Update: PBS Ombud Says Show Made "Big Mistake" Keeping Quiet on Pundit...

[bridgit]

'In a thoughtful article on the PBS Web site, network ombudsman Michael Getler says PBS and its show, "To the Contrary," made a mistake -- and may have violated the network's own ethics guidelines -- by failing to tell viewers that an occasional commentator to the show was also a Bush administration official.

"It seems to me that it is a big mistake for the program and PBS — no matter what the Labor Department says — not to make her other full-time association clear to viewers in some fashion," Getler wrote. (Earlier, we reported that show host Bonnie Erbe said the government told her Czarnecki could not be identified as an official.) "If they don’t want to change the on-screen captions, then Erbe ought to at least describe the association verbally to viewers, and state that is not speaking for the department. Viewers can understand that.'

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001357.php

[zbdent]

1. "Oh, sorry, we forgot to tell you that all the informative pieces we've

been touting as news were actually provided by the Bush administration, not related to any actual journalism in the slightest sense ..."

[Sherman A1]

2. Can we say Oops?

[ContraBass Black]

7. Can we say, "I apologize for willfully and repeatedly misleading the

public, and I tender my resignation?"

[Sherman A1]

13. Well, that would be terribly nice

however, personal responsibility seems to elude our dear Republican leadership.

[patricia92243]

3. "No matter what the Labor Deprtment says"??? In other words it's o.k.

with them - wonder if it would still be ok if it were a Democratic prez.

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. Hell no! That there would be grounds for Impeachment.

After all, we must hold our Democratic Representatives up to much higher standards than we ourselves can handle. :hi:

[tanyev]

4. Bullshit.

From the earlier story:

The reason the show has not disclosed Czarnecki's day job, Erbe said, was because the government asked her not to. "Those are the terms on which she could continue to appear," the host said, explaining that Czarnecki had appeared on her show for several years before she took the government position. "The only terms on which we could keep her was to not identify her as a Bush person."
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001345.php

PBS was given these terms and fully complied. That's more than a "mistake".

[hootinholler]

11. Yep!

Become complicit or find someone else to shill.

This is so wrong on so many levels.

-Hoot

[bridgit]

14. doesn't some right-wing guy now work over @ PBS?

isn't this the very sort of thing that transpires from such 'folk' in such positions...gee, i think i may have answered my own question x(

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. How many more of these government officials

have infiltrated the media?

[Jackpine Radical]

6. I dunno, but personally I've come to suspect

that this Rush Limbaugh guy isn't always entirely neutral.

[magellan]

8. Some mistake

PBS didn't even own up to this shill till they were called on it. Then we get the standard R-party response: deny all knowledge.

Mistake. Right. :eyes:

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. "May have?" "May have?"

Funny how that happens all inadvertantly and all... :sarcasm:

[bridgit]

15. i know huh...

x(

[quiet.american]

12. "The government told her not to." Land of the free, eh? n/t

[Dinger]

16. I'd Like To Work For PBS & Bust Some Heads!

Anybody with me?

[bridgit]

17. that's working...

:thumbsup:

[slaveplanet]

18. Public Broadcasting Service

Government Broadcasting Service.

Hmm, seems a first grader should be able to figure it out