Thursday, March 23, 2006

ISSUE: When spouse is poltically active, does that cripple a political reporter?

A story transmitted for Sunday, March 19, 2006, papers by The Associated Press by White House reporter Jennifer Loven has ignited a controversy over whether it was biased against President Bush. The key assertion of conservative bloggers is that she has a conflict of interest because Loven's, an environmental lobbyist, used to work in the Clinton administration. The progressive political group MoveOn.ORG says it is just an example of watchdog journalism. What do you think?

HERE IS THE ORIGINAL STORY WHICH HAS PROMPTED THIS DISCUSSION:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060318/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_s_straw_men

EDITOR & PUBLISHER reaction story
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002234267
ALTERNATE LINK: http://journalism-issues.blogspot.com/2006/03/editor-p.html

CJR Daily analysis of the blogosphere response to her piece:
http://www.cjrdaily.org/behind_the_news/ap_story_serves_as_political_r.php

SELECTED LINKS to blogs discussing this issue:

How MoveOn.org used the AP article to mobilize membership:
http://journalism-issues.blogspot.com/2006/03/example-moveonorgs-email-to-members.html

How a prominent right-wing blogger reacts
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/007959.php
(We viewed interview with John Hinderacker, Powerline co-owner)

(married to ex-Clinton aide Roger Ballentine -- does it matter?)http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/007971.phphttp://www.bizzyblog.com/?p=1208

http://www.pelicanfile.com/reporter.cfm?ReporterID=2503
(website aggregates Jennifer Loven staff stories going back several months)

http://www.thesakeofargument.com/archives/000066.html
Conservative blog opinions about Loven

http://www.dembloggers.com/story/2006/3/19/16516/9200
Democratic blog opinions above Loven


Editor & Publisher story analyzing reaction to Loven-AP "straw man" story

EDITOR & PUBLISHER reaction story:http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002234267(reproduced below in case it goes behind a pay wall)

Published: March 22, 2006 12:55 PM ET

AP's Bush 'Straw Man' Story: News Analysis Or Unlabeled Opinion?

By Joe Strupp Editor & Publisher Oneline

NEW YORK -- Did a recent Associated Press story examining President George Bush's alleged tendency to use a "straw man" approach in his speeches cross the line from news to biased opinion? Or was it just a long-overdue, in-depth review of the president's public speaking approach? The viewpoint, as often happens in Washington, depends on whose blog you are reading, and what you consider opinion and analysis. Still, the article by reporter Jennifer Loven sparked an interesting debate on the blogosphere, and in some newsrooms, over how such an examination of a public figure can cross the line from reporting to opining. Since the piece was not labeled a column, or even analysis, it raised some eyebrows as it veered into a sharp attack on Bush's use of such tactics.

The article has drawn reactions ranging from a supportive mass e-mailing from MoveOn.org to criticism by the conservative Powerline blog and American Federalist Journal. But an AP spokesman says editors want more of these types of wire stories. The story, posted by AP last weekend, cited the president's habit of using phrases such as "some say" or "some believe" when introducing a viewpoint that challenges his own. One example Loven noted was Bush saying "some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is lost and not worth another dime or another day."

She also cited his recent statement that "some say that if you're Muslim you can't be free." Loven then contends that "hardly anyone in mainstream political debate has made such assertions." But she notes that Bush, in presenting opposing views in such a "straw man" way, sets himself up well to fire back, often appearing in defense of his viewpoint or as an underdog.

"The device usually is code for Democrats or other White House opponents," Loven writes about the "some" to which he refers. "In describing what they advocate, Bush often omits an important nuance or substitutes an extreme stance that bears little resemblance to their actual position." She adds that "he typically then says he 'strongly disagrees' -- conveniently knocking down a straw man of his own making."

Loven then quotes others she describes as "experts in political speech" who supported her point that Bush's approach was misleading. The article, however, offers no comment from Bush supporters or anyone on the president's staff, or gives any indication they were sought for comment. It also does not explore whether such straw-man tactics are common in political figures past or present, including Democrats; although one expert does say "all politicians try to get away with it to a certain extent."

Loven, based in Washington, D.C., could not be reached for comment Wednesday as she was out of town, while AP Washington bureau chief Sandy Johnson did not return a request for comment. AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll said the piece was "a good way to explain to readers what rhetorical devices people, in this case the president, use to make their point." She also did not believe the article should have been labeled opinion or needed to include any White House comment. "This was not a piece that was critical, it was explanatory," Carroll said.

In a statement, AP spokesman Jack Stokes wrote: "Jennifer Loven's story was one of an ongoing series of fact-checking stories that dig beyond the rhetoric. Editors tell us they want more of these stories." But Stokes did not comment on what kind of reaction the piece had sparked from readers or editors. On Monday, Washington Post blogger Dan Froomkin called Loven's piece "a bold departure for Associated Press," adding that Bush's straw-man arguments are "extensive and generally unchallenged."

MoveOn.org's Media Action sent an e-mail to media outlets urging support for Loven, claiming "some reporters take notes o! n what President Bush says and don't bother to research what is and isn't true. But the AP took a bold step this week and engaged in exactly the sort of strong watchdog journalism MoveOn Media Action members have been calling for." Moveon also set up a Web page where readers could find an e-mail address to write to AP and send their support for Loven's piece.

Reaction also came from Loven's critics, such as Powerlineblog.org, the Minnesota-based site that has chronicled Loven going back to her coverage of the 2004 presidential election. Among its complaints is Loven's alleged conflict as the wife of Roger Ballentine, an environmental consultant who has worked in the Clinton Administration and has written for liberal outlets such as New Democrats Online. "Loven has written some astonishingly biased 'news' articles attacking President Bush," Powerlineblog.com claimed this week. It then called the straw-man piece "a new low" that "masquerades as a straight news article, but reads like a DNC press release." It ends by saying "there must be someone at AP who wants the organization to be taken seriously as a news resource. If that's true, sacking Jennifer Loven would be a good first step."

Carroll ! said Loven's marriage should not come in to play as any kind of conflict. "If she was covering something and her spouse was directly involved, that would be a problem," Carroll said.

At American Federalist Journal, which Powerlineblog.com credits with finding the Loven piece for them, bloggers called the Loven analysis "a partisan hit piece" and "a prime example of egregious bias." The Web site also set up its own page seeking comment on Loven's work, but from critics. As of today, the page had received two comments. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is a senior editor at E&P.

EDITOR & PUBLISHER ANALYSIS: AP's Bush 'Straw Man' Story: News


EDITOR & PUBLISHER reaction story:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002234267
(reproduced below in case it goes behind a pay wall)

Published: March 22, 2006 12:55 PM ET

AP's Bush 'Straw Man' Story: News Analysis Or Unlabeled Opinion?

By Joe Strupp
Editor & Publisher Oneline

NEW YORK Did a recent Associated Press story examining President George Bush's alleged tendency to use a "straw man" approach in his speeches cross the line from news to biased opinion? Or was it just a long-overdue, in-depth review of the president's public speaking approach? The viewpoint, as often happens in Washington, depends on whose blog you are reading, and what you consider opinion and analysis. Still, the article by reporter Jennifer Loven sparked an interesting debate on the blogosphere, and in some newsrooms, over how such an examination of a public figure can cross the line from reporting to opining. Since the piece was not labeled a column, or even analysis, it raised some eyebrows as it veered into a sharp attack on Bush's use of such tactics.

The article has drawn reactions ranging from a supportive mass e-mailing from MoveOn.org to criticism by the conservative Powerline blog and American Federalist Journal. But an AP spokesman says editors want more of these types of wire stories. The story, posted by AP last weekend, cited the president's habit of using phrases such as "some say" or "some believe" when introducing a viewpoint that challenges his own. One example Loven noted was Bush saying "some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is lost and not worth another dime or another day." She also cited his recent statement that "some say that if you're Muslim you can't be free."

Loven then contends that "hardly anyone in mainstream political debate has made such assertions." But she notes that Bush, in presenting opposing views in such a "straw man" way, sets himself up well to fire back, often appearing in defense of his viewpoint or as an underdog. "The device usually is code for Democrats or other White House opponents," Loven writes about the "some" to which he refers. "In describing what they advocate, Bush often omits an important nuance or substitutes an extreme stance that bears little resemblance to their actual position." She adds that "he typically then says he 'strongly disagrees' -- conveniently knocking down a straw man of his own making." Loven then quotes others she describes as "experts in political speech" who supported her point that Bush's approach was misleading.

The article, however, offers no comment from Bush supporters or anyone on the president's staff, or gives any indication they were sought for comment. It also does not explore whether such straw-man tactics are common in political figures past or present, including Democrats; although one expert does say "all politicians try to get away with it to a certain extent." Loven, based in Washington, D.C., could not be reached for comment Wednesday as she was out of town, while AP Washington bureau chief Sandy Johnson did not return a request for comment.

AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll said the piece was "a good way to explain to readers what rhetorical devices people, in this case the president, use to make their point." She also did not believe the article should have been labeled opinion or needed to include any White House comment. "This was not a piece that was critical, it was explanatory," Carroll said. In a statement, AP spokesman Jack Stokes wrote: "Jennifer Loven's story was one of an ongoing series of fact-checking stories that dig beyond the rhetoric. Editors tell us they want more of these stories." But Stokes did not comment on what kind of reaction the piece had sparked from readers or editors. On Monday, Washington Post blogger Dan Froomkin called Loven's piece "a bold departure for Associated Press," adding that Bush's straw-man arguments are "extensive and generally unchallenged." MoveOn.org's Media Action sent an e-mail to media outlets urging support for Loven, claiming "some reporters take notes o!
n what President Bush says and don't bother to research what is and isn't true. But the AP took a bold step this week and engaged in exactly the sort of strong watchdog journalism MoveOn Media Action members have been calling for."

Moveon also set up a Web page where readers could find an e-mail address to write to AP and send their support for Loven's piece. Reaction also came from Loven's critics, such as Powerlineblog.org, the Minnesota-based site that has chronicled Loven going back to her coverage of the 2004 presidential election. Among its complaints is Loven's alleged conflict as the wife of Roger Ballentine, an environmental consultant who has worked in the Clinton Administration and has written for liberal outlets such as New Democrats Online. "Loven has written some astonishingly biased 'news' articles attacking President Bush," Powerlineblog.com claimed this week. It then called the straw-man piece "a new low" that "masquerades as a straight news article, but reads like a DNC press release." It ends by saying "there must be someone at AP who wants the organization to be taken seriously as a news resource. If that's true, sacking Jennifer Loven would be a good first step." Carroll !
said Loven's marriage should not come in to play as any kind of conflict. "If she was covering something and her spouse was directly involved, that would be a problem," Carroll said.

At American Federalist Journal, which Powerlineblog.com credits with finding the Loven piece for them, bloggers called the Loven analysis "a partisan hit piece" and "a prime example of egregious bias." The Web site also set up its own page seeking comment on Loven's work, but from critics. As of today, the page had received two comments.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is a senior editor at E&P.


EXAMPLE: MoveOn.org's email to members discussing AP-Jennifer Loven's "straw man" story

This is a copy of an email received by MoveOn.ORG listserve subscribers about The AP's March 19, 2006 story on President Bush's "straw man" rhetorical technique.

From: Noah T. Winer, MoveOn.org Civic Action [mailto:moveon-help@list.moveon.org] Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 4:22 PMSubject: Right wing attacks AP for watchdog reporting

The AP provided a stellar example of strong watchdog journalism this week by detailing how President Bush defines his opponents' positions inaccurately in speeches, then knocks them down. The right wing is furious and is calling for the AP reporter to be fired.

Can you defend watchdog journalism by thanking the AP for this story?

Click Here

Dear Media Action member,Some reporters take notes on what President Bush says and don't bother to research what is and isn't true. But the AP took a bold step this week and engaged in exactly the sort of strong watchdog journalism MoveOn Media Action members have been calling for.The story, called "Bush Using Straw-Man Arguments in Speeches," details how President Bush defines his opponents' positions in a way that "bears little resemblance to their actual position" and then knocks down those fake arguments.1The right wing is already attacking the AP for publishing this story and is trying to intimidate the journalist, Jennifer Loven, by attacking her personally.2 Those attacks could muzzle hard-hitting stories in the future unless the AP gets positive feedback from the public at large.Read the news story, then thank reporters at the AP for this sort of strong watchdog journalism.First, read the story:http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1559

Then, write to the AP by clicking here:http://www.moveon.org/contact_tool/?p_id=26&id=7080-6572394-5R4ZmPOoVtNNH_qx1.teyg&t=3 The AP provides stories to thousands of newspapers worldwide, so your positive comments can have a huge impact. Take a couple minutes to read the full story before writing a thoughtful, polite comment from the heart. The more personal your note is, the more effective it will be.AP reporter Jennifer Loven examined a pattern of President Bush debating against opposing arguments no one is making—like "Some say that if you're Muslim you can't be free"—to make his opponents look unreasonable and to avoid the real debates. Here's an excerpt:
"When the president starts a sentence with "some say" or offers up what "some in Washington" believe, as he is doing more often these days, a rhetorical retort almost assuredly follows.
"The device usually is code for Democrats or other White House opponents. In describing what they advocate, Bush often omits an important nuance or substitutes an extreme stance that bears little resemblance to their actual position.
"He typically then says he "strongly disagrees"—conveniently knocking down a straw man of his own making.Bush routinely is criticized for dressing up events with a too-rosy glow. But experts in political speech say the straw man device, in which the president makes himself appear entirely reasonable by contrast to supposed "critics," is just as problematic...
"A specialist in presidential rhetoric, Wayne Fields of Washington University in St. Louis, views it as "a bizarre kind of double talk" that abuses the rules of legitimate discussion.
"It's such a phenomenal hole in the national debate that you can have arguments with nonexistent people," Fields said. "All politicians try to get away with this to a certain extent. What's striking here is how much this administration rests on a foundation of this kind of stuff."1
This AP story is a great example of the media we want: fearless reporting that explodes political deception and digs into the assertions of people in power to see if they are true. This is hard work, and it risks attack from political ideologues angry at being challenged.The right wing has responded to Loven's truth-telling by attacking her personally and demanding she lose her job.2 The enemies of journalism would rather the press serve as a lapdog to those in power. Before the AP turns tail in fear, we must prove the general public wants more fearless, watchdog journalism like Loven's "Bush Using Straw-Man Arguments in Speeches."Can you read this strong watchdog reporting, then thank the AP? It's important to read the story first.

First, read the story at:http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1559Then, write to the AP by clicking here:http://www.moveon.org/contact_tool/?p_id=26&id=7080-6572394-5R4ZmPOoVtNNH_qx1.teyg&t=5 Thank you for all you do.–Noah T. Winer and Adam Green MoveOn Media Action
Tuesday, March 21st, 2006

Sources:1. "Bush Using Straw-Man Arguments in Speeches," Associated Press, March 18, 2006http://www.moveon.org/r?r=15592. "A New Low for Loven," Power Line blog, March 19, 2006http://powerlineblog.com/archives/013465.php

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?