Measure for Measure
October 15, 2004
Throughout the last few weeks of hotly-contested presidential debates, a quieter debate has centered on the media's role in covering the stage shows. Slowly but surely, journalists have started checking the candidates' claims against the facts. But are all misrepresentations born equal? A recent internal memo at ABC News urged staffers not to "reflexively and artificially hold both sides 'equally' accountable when the facts don't warrant that." Conservatives saw the memo as proof of liberal media bias, but others, like Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum, took the advice to heart. Drum and Bob discuss the measure of mistruth.
