This is from the March 29 tvnewser.com: "BBC World News America anchor Matt Frei spoke with NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams for Frei's BBC Radio 4 programme, 'Americana.' (like how we added the -mme?) During the show, Williams describes himself to the UK audience as a 'Rapidly graying, hunched over, 50-year-old white American male, college drop-out, came up the hard way, six-feet tall, slim build, increasingly haggard looking' anchorman."
Did Brian Williams also talk about how he deceives and bamboozles the American public every night? About how much time he spends reporting on his favorite things (American cars, Springsteen, firefighters, the space program, Medal of Honor winners, etc.) at the expense of real news? About his inability to distinguish between a story that is important and a story that is important to him? Did he talk about how he favorably reports on certain products because they advertise heavily on NBC (Heinz, Walmart, McDonald's and Kraft Foods are some recent examples)? Did he talk about how he protects his pals at Pfizer, Glaxo and other big pharma companies by not reporting harmful news about their products? Did he talk about the whopping 160 minutes of Olympic-related stories that Nightly News aired before, during and after the Olympics? Did he talk about all the time he wastes every night reporting on skateboarding bulldogs, popular youtube videos, little girls who throw back foul balls at Phillies games, birthday messages to Springsteen, centenarians, blind and deaf dachshunds, the Second City comedy troupe, teenage jazz singers, military challenge coins, pink dolphins, McDonald's new gourmet coffees, Susan Boyle, White House party crashers, children who like to hug each other, how painful it is to dance in high heeled shoes and countless other stories that have not a shred of news value? Did he tell Matt Frei about the way he shills for NBC shows by doing "news stories" about Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Tina Fey and other NBC stars? Did he mention that he flat out lied on the Jan. 8 Jay Leno Show when Leno asked him how many Tiger Woods stories Nightly News had reported (Williams claimed only two, although Nightly News had reported at least five)? Did he talk about how he frequently brags on-air about NBC's ratings, even though he often fudges the numbers? Did he talk about his bizarre and inappropriate use of African American jargon (on Feb. 5, he told Jimmy Fallon that, "I've been a white guy all my life", "I mean that as a brother", and that network news was, "The one bro and Katie and Diane.")? Did he talk about the numerous spelling, math, grammar and factual errors on his supposedly professional news broadcast? Did he talk about how he makes a point of reporting obituaries for former NBC stars just so that NBC Universal can earn some extra money on their DVD sales (Merlin Olsen, Fess Parker and Robert Culp are some recent examples)? Did he discuss his insufferable sanctimony when it comes to talking about members of the military (he often uses phrases like "wounded warriors" and "fallen heroes") or the Afghan orphanage he solicits money for? Did he talk about how he thinks he knows so much more about music than everyone else (he lectured viewers recently about how the "Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East" album was "on the list, by the way, of mandatory albums.")? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Brian Williams didn't mention any of these things during his BBC interview.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Abracadabra
I would like to thank the Nightly News producers for their Tuesday "Making A Difference" story about Scott Anderson, the National Guardsman who performs magic tricks for injured children in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, that night's broadcast did not contain a single story from South America, Africa, Western Europe or Asia. But at least we know all about the National Guardsman who pulls rabbits out of his hat. Thanks guys. Keep up the great work. Maybe Anderson can wave his magic wand and transform Nightly News into an actual news broadcast.
The Congressional Medal Of Sanctimony
Here's Brian Williams's Daily Nightly blog entry for March 23: "Begging your forgiveness today, I won't be able to post today because I have to attend a board meeting of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation...meeting at a hotel not far from 30 Rock. Tonight we have a big gala and fund-raiser, and many of our living recipients have traveled to New York for the event. Tomorrow in Washington, they will mark Medal of Honor day at Arlington and elsewhere. So forgive me, but my time and attention is needed by some of the men I admire most in life."
If congress ever decides to award a Medal of Sanctimony, Brian should be the first recipient.
If congress ever decides to award a Medal of Sanctimony, Brian should be the first recipient.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Show Notes--March 22 Through March 26
Some random notes on this week's Nightly News broadcasts:
*On Tuesday's story about how the portion sizes depicted in the Last Supper have increased over the centuries, Tintoretto's "The Last Supper" painting was attributed to "The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art." I can assure the Nightly News producers that to the best of my knowledge the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art have not merged.
*On Tuesday's broadcast, the "Making A Difference" segment was about Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pets, an organization that finds temporary homes for pets when their owners are deployed in the military. Earlier in the broadcast, the "Lifeline" report (which Brian Williams introduced as "Lifetime") was sponsored by Pfizer--one of the world's largest utilizers of animal testing. Was it really appropriate to allow the animal testers at Pfizer to sponsor a segment in the same broadcast as the story about an organization that helps soldiers' pets?
*On Thursday's broadcast, Brian showed footage of a Miami rally in support of the "Ladies in White", a Cuban human rights group whose members were attacked last week by security forces in Havana. If the Miami rally was newsworthy enough to report, why wasn't the original Havana march that prompted the Miami rally also worth reporting? I think the answer is obvious: Gloria Estefan attended the Miami rally, but no celebrities participated in the Havana march.
*Also on Thursday's broadcast, Brian Williams narrated a story about the dozen or so activities enjoyed by Sasha and Malia Obama on their spring break trip to New York. Back on Jan. 5, 2009, Brian promised the viewers that Nightly News would not report on Sasha and Malia unless there was a compelling reason to do so. That promise didn't last long. On the Aug. 17, 2009 broadcast, we were treated to a story all about Sasha and Malia's totally excellent summer vacation across the U.S. and around the world. And now, once again, we were given a gratuitous story about the Obama daughters on vacation. For the second time in 14 months, Brian broke his promise to the viewers.
*During Thursday's story on the death of rock photographer Jim Marshall, we were shown one of Marshall's photos of Janis Joplin posing with a bottle of Southern Comfort. Brian's comment was, "And the great Janis Joplin, here enjoying a rare cocktail." The next time Brian wants to make a joke about alcoholism, maybe he should think about the millions of Americans who are afflicted with this disease, as well as the many millions more who are living with an alcoholic parent, child, sibling or spouse. Alcoholism is no joke.
*On Friday, Brian reported that Robert Groves, the director of the Census Bureau, apologized to a C-Span viewer for the use of the word "negro" on the 2010 census form. On Jan. 26, 2009, Brian titled his Daily Nightly blog "Old Man River at Obama's Inauguration." (The reference was to Chesley Sullenberger attending the inauguration.) The lyrics for the song "Old Man River" (also known as "Ol' Man River") were written by Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1927 play "Showboat", and unfortunately they are extremely racist. The song's original lyrics repeatedly use the odious "N" word to describe African Americans. Now that Mr. Groves has apologized for the use of the word "negro" on the census form, I think it's time for Brian to apologize for his inappropriate use of a racist song title in a blog about the inauguration of the nation's first African American president.
*Thursday's story about the coyote apprehended in New York City omitted one very important piece of information: Did the NYPD use an Acme tranquilizer gun to catch the coyote?
*On Tuesday's story about how the portion sizes depicted in the Last Supper have increased over the centuries, Tintoretto's "The Last Supper" painting was attributed to "The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art." I can assure the Nightly News producers that to the best of my knowledge the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art have not merged.
*On Tuesday's broadcast, the "Making A Difference" segment was about Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pets, an organization that finds temporary homes for pets when their owners are deployed in the military. Earlier in the broadcast, the "Lifeline" report (which Brian Williams introduced as "Lifetime") was sponsored by Pfizer--one of the world's largest utilizers of animal testing. Was it really appropriate to allow the animal testers at Pfizer to sponsor a segment in the same broadcast as the story about an organization that helps soldiers' pets?
*On Thursday's broadcast, Brian showed footage of a Miami rally in support of the "Ladies in White", a Cuban human rights group whose members were attacked last week by security forces in Havana. If the Miami rally was newsworthy enough to report, why wasn't the original Havana march that prompted the Miami rally also worth reporting? I think the answer is obvious: Gloria Estefan attended the Miami rally, but no celebrities participated in the Havana march.
*Also on Thursday's broadcast, Brian Williams narrated a story about the dozen or so activities enjoyed by Sasha and Malia Obama on their spring break trip to New York. Back on Jan. 5, 2009, Brian promised the viewers that Nightly News would not report on Sasha and Malia unless there was a compelling reason to do so. That promise didn't last long. On the Aug. 17, 2009 broadcast, we were treated to a story all about Sasha and Malia's totally excellent summer vacation across the U.S. and around the world. And now, once again, we were given a gratuitous story about the Obama daughters on vacation. For the second time in 14 months, Brian broke his promise to the viewers.
*During Thursday's story on the death of rock photographer Jim Marshall, we were shown one of Marshall's photos of Janis Joplin posing with a bottle of Southern Comfort. Brian's comment was, "And the great Janis Joplin, here enjoying a rare cocktail." The next time Brian wants to make a joke about alcoholism, maybe he should think about the millions of Americans who are afflicted with this disease, as well as the many millions more who are living with an alcoholic parent, child, sibling or spouse. Alcoholism is no joke.
*On Friday, Brian reported that Robert Groves, the director of the Census Bureau, apologized to a C-Span viewer for the use of the word "negro" on the 2010 census form. On Jan. 26, 2009, Brian titled his Daily Nightly blog "Old Man River at Obama's Inauguration." (The reference was to Chesley Sullenberger attending the inauguration.) The lyrics for the song "Old Man River" (also known as "Ol' Man River") were written by Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1927 play "Showboat", and unfortunately they are extremely racist. The song's original lyrics repeatedly use the odious "N" word to describe African Americans. Now that Mr. Groves has apologized for the use of the word "negro" on the census form, I think it's time for Brian to apologize for his inappropriate use of a racist song title in a blog about the inauguration of the nation's first African American president.
*Thursday's story about the coyote apprehended in New York City omitted one very important piece of information: Did the NYPD use an Acme tranquilizer gun to catch the coyote?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Roger O'Neil Is A Joke
Thanks a ton for the Monday Nightly News story about United Through Reading, which allows parents in the military to read to their kids in the U.S. via DVD. I remember this story from the last time it aired, on Aug. 21, 2009. Then, it was about Freedom Calls, a company that allows servicemen to witness the birth of a child through a satellite video hookup. So how many more stories is Nightly News going to bring us about military personnel who keep in contact with their families through video or DVD? In what alternate universe does this qualify as news? How about a story on McPatriot Meals, which allows a military family in the U.S. to bring a video hookup into McDonald's, so their loved one serving overseas can watch the family snarfing down Big Macs and fries? Or Patriot Pets, which allows a deployed military pet owner (via a two-way live video feed) to yell at their dog back home to stop chewing on the furniture or to get off the couch? We get it. Thanks to modern technology, people in the armed services can keep in touch with their families back home. How many times do the Nightly News producers need to tell us the same story?
And has anyone else noticed that every Roger O'Neil story is virtually identical, and all his stories seem as if they were lifted right off of bad Hallmark greeting cards? O'Neil isn't a news reporter, he's a propagandist. A news reporter is supposed to present a balanced and informative story about something of importance happening in the U.S. or around the world. O'Neil's stories are for the sole purpose of glorifying the military and praising "brave warriors" and "fallen heroes". "The wreaths...will honor those who served, each to serve as a reminder that freedom is not free. In life they honored their country, today we honor them with gestures befitting for American heroes." Is that from a sappy Hallmark card? No, it's from O'Neil's Dec. 18 story about Wreaths Across America. "Whenever the warrior leaves, the glue holding the family together has always been the military spouse." Hallmark? No, O'Neil (March 4). "It is a solemn and lonely lane they travel, the silence broken by the steady cadence of the horse whose ancestors once carried warriors into battle. But on this day (they) carry a warrior to a more peaceful place with poignant words from a poem." O'Neil again (March 17). What is his ridiculous obsession with warriors? I think he must have seen "Gladiator" a few too many times. This is the kind of corny, hokey prose that makes high school English teachers cringe. Or laugh. If NBC wants to put O'Neil's flag-waving eagle-soaring liberty-torch-waving garbage on the air, fine--but not on Nightly News. Maybe Dateline or Today. Better yet, why not trade O'Neil to the Fox News Channel where his hyper-patriotic rah-rah jingoism would fit right in alongside Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity?
And has anyone else noticed that every Roger O'Neil story is virtually identical, and all his stories seem as if they were lifted right off of bad Hallmark greeting cards? O'Neil isn't a news reporter, he's a propagandist. A news reporter is supposed to present a balanced and informative story about something of importance happening in the U.S. or around the world. O'Neil's stories are for the sole purpose of glorifying the military and praising "brave warriors" and "fallen heroes". "The wreaths...will honor those who served, each to serve as a reminder that freedom is not free. In life they honored their country, today we honor them with gestures befitting for American heroes." Is that from a sappy Hallmark card? No, it's from O'Neil's Dec. 18 story about Wreaths Across America. "Whenever the warrior leaves, the glue holding the family together has always been the military spouse." Hallmark? No, O'Neil (March 4). "It is a solemn and lonely lane they travel, the silence broken by the steady cadence of the horse whose ancestors once carried warriors into battle. But on this day (they) carry a warrior to a more peaceful place with poignant words from a poem." O'Neil again (March 17). What is his ridiculous obsession with warriors? I think he must have seen "Gladiator" a few too many times. This is the kind of corny, hokey prose that makes high school English teachers cringe. Or laugh. If NBC wants to put O'Neil's flag-waving eagle-soaring liberty-torch-waving garbage on the air, fine--but not on Nightly News. Maybe Dateline or Today. Better yet, why not trade O'Neil to the Fox News Channel where his hyper-patriotic rah-rah jingoism would fit right in alongside Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity?
Prevent-at-ive
During Friday's Nightly News story about the health care bill, an on-screen graphic explained that under the provisions of the bill, insurance companies would have to offer free "preventative" care to their insured policyholders. During a similar story the following night, a graphic informed us that they would have to offer free "preventive" care. So which is it--preventative or preventive? The Nightly News producers should be a little more attentive to details. Or perhaps that should be "attentative".
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Disrespecting The Whip
During Friday's story about the health care bill, Nightly News once again identified Rep. James Clyburn only as a Democrat from South Carolina, and not as the House Majority Whip. Meanwhile, moments later, Rep. John Boehner was identified on screen as the House Minority Leader. Why does Nightly News routinely identify white members of congress by their prestigious House leadership positions, but refuses to do the same for an African American congressman? Rep. Clyburn is the third most powerful person in the U.S. House. It's time Nightly News acknowledged that fact and stopped disrespecting Mr. Clyburn.
Also on Friday's broadcast, Ann Curry mispronounced John Boehner's name during a promo for Sunday's "Meet the Press". (She pronounced his last name as "Bonner" instead of as "Bayner".) Maybe Curry should start going to the meetings.
Also on Friday's broadcast, Ann Curry mispronounced John Boehner's name during a promo for Sunday's "Meet the Press". (She pronounced his last name as "Bonner" instead of as "Bayner".) Maybe Curry should start going to the meetings.
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