Government Control Over News Media Admitted in 1996 " A good example of the tremendous degree to which the major news media organizations are called to heel is seen in the facts surrounding the two year hiatus in the professional career of CBS broadcaster Connie Chung, who had the misfortune to have ended up being paired with Dan Rather several years ago.

On a live call-in TV talk show some two years ago, Ms. Chung responded with a bit too much candor to a question as to what actually gets reported publicly by the major news media, given the great number of stories and items which come from the numerous sources of "raw" information. How are the stories which get the attention of the media chosen and by whom?

Connie Chung replied to the effect that it wasn't too hard to decide what stories get aired--they just "checked with Washington D.C. to see what had been cleared for publication by the government". Oops!

As a result of her being foolish enough to tell the truth in what was likely just a naive, probably unintentional and inadvertent slip, within no more than a few hours Ms. Chung was out of a job and remained blacklisted in the industry for a good two years, only resurfacing in 1998 with a position at ABC--sufficiently chastened, some no doubt believe, to allow her to grace the public airwaves once again."

-)1998 John Quinn.

http://www.trufax.org/reports/report1.html

-- (mass@delusions.com), February 07, 1999

Answers

I beleive Connie Chung lost her job because of an interview with Klintons mother in which she asked her to answer a question on a 20-20 segment that was not to be aired. If I remember right she asked her to whisper the answer into her ear during the interview.

Mike

-- flierdude (mkessler0101@sprynet.com), February 07, 1999.

This is rumor. Rumor is not much use in analyzing this issue, but it does sour rational people to making the effort.

If anyone's interested in the media cartel, I suggest starting by going to the video store and renting the entertaining and informative documentary, "Manufacturing Consent."

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), February 07, 1999.

Interesting analysis - that's what it look's like anyway.

Disagree with "interview" story in detail, but not in fact - I think it was somebody else (anti-Clinton ?) whom she (not Connie Chung ?) duped that way into admitting an embarressing fact. Can't recall details, but if it were Clinton's relation - not surprising that they would treat it like they did falsely protesting the complimentary milk-toast pice about Chelsea.

Anything to milk the media. They have no morals and fear nothing now, and the media has even less scruples in the determination to lionize these two..

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 07, 1999.

As I recall, it was Newt's mother. Not that the major networks are fond of him, but that part of that interview got much publicity. I had not previously heard about the "checked with Washinton, DC" bit.

If anyone has any doubt about the blatant bias of the reporting by the major networks on national political events and issues, a few visits to www.mrc.org will lay it out, on a daily basis: which network said what about which story, at which time of day; which ones blacked out which story; etc.

It's not pretty.

Jerry

-- Jerry B (skeptic76@erols.com), February 07, 1999.

I thought it was Newt Gingrich's mother she interviewed.

-- Other Lisa (LisaWard2@aol.com), February 07, 1999.

It was Newt's Mother, and she said somthing to the effect of 'he (Newt) says she's a B**** (Hillary).'

Deborah

-- Deborah (trivia@dc.com), February 08, 1999.

If you believe this, I have a Y2K silver bullet fix to sell you...

(It is true that the media has a liberal bias, but it doesn't go *that* far. What nonsense.)

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com), February 08, 1999.