SubscribeIt seems to me that Stossel has a particular point of view that government is bad and unfettered capitalism is good, which, of course, is his right. Presenting his program-length editorials as reportage isn't, though. He already had his mind made up before he even started this program. From the same article linked above:
"He started asking leading questions and it was very clear what he wanted to get," Quigley said. "He would say, 'Wow, it's really scary, isn't it?' And the kids weren't scared at all and so they just looked at him. He asked that question repeatedly."
According to Quigley, Stossel was having a hard time getting what he wanted. "These were bright kids, and they were responding well. He was clearly trying to elicit certain responses on tape. When he didn't get the verbal response he wanted, he had the crew shoot from behind and had the students raise their hands while he asked, 'Is the air getting dirtier or cleaner?' It was clear that he wasn't interested in honest dialogue but was trying to elicit certain responses for a script he had already written."
In March -- a month before Stossel's producers turned up at Quigley's event -- a group called Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE) posted an email to their listserv. RISE serves as a pesticide industry front-group, according to Sheldon Rampton, editor of PR Watch. The email was a message from Michael Sanera, director of environmental education research at the Stossel fan club known as the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The email was later forwarded to environmentalists.
"I have been contacted by ABC News," Sanera wrote on March 20, 2001. "A producer for John Stossel is working on a program on environmental education. He needs examples of kids who have been 'scared green' by schools teaching doomsday environmentalism in the classroom. (He needs kids and/or parents to appear on camera.) I have some examples, but I need more. Would you send out a notice to your group and ask if they know of some examples."
"I got sick of it. I also now make so much money I just lost interest in saving a buck on a can of peas."--John Stossel to an audience of conservative lawyers of the Federalist Society, on why he stopped doing consumer reporting:
And while on the topic of Liberal Bias in the Media...
"I admit it. The liberal media were never that powerful, and the whole thing was often used as an excuse by conservatives for conservative failures."--William Kristol, The New Yorker, May 22, 1995
"The trouble with politics and political coverage today is that there's too much liberal bias.... There's too much tilt toward the left-wing agenda. Too much apology for liberal policy failures. Too much pandering to liberal candidates and causes."--William Kristol, in a Weekly Standard subscription pitch, June 2001
NB that "story" is from a left-wing group that has long despised John Stossel, like many other left-wing groups. The reality is that a) none of these parents cared until the Environmental Working Group, which REALLY despises John Stossel, contacted them well after the interviews and fed them some notions; and b) Every network TV newsmagazine correspondent fluffs up their interviewees and edits their responses afterwards. The only difference is that all the others are themselves liberal, so the pressure groups don't mind one bit.
And William Kristol isn't a good guy to "out", since most conservatives have known for years his own personal politics slide back and forth with a puff of wind.
posted by aaron at 10:29 PM on June 29, 2001
And seriously Aaron, the whole "Those awful liberals and their corporate-owned news channels are so biased against everything we rugged noble conservatives believe!" schtick is wearing thin. Click your ruby red heels together and repeat after me: There is no liberal bias in the media, there is no liberal bias in the media, there is no liberal bias in the media...
posted by hincandenza at 12:54 AM on June 30, 2001
Y'know, I had just typed a long exposition about this, but I've deleted it (hold the applause... (: ) and will instead link to selections from da Man, Noam Chomsky:
Studying The Media (at Zmag.org)
Media Control (at Zmag.org)
And of course, the classic book "Manufacturing Consent"...
posted by hincandenza at 1:30 AM on June 30, 2001
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The Oregonian did a pretty complete survey on eco-terrorism, still with a bit of alarmist bombast and the slant that the elves must be wrong. Of course, being a better journalist than Stossel is about as hard as breathing.
posted by capt.crackpipe at 8:11 PM on June 29, 2001