In case you missed it---BuzzFeed contrives an odd prescription as to how Chelsea Clinton can come alive as a television talent.
Elsewhere:
*PBS ombudsman Michael Getler delivers his judgment on whether Gwen Ifill should have opted out of the fundraiser for the Whitman-Walker clinic, the one where the clinic was honoring the work of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The key words from Getler:
And, although I am confident about Ifill’s journalistic integrity — having known her, watched her, and worked with her for some years at The Washington Post — my vote would have been to bow out of this event.
*David Carr explores a question: If a news network doesn’t apologize on air, has it apologized at all? The question pertains to a huge NBC screwup over the George Zimmerman tape with the emergency dispatcher. NBC edited that tape in a way that made Zimmerman look like an inveterate racial profiler. Once its bad deed had leaked into the public, NBC investigated the incident and issued a statement in which it apologized to its viewers. That apology, though, wasn’t issued on the “Today” show, where the mistake had originated. Carr cornered NBC News chief Steve Capus on the matter.
Even though Mr. Capus had personally investigated the error, issued two statements on the matter, taken disciplinary action against six employees and led a series of meetings to remind people of best practices, nobody on the “Today” show had explained what happened, or apologized for it, to the audience.
That seemed wrong to me. A network’s primary contract is with the viewers who tune in to its shows every day, one that is more important than any obligation it feels to journalistic pundits or Beltway politicos.
“You’re probably right,” Mr. Capus said right away.
Take the “probably” out of that one. Thing is, it’s not as if it’s too late to do it now. Crow keeps for a long time; eat it.
*New York Times editorial uses the occasion of the New York primary to emphasize just how bad the alternatives to Mitt Romney are/were.
The only other remaining candidates are terrible choices. Newt Gingrich, who was drummed out of the House speaker’s job, is a right-wing zealot who wants to give minority children jobs as school janitors to show there is an alternative to being a pimp or a drug dealer. Ron Paul, a presidential never-was since the 1980s, offers the usual libertarian litany of agencies he would close, and some disturbing racial views.
Rick Santorum, the most sincere representative of the extremist forces who have killed any expression of Republican moderation, dropped out on April 10. Herman Cain dropped out before Iowa and Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota left after her pathetic showing there. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who was confused about foreign policy but clear on his desire to deny health services for poor women in Texas, dropped out before South Carolina.
*Creators of “The Simpsons” fete Fox on its silver anniversary and pointedly exclude Fox News from the nod.
*British TV news team arrested while filming in Bahrain.
*The Project for Excellence in Journalism pinpoints when coverage of Mitt Romney pivoted:
After Romney’s tight victory in the Michigan primary on Feb. 28, news coverage about his candidacy became measurably more favorable and the portrayal of his rivals—particularly Rick Santorum—began to become more negative and to shrink in volume.
