On The Media - Covering The Capital

Best Seats in the House (On The Media)

Mon, 19 May 2008 19:25 GMT

With many reporters skipping White House press briefings in these waning days of the Bush administration, journalists from some very obscure news outlets are moving up to the front row. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank thinks that's as it should be.

Crisis of Confidence (On The Media)

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:03 GMT

This week's New York Times story on John McCain hinted at a political and sexual scandal. Brooke explains how the article's use of anonymous sources and innuendo made the The New York Times, and not just McCain, the focal point of the media's scrutiny.

Congressional Contempt (On The Media)

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:06 GMT

This week House Republicans staged a walk-out to express their outrage at House Democrats for finding the Bush Administration's Harriet Miers and Josh Bolton in contempt of Congress. Bob weighs in as the parties accuse each other of orchestrating media stunts.

FOIA's Foil (On The Media)

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:50 GMT

Tucked away into President Bush's 2009 budget was language that eliminates the FOIA ombudsman. The newly-created position was at the heart of legislation that Bush recently signed into law, and was intended to expedite government's response to Freedom of Information Act requests. Cox Newspapers' Rebecca Carr explains that without the ombudsman position we shouldn't expect any improvements in the painfully slow FOIA process.

Putting the “Press” Back in Press Conference (On The Media)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:53 GMT

The release of a new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran prompted mea culpas and soul searching from pols and the press. Bob talks with two White House correspondents, the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Silva and US News and World Report’s Ken Walsh, about how the President and his press secretary, Dana Perino, reacted to the news on Iran.

Poster Children (On The Media)

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:04 GMT

This Thursday, Congress sustained the President’s veto of an expanded Children’s Health Insurance bill. But two poster children, Bethany Wilkerson and Graeme Frost, got the lion’s share of media attention. Reporter James Carroll covered Senator Mitch McConnell’s connection to attacks on Frost.

Justice Is ... Mute (On The Media)

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:18 GMT

With the opening of the Supreme Court's new term this week, Jeffrey Toobin's recently published book might help shed light on the inner workings of the notoriously tight-lipped nine. Toobin says that while gaining access and writing about the Court isn’t easy, it is necessary.

Report(ing) (On The Media)

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:42 GMT

This week, a copy of the Government Accountability Office's Iraq assessment was leaked to the press, apparently for fear that the final version would be watered down. This not to be confused with the White House assessment from July … not to be confused with the upcoming … well, Washington Post reporter Karen DeYoung parses the flurry of official reports.

Goodbye Karl - We Hardly Knew Ye (On The Media)

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:32 GMT

Presidential Adviser Karl Rove announced this week that he would be stepping down at the end of the month. Portrayed as everything from genius to puppet-master, in the end the press seemed mostly in awe of his political cunning. We take a look back at the man affectionately known as... Turd Blossom.

Be Afraid (On The Media)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:00 GMT

With the Senate about to debate an Iraq withdrawal plan this week, the White House released a summary of a new National Intelligence Estimate saying Al Qaeda is still a major threat. Chicago Tribune correspondent Mark Silva says the timing was no accident.

Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Us (On The Media)

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 22:56 GMT

The Freedom of Information Act was supposed to give Americans timely access to government records. But 40 years after it went into effect, there are huge FOIA backlogs in most federal agencies. The National Security Archive’s Meredith Fuchs says a culture of secrecy is largely to blame.

Shadow of Watergate (On The Media)

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:54 GMT

35 years ago, five men were caught breaking into the Watergate Hotel. The burglary would give Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein the story of a lifetime, and help change the role of the press. Alicia Shepard, author of a new book on Watergate, discusses the fact & fiction of "Woodstein."

Gonzales-gate (On The Media)

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:09 GMT

In its reporting on Watergate, the Washington Post made Barry Sussman its special editor on the scandal. We asked him about the current scandal roiling Washington -- the firing of the "Gonzales Eight." Sussman says the press faces a similar problem now as it did then: how to keep the public interested.

You Know How To Whistle, Don't You? (On The Media)

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:12 GMT

Recently, whistle-blowers converged for their first ever conference in the capital. The festivities celebrated the evolution of whistle-blowing from a solitary act-of-conscience to a veritable subculture. New Republic editor Eve Fairbanks brings us news from the front lines of informing.

Secrets & Lies (On The Media)

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:42 GMT

In 2002, a handful of lawmakers were privy to classified intel about Iraqi WMD. Behind closed doors, there was uncertainty. But in public, Bush officials told a different story. Senator Dick Durbin explains why he didn’t blow the whistle when it might have made a difference.

The Email Trail (On The Media)

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:44 GMT

Why no emails from Alberto Gonzales in the prosecutor purge document dumps? He apparently doesn't use email. Ditto for other Cabinet members. Now some are questioning whether Bush staffers avoid email altogether, or just their official accounts. Government watchdog Melanie Sloan says there’s illegal obfuscation at work. And historian Anna Nelson explains the law that made presidential communications part of the public record.

Below the Beltway (On The Media)

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:41 GMT

Socializing between reporters and the people they cover is part of the D.C. landscape. But when they actually tie the knot, are journalists in an ethical bind? We asked Fortune’s Washington Bureau Chief Nina Easton, wife of John McCain’s media advisor.

The Restless Many (On The Media)

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:41 GMT

Way before the story of the fired U.S. attorneys hit the front pages, it was front and center on TPM Muckraker. The blog's reporter Paul Kiel describes how his site has mixed investigative reporting with the power of the reading masses to advance the story.

The Gonzales 85 (On The Media)

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:08 GMT

If 8 prosecutors were fired because they weren’t hard enough on Democrats, does that mean the other 85 were? Maybe. Communications professor John Cragan has found that Bush’s Justice Dept. has prosecuted 7 times as many Dems as Republicans.

Please Please Me (On The Media)

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:11 GMT

U.S. attorneys, and the Attorney General for that matter, serve “at the pleasure of the president.” Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick explains the phrase, and grades the media's usage of it.

"Mistakes Were Made" (On The Media)

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:11 GMT

That's how Attorney General Alberto Gonzales characterized his department's handling of the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys. Bob anatomizes Washington's favorite non-apology apology.

Blood Stains (On The Media)

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:04 GMT

When Rep. John Murtha proposed new limits on the deployment of troops to Iraq, his plan was criticized by Republicans and their media allies as a ”slow bleed strategy.” It turns out that phrase wasn’t the spawn of politicians, but of a prominent newsman. Politico.com editor John Harris comes clean.

Pants on Fire (On The Media)

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:46 GMT

The jury’s verdict is in – Scooter Libby is guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice. And yet still, editorialists have found plenty of room for dispute in what it all means. The Nation’s David Corn and the New York Sun's Josh Gerstein analyze the spin.

Down and Out (On The Media)

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:29 GMT

For 18 days in 1972, Thomas Eagleton, who died this week, was the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. Clark Hoyt was the cub reporter who abruptly ended his bid for office. Hoyt reflects on journalistic responsibility and regret.

Empty Debate (On The Media)

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:33 GMT

The president’s plan to send more than 20 thousand additional troops to Iraq is being hotly debated on Capitol Hill. But the troops are already shipping out. Defense analyst Bill Arkin says that while the press obsesses over politics, they’re missing the facts on the ground.

Live from the Briefing Room (On The Media)

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:26 GMT

When Bill Clinton's press secretary, Mike McCurry, started allowing TV media to carry his daily press briefings live, he profoundly changed the daily ritual. McCurry and ABC News veteran Sam Donaldson discuss the extent to which the White House press corps is playing to the cameras.

The Decider (On The Media)

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 21:44 GMT

Through much of George Bush's tenure, a common narrative has suggested that the president surrounds himself with smart advisors who really make the tough decisions. Recently, a new press narrative has emerged. Ron Suskind, Paul Begala and Ari Fleischer discuss Bush’s changing image.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye (On The Media)

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:51 GMT

A few years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court started releasing same-day audio recordings of selected oral arguments. We get reactions from two legal correspondents. Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick wants all the tapes or none at all, but NPR’s Nina Totenberg says more tape means more headaches.

Don’t Wanna Be Your Dog (On The Media)

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 21:16 GMT

One constituency that will benefit from the Democratic takeover of Congress is journalists. At least that’s what National Journal columnist William Powers says. It’s not that Dems appeal to journalists’ own sympathies exactly, but that they’re prone to infighting and hijinks, both of which make for good news copy. And, he tells Brooke, journalists will go to great lengths to prove that they’re not lapdogs of the left.

Civics Lesson (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 16:46 GMT

These days, partisan politics are everywhere – dinner parties, the editorial pages, movie previews, and even children’s literature. But can simple prose and bright illustrations help explain the confusing world of politics? Or is it just colorful propaganda? Are children developmentally equipped to understand politics? Bob talks to Katherine DeBrecht, author of Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!, and to Jeremy Zilber, author of Why Mommy is a Democrat. And he gets the expert opinion of psychology professor Dr. Andrew Getzfeld.

Drip …Drip…… Drip (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 16:59 GMT

This week it was revealed that Scooter Libby said that Vice President Cheney said that President Bush said … that he should leak information from the secret National Intelligence Estimate, to New York Times reporter Judith Miller. Questions abound, and Brooke is joined by Josh Gerstein, who broke the news in the New York Sun, to discuss what the new facts mean for the President and for Patrick Fitzgerald’s ongoing investigation into who leaked CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity.

Latin Lesson (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 17:07 GMT

The immigration policy debate has been brewing in for years in Washington. But when half-a-million people turned out for a massive protest last weekend in L.A., many Americans sat up in surprise. Many, that is, who hadn’t been consuming Spanish-language media, where the rally had been plugged for weeks. Bob talks to University of Southern California journalism professor Felix Gutierrez about what the Anglo mainstream missed.

A Look South at the Look North (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 17:08 GMT

There’s a gulf not only between Latino and Anglo coverage of the U.S. immigration debate, but also between American and Mexican treatment of the question. North of the border, the issue percolates to the surface from time to time in the national media, but in Mexico, it is a constant focus of media attention. L.A. Times correspondent Hector Tobar tells Bob what the debate looks like from Mexico City.

Calling on Helen (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 17:17 GMT

The President took questions this week – from the public, from military families, and from members of the Washington press corp. And not just any member of the press – Helen Thomas got to ask a question, after three years of being purposefully ignored in the briefings. Why now? With approval ratings down, why give an outspoken critic the chance to pose a difficult question? New York Newsday columnist James Pinkerton explains his theory to Bob.

De-Declassification (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:10 GMT

For the past seven years, intelligence operatives have been poring over public records in the National Archives. Their orders: to identify documents that should never have been made public in the first place. The problem: much of what they decided to re-classify has already been widely disseminated, and poses no apparent threat to national security. Brooke speaks with Matthew Aid, the historian who inadvertently discovered the secret reclassification program.

Takes Two to Tap (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:22 GMT

With revelations about the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program come questions about the role of U.S. phone companies in complying with requests to pry. Morton Halperin served in the Johnson, Nixon and Clinton administrations and has experienced wiretapping firsthand. He explains to Brooke how government surveillance and the telecommunications industry have grown up together.

State of the State of the Union (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:38 GMT

It was that time of year again this week - on Tuesday, the POTUS made his way over to Capitol Hill for the latest installment in the annual rite known as the State of the Union address. But a brief look at history will show that it was not always thus. Xeni Jardin talks to Slate political correspondent John Dickerson about the evolution of a media spectacle.

Presidential Fitness Test (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:52 GMT

When careful observers noticed Dick Cheney wearing mismatched shoes recently, they took it as a clue about the Veep's health. But don't expect straight answers from the White House - the executive branch has rarely been forthcoming about the health of our leaders. Dr. Robert Gilbert, author of The Mortal Presidency: Illness and Anguish in the White House, tells Bob that fitness in the White House is often not what it appears to be.

Party Favor (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:03 GMT

With lobbyist Jack Abramoff cooperating with a Capitol Hill corruption probe, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are taking great pains to show they’re committed to ethics reforms. Because Republicans and Democrats benefited from the dirty lobbyist’s largesse. Or at least that’s what it would seem like from the news coverage. Rick Karr evaluates the accuracy of the reporting with Massie Ritsch of the Center for Responsive Politics.

Civics Lesson (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:11 GMT

Watching Samuel Alito's confirmation hearings, we were impressed by their relative lack of media histrionics. Alito was probed on precedent, TV experts argued case law, and senators bickered over committee procedure. In sum, it was both more informative and more entertaining than the nominee's actual answers. Bob parses the coverage with Tony Mauro of Legal Times & American Lawyer Media magazines.

Dropping In (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:41 GMT

Last week, The New York Times reported that the National Security Agency has been eavesdropping on American citizens for the past four years. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the government to conduct such operations, so long as it obtains a warrant from the FISA court. So why didn’t the NSA get the necessary paperwork? washingtonpost.com blogger William Arkin tells Brooke that the Administration offered two reasons: time and technology.

A Real Flunker (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:59 GMT

The 9/11 commission has issued its final report card on the government's implementation of recommendations for preventing another terrorist attack. The overall grade: C-, with 5 Fs and 12 Ds among the 41 categories. Was it big news? Should it be? Editor and Publisher's Greg Mitchell surveyed major dailies, and tells Bob what he found.

Off-Year Coverage (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:22 GMT

In what was billed as a major policy speech, President Bush on Wednesday unveiled his "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq." While interpretations varied in the ensuing media flurry, Brooke noticed that many of the reportorial techniques, from man-on-the-street interviews to instant fact-checks, came straight from election season's bag of reportorial tricks.

House of Murth (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:51 GMT

Last week, Democratic Congressman John Murtha called for a resolution terminating U.S. troop involvement in Iraq. Amid an increasingly acrimonious debate on the Iraq war, his comments drew an extremely sharp reaction from congressional Republicans and the White House. Bob talks to Mark Halperin, political director of ABC News and editor of The Note, about the press coverage of this latest war of words.

Sum of its Parts (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:54 GMT

Federal use of the "mosaic theory" of classifying information, whereby otherwise individual pieces of unclassified information are deemed classified because when viewed together they take on added significance, has enjoyed a resurgence since 9/11. Brooke discusses the theory with David Pozen, author of a forthcoming Yale Law Journal article about its uses and abuses.

Jury's In (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:39 GMT

The storm brewing over public broadcasting unleashed another deluge this week, in the form of a long-awaited internal report about the man at the top. The report charges former Corporation for Public Broadcasting Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson with playing politics in ways that violated the letter and spirit of the law, and using his influence to put more conservatives on the air. Brooke reviews the allegations with Current reporter Karen Everhart.

Letter of the Law (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:21 GMT

Since its passage after September 11th, the USA Patriot Act has become institutionalized in law enforcement, especially at the FBI. The Bureau relies on relaxed legal requirements for issuing National Security Letters, a form of secret subpoena introduced in the 1970s to track transactions of suspected terrorists. The Washington Post’s Barton Gellman recently reported on this investigative tool and discusses it with Bob.

Prison Break (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:22 GMT

The Washington Post reported last week that the CIA is operating secret terror-suspect detention facilities in eight countries around the world, including two Eastern European democracies. One immediate reaction from Republican leaders in Congress was not to express outrage at a CIA prison archipelago, but to find out who leaked the story to reporter Dana Priest. National Security Archive analyst Peter Kornbluh talks to Bob.

Former New York Times Staffer Judith Miller (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:24 GMT

Bob talks with Miller about weapons of mass destruction, erstwhile Capitol Hill staffer Scooter Libby and a heck of a lot more.

Not All Politics Is Local (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:32 GMT

If you’re looking for information about local candidates for office, you’d better not waste your time with local TV news. But one watchdog group thinks programmers can do better. The Media Access Project is asking the FCC not to renew the licenses of stations in Milwaukee and Chicago, pointing to new data showing paltry local election coverage by those stations. Bob talks to Robert Lichter, president of the group that compiled that data