and also perhaps the editor of The Post? As an individual with family members in the military I had a personal distaste for it. Also, you always paint the picture of the Wash Post being a non-biased paper, not at all leaning to the left (besides the editorials of course, you suggest), however, that cartoon does not do a whole lot to bolster that argument.

From a disappointed reader.

Howard Kurtz: First of all, when I wrote about the Joint Chiefs' objections last week, I didn't know whether The Post would reprint the cartoon or not (which obviously had run the previous Sunday). That was a decision made by Len Downie. Second, Toles works for the editorial page, and he is paid for his opinions, even though he expresses them in illustrated form rather than by, say, writing a column. He has not made any bones about the fact that he is liberal. But as I'm sure most people understand, editorials, op-eds and cartoons are totally independent of the newsroom.

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Washington, D.C.: Unfortunately, don't you think that if the media gave each solider hurt or killed in action even half the amount of coverage that Woodruff is getting, you'd come under fire for being too negative about the war?

Howard Kurtz: I suppose some people might say that, but many others would appreciate the focus on the brave men and women who are carrying the burden of this war. It's interesting that the injuries suffered by Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt have sparked a whole wave of stories about wounded soldiers, the destructive power of IEDs, the field hospital where they were treated, and so on.

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Rolla, Mo.: Do you believe the Administration's contention that they are not using FISA because speed is of the essence is receiving enough critical evaluation by the media? This talking point is still thrown out today when it appears obvious that FISA allows for immediate wiretapping, provided a warrant is sought within 72 hours after the tap. What we have seen is the Administration's statement with no context provided other than that provided by opponents to their position. Seems like more, "A says something, B says something, our reporting is done."

Howard Kurtz: I have seen that point made in numerous news stories, and I'm not sure I completely understand the administration's explanation that even applying for approval 72 hours after the fact is onerous.

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Arlington, Va.: So aren't all the newspapers that don't show the cartoons girly men?It seems relevant to the stories.

Howard Kurtz: Sure it's relevant, but is it worth gratuitously offending Muslims by showing the images? That's the question. It's not unlike when you write a story about racial slurs being used without printing the exact language. Besides, anyone who wants to can find these cartoons online in a matter of seconds.

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Washington, D.C: What is your take on the media literacy of people these days? I did a quick check after last week's chat and Dr. Gridlock's chat ran 33 pages, while this chat ran 11. And I think it's safe to presume that your chat draws more of a national/international audience. (Not to mention that your responses are lengthier and better thought through.)

Howard Kurtz: Maybe the doctor types faster. I get a torrent of questions and answer as many as I can in the space of an hour.

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Alexandria, Va.: Yesterday's story stated that the government's listening in to conversations has led to less than 10 warrants.

I have no doubt that that is what the sources stated. But how do reporters and editors know that their sources have access to all the information? Especially when dealing with a program that is as highly classified as this one is?

Howard Kurtz: That is a difficult question that reporters who write about national security must try to assess. This was a piece that the three Post reporters involved obviously spent considerable time on, and I don't think anyone pretending that they uncovered every last fact about this secret program.

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Alexandria, Va.: Since you've mentioned Toles, let me ask a cartoonist-as-journalist question. Toles defends himself as saying his cartoon merely reflected "reality" or "a set of facts." But his cartoon is meant to rebut with his opinion of Rumsfeld's clumsiness in remarks, not really a matter of fact. Is the Army today in Iraq best represented by a quadruple-amputee? Is that a fact? Or isn't that poetic/humorist's license?

Howard Kurtz: Toles doesn't contend that a quadruple amputee represents the Army. He was using the wounded soldier as a symbol -- which some people found offensive and some didn't -- of the damage that he sees as having been inflicted by Rumsfeld's war policies.

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Arlington, Va.: Re: Local vs. national

Has the pervasiveness of post.com affected the way national reporters at The Post think of their role in the media world?

Howard Kurtz: Well, it means that our stories now reach audiences from California to Calcutta that previously had no easy way of reading what we write. It also means that on breaking news we often get requests to write an early version of the story for the Web, even while continuing to report for the next day's paper. Look, this is where millions of people get their news and it would be crazy for us not to play.

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Ames, Iowa: I continue to be amazed by the number of people who did not "get" the Toles cartoon -it was a knock on Rummy, NOT the military. Rummy, in Toles' view, minimizes the toll on the military. Is this cartoon being deliberately misunderstood by some? (I know we were told in a journalism class that many people do not "get" satire - but in a cartoon??)

Howard Kurtz: I think even some people who understand it was aimed at Rumsfeld were nevertheless bothered by the image of the wounded soldier.

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Kansas City, Mo.: Do people not understand cartoons? Toles vet cartoon, to me at least, in no way diminished or harmed vets. What it did was criticizing Rumsfeld. I have to wonder if the Joint Chiefs, in an effort to move the outrage against Rumsfeld and the war, decided to attack the cartoon.

For if the Joint Chiefs can't figure out the meaning of this cartoon then I have to question the intelligence of those leading the Pentagon.

Howard Kurtz: I'm sure the Joint Chiefs of Staff understood who was the target of Toles's quill, but I'm also sure they were sincere in calling the drawing "beyond tasteless."

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New York, N.Y.: Howard, the newsstand across from where I work sells the daily Post, for 35 cents no less.

Also, when I lived in Baltimore it was available on every credible newsstand.

I think The Post is less of a local paper that your making it out to be.

Howard Kurtz: I don't know why people can't accept this. I've lived in New York, and there is a list of maybe 12 newsstands in Manhattan that carry a few copies. In other neighborhoods you're out of luck. You can't get it in Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx. It's hard to find in Philly and Boston. Believe me, I wish that weren't the case. The reporters here all wish (especially when we're traveling) that you could easily pick up a copy of The Post in Chicago or Cincinnati or Denver or San Francisco. But that is not the paper's business strategy.

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Chicago, Ill.: What about Pat Tillman? Didn't the media go all out over his death? It was simply because he was well-known (and an interesting story), obviously not because he was a journalist. Other posters are right - the media can win for trying on something like this. Too much coverage, and they're being negative and not showing the good news. Too little, and they're narcissistic and out of touch.

Howard Kurtz: Yes, I mentioned Pat Tillman in this morning's column. So much of this has to do with fame. The fact that Woodruff is a journalist undoubtedly struck a nerve with other journalists, but had he been a congressman or rock star or anyone else with name recognition, an injury by an Iraqi roadside bomb would have been big news.

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Jena, Germany: Howard, I deeply enjoy your articles.

I was wondering if you could comment on the impact of Jon Stewart's Daily Show and the Colbert Report to journalists. In my opinion, The Daily Show and more recently the Colbert Report have started substantively "out perform" real journalists on holding guests to actual facts

It seems on the cable networks, guest have a carte blanche in respective to their "truthiness", yet on Comedy Central, I feel, both shows offer a higher degree of veracity to the facts and intellectual honesty.

Is it just me?

Thanks.

Howard Kurtz: No, you've got plenty of company. Of course, these shows have the freedom to make stuff up, be insulting, put fake reporters in front of green screens and pretend they're in Iraq, etc. But they certainly do a great job of nailing hypocrisy in ways that much of the MSM doesn't even attempt.

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Ozone Park, N.Y.: Howard,

While Toles' cartoon has certainly caused a tempest, do you think it succeeded as a political cartoon? Was his original intent to get across a clear message of Rumsfeld's failures, or do you think Toles knew what his cartoon would bring on, including the misreading of his message?

Howard Kurtz: All I can tell you is that Toles told me he knew the cartoon would cause controversy -- I doubt he realized how much -- but that if he didn't publish cartoons that might offend someone, he wouldn't be able to publish anything meaningful at all.

Thanks for the chat, folks.

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