'Investigative' Reporter Brian Ross Defines Shameful New Low...On the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War, No Less...
By Brad Friedman on 3/19/2008, 5:54pm PT  

Blogged by Brad Friedman from San Francisco...

If you had any doubt, this seals it.

A more shameful display of "journalism" we don't believe we've ever seen. As our friend Susie Madrack of Suburban Guerrilla just wrote in an email, about the new low for corporate mainstream media, appallingly displayed at the link above...

I am so angry right now, I'm shaking.

THIS was why they wanted Clinton's White House schedule? This is what passes for investigative journalism at ABC News?

I don't care who you're supporting in this primary election - if we let them do this now to Hillary Clinton, it will only embolden them to do worse later. What a piece of trashy, superfluous, truly MEAN excuse for journalism.

I was an investigative journalist for 15 years, and I've NEVER been so ashamed of my former profession.

Should you wish to organize a reader action, this is the phone number for Brian Ross, head of ABC News Investigative Division. I've already left my own message - feel free to share: 212-456-7612 [ed note: Previous number was incorrect, ABC's main switchboard is: 212-456-7777.]

What she said. And then some.

Meanwhile, today marks the 5th Anniversary of the War on Iraq. How many lie dead? And for what?

Heckuva job, Mr. Ross. You, and "the ABC NEWS INVESTIGATIVE UNIT" --- as our friend the Freeway Blogger might say --- are all wearing the blue dress now.

UPDATE 3/20/08: Glenn Greenwald, as usual, has more cogent thoughts on this, as AP joins Ross and "the ABC Investigative Unit" in covering this "story". Greenwald writes aptly: "It just isn't possible for this country to have a more depraved and wretched press corps."

He goes on to write of previous Ross failures as a "reporter", as does our own Alan Breslauer in this video. And as long as we're piling on, I'll point out that while ABC was more than happy to find the journalistic value in this "story", the same unit took a pass on an exclusive interview with Sibel Edmonds for reasons that we'll let them justify. Elsewhere, the ABC News division had previously spiked a number of important stories on Election Integrity.

Wonder why this country is in the mess that we're in? Look no further than our Corporate Mainstream Media. The links and stories above tell you all you need to know. It all begins and ends with them. Period. They have abused both the public trust and their First Amendment obligations to this country.

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