Death of journalism defined

ABC's Dan Harris unwittingly tells the truth in this on-line piece for the ABC News. The larger context was the idiotic mewling over Obama's schoolkid speech, but this statement by Harris says it all:

While the media loves a good fight -- even when the charges are unfounded -- there may be more to conservatives' complaints that play into larger concerns about the president on health care reform.

I could say more but I'll just let Media Matters field this one.

And do I even have to mention that the media's new-found love of unfounded fights is an Obama era special. Or can somebody point me towards the manufactured, unfounded "controversies" hatched during the Bush years that the press treated as big news. (As I've noted, when conservatives--and overwhelming white--activists get mad, it's news. When liberals do it, it's annoying.) [...]

So to summarize: ABC News confirms that it will chase any right-wing "fight" even if it's baseless; even if it's "unfounded." In reporting those fights, ABC News will purposefully exclude Democrat voices from the story. And ABC News, while acknowledging a fight is "unfounded," will allow partisan Republicans to blame the White House for the "controversy."

Read the whole thing. It's ironic that the media subconsciously recognizes the problem, as is made obvious with Harris' off the cuff remark, but apparently don't have enough self-awareness to recognize it as being a problem.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]