The Associated Press: Disguised Journalism

The Associated Press carries authority. Numerous news organizations subscribe and contribute material. Pick up any daily paper and 90% of the articles carry the credit line, “Associated Press”. The expectation with this brand is balance and fact.

Then you learn the author is Ron Fournier, Washington bureau chief, and past e-mail buddies with Karl Rove. All credibility is lost.

Attack on Obama Biden Ticket

On August 23, while critiquing Obama’s selection of Biden as his vice-president, Ron Fournier makes the claim that the only reason Obama made this choice was a lack of confidence. Fournier continues to write a thinly veiled opinion piece about why Biden “… is anything but a change agent…” and how Biden’s selection undercuts Obama’s core message. Finding the opportunity, Fournier manages to interject white versus black crime fears, accusations of misogyny (Hillary wasn’t chosen), paints Obama as nothing but a opportunistic politician who will do anything for a chance to sit at the oval office, and manages to close with:

“And there’s the 2007 ABC interview in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president.

It seems Obama is worried that some voters are starting to agree.”

Of course, Fournier doesn’t mention Biden said those words while running for the office of presidency - I guess that would weaken his close.

And it should be pointed out that this is opinion penned outside the label of AP. However this is the guy behind their journalistic integrity. There are some journalists that have been fired for blogging their personal opinions as it compromises their perspective. How is this different? Ron Fournier happens to be the AP’s Washington Bureau Chief.

According to the AP at the time of his selection to this post:

“The next Washington bureau chief of the AP must preserve the authority and standards we have spent 160 years building, while at the same time leading us into a new and rapidly changing world of journalism,” Oreskes told a staff meeting in the bureau. “Fortunately, we have the perfect candidate at hand.”

Mr. Fournier is tasked to lead the AP into the brand new world of journalism.

Journalism Versus Editorial: Should They Mix?

As an amateur political cartoonist, my work is always accompanied by editorial. I’m not a journalist, nor do I disguise myself as one. However I’m not even close to being the number one news source for the country. The Associated Press is a cancer, infesting ever part of mainstream media and Ron Fournier is the political editor at it’s helm.

It’s good to always look at the author behind a story - in fact it’s a requirement if you want to read the news anymore, as opinion and fact become indistinguishable. Fournier is the man who had a close email relationship with Karl Rove, exchanging a conversation with the political operative that encouraged the good fight in Iraq and discussed a certain American hero, Tillman.

Tillman was an American hero of the highest order. He opted for a chance to fight a war on terror that for all it’s errors, seemed a good fight to take up in 2002. To join this fight he left a career in professional football and $3.6 million, a decision few Americans would even think to make. He lost his life in friendly fire on April 22 2004.

You’d think the Associated Press would be more interested in why the US government tried to cover up Tillman’s death. Instead the guy who should be showing journalistic leadership as a political reporter, is patting Karl Rove on the back, saying, “The Lord creates men and women like this all over the world. But only the great and free countries allow them to flourish. Keep up the fight.”

Faux Facts

And newspapers wonder why their readership is dwindling, why advertising revenues are tanking. It could just be that fewer people are buying the faux facts offered by the Associated Press. Instead, to be a modern consumer of news, everyone becomes an investigative reporter, verifying sources, and cross referencing slanted language.

To this end I say, “Bloggers, keep up the fight.” Only the freedom of the press allows the facts to flourish.

ISM

UPDATE: I just submitted my email both Ron Fournier and his supervisor, as encouraged by MoveOn.org. If your interested in joining this show of protest against denigrated journalism, consider submitting your email as well.

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Here’s What I Sent:

Mr. Ron Fournier,

I read a lot of news, and when I pickup a daily paper, it doesn’t matter which city, the major stories on the front page are often from the Associated Press. The Associated Press carries a brand that signifies credibility, with a long history. It says simply, what you are about to read is fact, based on the best of our abilities.

Unfortunately, in the past few months, the quality of reporting, especially as it concern your charge, has so diminished that I now start to look at all articles by the Associated Press with the same hesitation. Is this true, honest journalism? Or is it based on the pretentions of single man and his agenda? These are serious charges. If you want to remain the barometer whereby journalism is measured, then you have to keep personal opinion separate. If you wish instead to engage in political favoritism, then I’m definitely for that, but it should never be under the institution of honesty.

Your article, “Biden Pick Shows Lack of Confidence”, is demonstratively bad writing, and deserves mention only as an example of how bad a journalist can go so quickly. The truth is though, this hasn’t been a quick transition for you, as you’ve found yourself cozy with Karl Rove in the past.

I hope you understand that continued opinion pieces dressed up as journalism, in a single stroke of the submit button, destroy the AP brand. If I read another article by your or one of your staff that demonstrates this lack of integrity, I will refused to use the services, both on-line and print, that subscribe to the Associated Press.

- Nate S.