MoveOn.org Targets AP's Fournier for Alleged Pro-McCain Bias

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Editor&Publisher

NEW YORK The popular, if controversial, liberal activist group MoveOn.org today targeted an email campaign at Associated Press executives and the AP Washington bureau chief Ron Fournier after what it termed yet another Fournier attack on Barack Obama.

Fournier's article on Obama's selection of Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate gained wide linkage at the Drudge Report, Hot Air and numerous other conservative sites, while it was panned on liberal blogs such as DailyKos and Talking Points Memo.

The MoveOn rallying cry to its members included the following. The full Fournier article follows after that.

"Today, the Associated Press (whose articles are published in thousands of newspapers nationwide) wrote a story about Barack Obama's vice presidential pick that sounded more like right-wing FOX than an unbiased news organization. Under the headline 'Biden pick shows lack of confidence,' the AP wrote: 'The candidate of change went with the status quo. In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness -- inexperience in office and on foreign policy...He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate -- the ultimate insider...The Biden selection is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative...'

This isn't an isolated incident for the AP reporter who wrote this story, Ron Fournier -- who was recently appointed as the AP's Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief. Media watchdog group Media Matters wrote a report showing that Fournier's presidential coverage has consistently smeared Democrats and favored John McCain....

Read more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003842038

[Diane R]

1. I can remember the good ol' days when journalist were objective, and not just parrots of the regime.

[ladywnch]

8. there are no journalists anymore, only propagandists for hire

and they exist on both sides. Objective/unbiased reporting simply doesn't exist. And if a journalist does try to be fair, they are called biased by one side or the other....and if they are truly unbiased and call both sides on their BS, the are crucified as being flip-floppers who blow with the wind of popular opinion.

As long as Corporations control the news and make it part of the 'entertainment' division requiring news to be a revenue source instead of a public service, it will not change. I fear we will never get it back.

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

10. People were saying that in the 1920s too...

"Things will never change, big business will rule forever." And then came the New Deal. Far from perfect, but it gave us a much more equal society for forty years afterward. Now we're back in the 1920s again, hopefully this time we can bring about a second New Deal WITHOUT a second Great Depression beforehand.

[cliffordu]

11. Nothing truer has ever been written about the "news" in this country:

"As long as Corporations control the news and make it part of the 'entertainment' division requiring news to be a revenue source instead of a public service, it will not change. I fear we will never get it back".

[ooglymoogly]

50. An interesting Boehlert piece in Media matters from July 22.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200807220006

"The AP has a Ron Fournier problem"

snip
Instead, Fournier was declaring sides. That was the implication of Fournier's note: "Karl, you might think the media are liberal, but you can trust me. And give me access and return my emails. Because I'm on your side."

The Fournier revelation came as no surprise to anyone who has read his recent campaign work, which has routinely been caustic and dismissive of Democratic contenders. In two "Analysis" pieces and a column, Fournier questioned whether John Edwards was a "phony," announced the Clintons suffered from "utter self-absorption," and claimed that Barack Obama was "bordering on arrogance." That's the right of a pundit. But at the same time, Fournier avoided raising any doubts about Sen. John McCain, and in fact rushed to his aid in print during the senator's time of campaign need. snip

[HEyHEY]

65. Bullshit

There's a ton of honest and hardworking reporters out there. But when they do well no one remembers.

[Blecht]

66. A ton sounds about right

About 2000 pounds of decent journalists -- I'd buy that.

I am sure a much larger mass of journalists start out with ethics and principles, too. It is unfortunate that to rise in that profession it is necessary to become a corporate propagandist.

[ladywnch]

67. I would agree......that would be about 10 people

I also agree that they sell out to get anywhere in their careers.

[HEyHEY]

70. Absolutely untrue

[Joe Bacon]

15. Hey, doesn't SCREWPERT MURDOCH sit on the AP Board of Directors?

That would go a long way to explain Ronnyboy!

[marias23]

25. Fire this Guy's Ass

[totodeinhere]

35. Why would they fire him when they agree with him?

Firing individual news reporters is not the answer. The news organizations themselves need to have structural change.

[movonne]

2. I can't hardly believe I live in America that I grew up in...most of

the media has become a Rove look alike...it makes me sick...

[liberalmuse]

3. That article he put out today was disgusting.

I thought the AP was supposed to be like the BBC, and report the facts, but this article today was one biased piece of garbage. I couldn't believe what I was reading was from the AP and not from Faux. I sent an email to Mr. Fournier's boss, asking that he be removed, or, at the very least, taken off the campaign coverage given his bias. I was civil and to the point in the letter, and let them know I would not be considering them a reliable news source as long as a man like Fournier is on their payroll.

[Patchuli]

4. I read that piece of crap

and rated it accordingly...a piece of crap! I don't see any such thing in Obama's pick! I do however, see FEAR in the Reich Wingnuts.

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. I read it earlier today. A childish, almost infantile standing of the ....

facts on their head. Up is down; down is up. The Biden pick didn't signify self-confidence and wisdom... but rather their opposites.

It ran on "Yahoo headlines" earlier in the day. It was labeled "analysis", but I only noticed the label after I clicked the link.

Most people thought they were reading reportage. That's the idea.

[Tanuki]

7. I thought the label "analysis" was misleading when I saw it on Yahoo.

It struck me as a hit piece in which the author tried to use the admirable choice of Biden to prop up his ugly and evident bias.

[Smarmie Doofus]

29. "Analysis" is also a misnomer. It's *commentary* disguised...

as analysis. No one, not even this genius , is dumb enough to "analyze" the situation and come up with something so completely idiotic.

And "commentary" is doing it a favor; there's another word for it but we may have underage DUer's ( Is there such a thing? I wonder.) logged on so I'll leave it at that.

Hah!

[guruoo]

6. "A congressional investigation recently uncovered an email Fournier sent to Karl Rove

in 2004, telling him to 'Keep up the fight.'

[L. Coyote]

9. Those who know the laws of history .......

Those who know the laws of history appreciate that they coincide for the proposition that a historian who wishes to perform his office faithfully must rid himself of the spirit of flattery and libel and must, to the full extent possible, place himself in the state of a Stoic who is beholden to no passion. Indifferent to all else, he must be attentive only to the interests of the truth, to which he must sacrifice resentment provoked by an injustice as well as the remembrance of favors, and even the love of country. He must forget that he comes from a certain country, that he was raised in a certain faith, that he owes his success to this person or that, he must forget even his parents and friends. A historian is thus like Melchizedech, with neither father, nor mother, nor indeed a genealogy. If asked: Where do you come from? He must reply: I am neither Frenchman, nor German, neither Englishman nor Spaniard, etc.: I am a citizen of the world; I am not at the service of the emperor, nor of the king of France, but simply at the service of truth, who is my sole queen; I have taken no oath but of obedience to her; I am her devoted knight.

–Pierre Bayle, Dictionnaire historique et critique, “Usson,” Remarque F (1697)(S.H. transl.)

From: http://harpers.org/archive/2008/08/hbc-90003271

[hay rick]

12. Did Murdoch buy AP?

Or just their souls?

[No Elephants]

13. Fournier thinks Rove is doing God's work.

[TomClash]

14. It's simple

He should be fired. His "analysis" simply echoed the McCain talking points, including the few positives he lip-synched about Biden.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NashVegas]

19. Oh, I Disagree

There's not a candidate or former candidate anywhere who doesn't choose their Veep to shore up their electoral weaknesses - and Biden is well-liked among most Democrats.

[bertman]

53. I agree with FamilyGuy. Biden is another old white Dem who voted the wrong way on Iraq and

the bankruptcy bill. What he has going for him is he has foreign policy credentials and he is a straight talker.

I support MoveOn financially and I reminded them that just because he's a Dem doesn't mean he gets the "whitewash" treatment.

I also agree that the article was more editorial than information.

I'm voting for Obama and Biden but I think the DLC is the winner here.

Sorry.

[iamjoy]

22. That's Not The Point

this analysis is a matter of opinion and should be presented as such - not as news.

[trumad]

24. OK---hope you got that out of the way

and I'll let you slide this time---but do it again and I'll alert your ass until they chase you out of here.

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. I am not letting it slide

:)

[trumad]

38. Wow you got power

You totally tombstoned the dude.

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Must be the size of my most recent donation

:rofl:

[bertman]

55. What means "tombstoned the dude"??

[Graybeard]

71. Click on the "profile" icon of the deleted message.

The poster is gonzo.

[nyc 4 Biden]

26. Awesome!!

We have the freepers disappointed and angry!!

[sendero]

49. Oh..

.. BULLSHIT.

You wanted him to pick another Newbie? Obama is a lot smarter than you, though that's apparently not saying much.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

51. "It we don't start expressing anger when Obama makes a mistake, we will wind up getting sold out"

No, you end up with John McFossil as your president.

[still_one]

17. It isn't just AP of course. Right after the VP announcement, much of the MSM

were already injecting their venom into the choice

These are the same people who told us there were WMDs in Iraq and a connection between Iraq and 9/11

If they would propagate lies which have resulted in deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, this comes as no surprise

[bulloney]

18. I'd bet that Ron Fornicator had the 'lack of confidence' line to use regardless of Obama's choice.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

20. A L L E G E D ? ? ? are they kidding?

a close fiend of Karl Rove, considering a post with McCain campaign, the guy who started the Al Gore - intertube rumors

and the headline says A L L E G E D ?

[baldguy]

23. And he starts all his columns with "Well-known Islamofascist terrorist Barack Obama..."

[ChairmanAgnostic]

33. not always. sometimes he slips in code words with the same ideas.

[enough already]

21. This is a good start

We should target all these hacks AND talk radio and put them out of business.

[Coexist]

27. I wrote a letter.

[orbitalman]

28. The MSM Is Sabotaging Our Democracy.

This is also how "conventional wisdom" gets started. Thank God for the internet & DU.

[brentspeak]

30. It's not clear how MoveOn is "targeting" Fournier

It emailed its registered members with info about the Fournier article and -- what? That's it?

[liberal1973]

31. Yeah he should be fired.

The guy is not a reporter. Ron Fournier is a hack.

[Graybeard]

32. Mike Malloy fans, help get AP News off his show.

I listen to Mike Malloy every night on my computer, streaming NovaM Radio. At the hourly and half-hour breaks 1480kphx (his Phoenix station) airs the AP News. It always has a RW biased slant to it's reporting. Protest.

[e-mail]

[BRLIB]

60. "alleged" is a code word, used to deny the truth.

Do they ever speak of David Duke's alleged racism? Same for AP neutrality.

I have sent every streaming audio station I listen to emails telling them to get the right wing garbage "news" off. I may have to sue for blood pressure increases whenever the "AP Radio news" comes on, as it does every half hour. They could have someone read the rawstory news verbatim and support progressive news, instead of that garbage. Most stations use either AP or ABC, both equally nasty.

[cyberpj]

36. GOOD. As one who doesn't usually notice that stuff, I couldn't believe the tone of that article! nt

[sunnystarr]

37. Thanks for the link - this part shows Fournier to be a political hack

"A congressional investigation recently uncovered an email Fournier sent to Karl Rove in 2004, telling him to 'Keep up the fight.' Plus, it was recently revealed that Fournier talked to top McCain campaign operatives in 2007 about being a senior McCain political adviser! Given all this, Fournier has an obligation to the public to show that he's not a partisan McCain supporter.

This should destroy his credibility as an AP reporter. He should get a spot with Fox News either as an online reporter or on one of their shows.

[MiaCulpa]

40. MoveOn attacks AP writer for biased analysis of Biden pick

Source: Raw Story

MoveOn.org, a political action group, has denounced an Associated Press analysis of Barack Obama's vice presidential pick, saying the article is more similar to "FOX than an unbiased news organization."

A statement from MoveOn.org asks its readers to email AP and demand the writer be fired.

The piece, titled "Analysis: Biden pick shows lack of confidence", suggests that Obama's choice of Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate is the "next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative."

The following is an excerpt from the article:

###

The candidate of change went with the status quo. In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness--inexperience in office and on foreign policy.

...He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate--the ultimate insider.

###

The author, Ron Fournier, has several connections to conservative leaders.

Politico reported that before returning to the Associated Press in March 2007, the writer considered working for the John McCain presidential campaign, frequently talking about the possibility to coworkers.


Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/MoveOn_attacks_AP_writer_for_biased_0824.html

---

Rull article at the link from our newest writer, Andrew McLemore.

-Diane

[NJmaverick]

41. Action needs to be taken to out this rightwing nut repuke from AP

disgusting

[totodeinhere]

52. Everyone already knows that he is a right-winger.

That's why the AP hired him. They want to have reporters like that.

[screembloodymurder]

42. The AP is a neo-con propaganda tool.

Pravda is less biased and more accurate.

[stillcool]

43. MoveOn is not the only one..

http://firedoglake.com/2008/08/23/action-tell-ap-to-remove-ron-fournier-from-the-presidential-beat/

[Triana]

44. Typical Repig Tactic: Try to turn their opponent's positives into negatives in the voters eyes...

They're doing what they always do - trying to turn a positive for/about Obama into a negative.

That is to say: Obama was WISE to pick a VP that 'fills in' where his experience is lacking. Believe it or not, presidential candidates OFTEN do that. It's the SMART thing to do and Obama is smart. They had defined Obama as "too arrogant" (ie: uppity) to admit his shortcomings. So, NOW they are now saying "Ooh see there!! He won't admit his shortcomings but by picking Biden you KNOW he is lacking in experience on foreign policy!".

They are debasing Obama based on THEIR prior erroneous definition of him. Their definition is WRONG. Therefore the subsequent criticism of him is WRONG. Not that most voters will pick up on that tactic. Many of them will just believe the whole setup without realizing they've been fed a LIE.

First, their DEFINITION of Obama was WRONG. Obama is not arrogant. He is WELL AWARE of what his shortcomings as a candidate are. And ALL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAVE SHORTCOMINGS none are perfect. Obama has acknowledged that - openly and otherwise. (and UNlike McCain, he didn't DENY it later).

Obama did what any wise candidate would do. He picked someone who basically has the same beliefs about where this country needs to be headed, AND who can help with any areas where he lacks experience and who balances out his skills - AND who can take over if something were to happen and that is needed.

Obama made a WISE and VERY UNarrogant choice. If Obama was arrogant, he'd have never EVER chosen Joe Biden. He would NOT have wanted such a prominent, outspoken, experienced person as a running mate. That he chose Biden speaks to how arrogant Obama ISN'T.

The Repigs are trying to turn a VERY POSITIVE thing Obama did - and a VERY POSITIVE thing he IS (honest and aware about himself and his abilities - don't you want a President like that? I do.) into a NEGATIVE.

THAT is why we call them Repigs/Repugnants. That elephant only knows a very few tricks and it uses the same old tired ones over and over and over and over. Turning a Democratic contender's positives into negatives is one of them. And this is how they do it: set up the negative definition, then proceed to debase and criticize based on that negative definition.

The defintion is wrong, inaccurate, a lie. And it's usually one that seeks to turn a very positive trait of the opponent into a negative one.
The criticism is therefore subsequently, wrong, inaccurate, and a lie. It's the little bow that wraps it all up nicely for the misinformed, gullible voter.

Garbage in. Garbage out. It has always been thus.

We can know where our candidate's strengths are by looking at what the Repigs choose to attack him on.

This is a nasty little package of disinformation lobbed at the voter who might not be paying attention to the crap they're being fed by the slimy likes of Corsi and that little weasel on NPR yesterday - could have been Fournier (I don't remember his name) - but he was on right after the Obama/Biden rally.

They're all out there using this same tactic. Watch them.

ONE way to deal with this tactic is to call them out on it. OUT THEIR ASSES. Let them know we KNOW what they're doing.

[LiberalFighter]

45. Isn't that why Cheney was picked?

[Triana]

46. YEP. I believe it was and that's a damn good point! n/t

[FirstLight]

61. You nailed it Triana!

yes...we do need to OUT their asses!

Besides, this is an amazing choice! Obama has chosen someone who would appeal to the old white male, and the rethugs are crapping themselves because this ticket could very be UNBEATABLE

Historically, no one party has managed to stay in control for more than 12 years. we have had plenty of repug years and the country will move back to the left ...hopefully in time to fix the impending disasters that these incompetent asholes have created.

[UTUSN]

47. K&R big #5 n/t

[adamuu]

48. this reads like an opinion piece n/t

[Cha]

54. Yay, I'm glad I went to the Home Page

and saw this..we were just discussing how disgusting ron fournier is over in GDP.

Quixote1818 (1000+ posts) Sun Aug-24-08 08:25 PM
Original message

My Dad's letter to the Editors about Ron Fournier's bias


I think we all need to do this! Time to put the pressure on!

Dear Editors,
This letter is to request that the editors of the Las Cruces Sun-News stand up for us local readers.

As a reader of the Las Cruces Sun-News, my trust in political stories written by the Associated Press is about to be gone because of the AP's new Washington D.C. Bureau Chief, Ron Fournier. He consistently writes articles smearing Democrats and favoring John McCain.

The latest was Fournier's article on Saturday, August 23: "Biden pick shows lack of confidence." It was full of Republican talking points presented as fact, and was a far cry from unbiased journalism.

Another Fournier story began, "Poor Hillary. After trying to save her sinking candidacy with awkward turns of flattery and sarcasm, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton resorted to a new tactic in Tuesday night's debate: self-pity."

Fournier is obviously a McCain supporter. It was recently confirmed that he talked to the McCain campaign about being a senior political adviser in 2007. And, an email was recently uncovered sent by Fournier to Karl Rove telling him, "Keep up the fight."

If anything, Fournier has a special obligation to show the public his support for McCain won't bias his journalism.

But a recent study found that Fournier didn't write a single negative story against Republicans during their primary--except one belittling Mitt Romney for beating John McCain in Michigan.
I am asking you to contact the national AP immediately. Let them know that local readers are losing faith in the 160-year-old AP because of its recent bias, and that Ron Fournier's articles smearing Democrats and favoring McCain have got to stop.

Sincerely,
Name Removed

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6733467

[ihavenobias]

56. K & R

Cenk talked about this a month or so ago (the AP bias). I'm glad MoveOn is doing something about it.

[Douglas Carpenter]

57. Steve Clemons/Washington Notes: Netroots Rally Behind Obama-Biden and Go After Fournier

link: http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2008/08/netroots_rally/

"I have already commented about AP Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier's edgy attack on the Obama-Biden ticket.http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2008/08/why_joe_biden_i/ I'm not going to add more at this point from my end.

But from others a lot is stirring.

Fournier's article has helped Biden get an instant embrace from the netroots community who are lined up to defend him and call foul on Fournier who allegedly sought a position in the McCain campaign operation. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/29/223139/798

One of the biggest headaches Fournier may now face is a possible conflict of interest in having a booking agent for speeches for which he may charge between $5-10k and an Associated Press ethics guideline statement that such booking relationships are prohibited. http://majikthise.typepad.com/majikthise_/2008/08/ron-fournier-ma.html

Lindsay Beyerstein pushed over that rock, and we'll be watching to see what implications this revelation has. http://majikthise.typepad.com/

-- Steve Clemons "

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2008/08/netroots_rally/

[McCamy Taylor]

58. Fournier told Karl Rove "keep up the good work".......

Sounds like this guy did not follow the career of his colleague at the AP who is now slumming at the Washington Times, old what's his name who used to specialize in the made up financial scandals of Democrats.

[momrois]

59. The Columbia Journalism Review has been calling Fournier out for years.

Just one example:

http://www.cjr.org/politics/fourniers_amnesia.php?page=all

[emulatorloo]

62. Doesn't anybody remember how the MSM praised 'inexperienced' Bush for picking Cheney?

Bush ran as the "Change" candidate in 2000. All the repug pundits and minions praised him to the skies for picking Cheney. It showed his "wonderful judgement."


These people are so full of shit. They will say ANYTHING to defeat Obama and shore up the power of the GOP

[niceypoo]

63. The media was calling Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell, etc the "Dream Team"

The result? Worst president in history AKA the dream turned out to be a nightmare.

This was their 'solution' to Bushes lack of experience.

[HEyHEY]

64. It's an editorial not an article

[wvbygod]

69. Yeah, well their opinion is not allowed and these states will see to it

When an opinion is not to the liking of powerful groups the next logical move
is to sue them out of their opinions. This IS America after all.

[wvbygod]

68. Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness -- inexperience in office and on foreign policy

How dare they say that is why Biden was chosen. Everyone knows Biden was chosen because
he has a clean slate and brings more of the change that is the theme of the Obama campaign.

Seems like we just need more MSNBC types like Olberman and Maddow to get our message out
there in a more clear and unbiased manner.