Why hate ABC when they were the only ones that covered your candidate

[DJcairo]

Could a DK supporter please stand-up and answer that. Or at least go to: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html
and read their rebuttal to your unfair criticism.

Why stoop to the level of the very people we try to defeat in lambasting the media any and all of the choices they make.

[Mairead]

1. Think about the whole issue a bit more.

The key concept is 'even-handedness'.

edit: Oh, and it's not 'unfair criticism'. Nice pre-judgement, there.

[sandnsea]

2. It was retaliation

Pure and simple. It was wrong and they need to be held to account. Who wants to criticize the media now, lest they be next?

[goodhue]

3. Not Only Ones

ABC's "Field Notes" was a lame attempt to copy MSNBC's embeds.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/958041.asp?cp1=1

NBC's Karin Caifa has done a much better job than ABC's Melinda Arons.

The Note is illogical and unfounded CYA, nothing more, nothing less.

Do you work for ABC or something?

[goodhue]

4. Online Journalism Review on campaign coverage . . .

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/glaser/1071184205.php

Best Coverage of the U.S. Elections

We take a look at the top mainstream news sites' coverage of the 2004 campaigns for their interactive features, clean design and personality.

Mark Glaser
Posted: 2003-12-11

Best Embedded Reports on Candidates: MSNBC.com

I never liked the term "embedded reporter" for the official spots given to journalists during the war in Iraq. But I can't come up with a better term, so I guess I'll have to live with the political "embeds" who cover each Democratic candidate and try not to picture MSNBC's Tom Llamas embedded onto the Rev. Al Sharpton. MSNBC.com has gone the distance with the embed concept, with each embedded MSNBC TV reporter running a Weblog for happenings with each of the nine Democratic candidates.

The main embed page gives you a quick view into the past seven days of each candidate, with video or blurbs of what's going on. Clicking on the blurbs takes you to that particular Weblog posting -- usually a paragraph or two of insight from the campaign trail.

ABCNews.com tried to mimic MSNBC.com with its "Field Notes" on each candidate. That effort has fallen short, with a clumsy navigation and only one old note from the Bush/Cheney campaign (can't blame them for trying...). Plus, candidate Dennis Kucinich says ABCNews pulled its embeds from his campaign, as well as from those of Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun.

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/glaser/1071184205.php

[goodhue]

5. FAIR Update

http://www.fair.org/activism/abc-democrats-update.html

It's noteworthy that, aside from a reference to "the totality of our reporting," ABC's argument that Kucinich is unlikely to win the nomination is based entirely on an analysis of his views as being "distinct from the rest of the field" and as being "quite similar to those of his friend Ralph Nader." If ABC in fact is predicting Kucinich or any other candidate's success on the basis of their views, we would suggest that that is a job best left to voters.

The Note argues that ABC has done a better job of covering Kucinich and other candidates than other media outlets. Given that most broadcast outlets have done a very poor job of covering any of the candidates for president, this is a low standard to hold oneself to. We would prefer to judge ABC News by its stated "commitment to make sure many political voices are heard in our democracy," and by its declared intention to cover campaigns "in a way that will help voters make their decisions."

Finally, The Note's discussion of Arons' coverage of the Kucinich campaign obscures the fact that almost none of it has appeared on ABC's television network, through which ABC News reaches the bulk of its audience. Until the recent debate, Kucinich's name had not even been spoken on Nightline, probably ABC's most prestigious news show; World News Tonight, its main daily news report, had four mentions of Kucinich, only one of which even indicated any of his policy positions-- a half-sentence reference to his promise to withdraw troops from Iraq. Sharpton has not been given any more coverage on World News Tonight; Carol Moseley Braun has received even less. ABC's Sunday morning talk show This Week devoted a segment to interviews with the three candidates (11/30/03), which host George Stephanopoulos introduced by asking, "Why do they run when winning isn't an option?"

Given that there will no longer be anyone from ABC News traveling with these campaigns, the odds are great that the near-invisibility of these candidates will only worsen. While we're glad to hear that ABC News seeks to help voters make decisions, their coverage so far of Kucinich, Sharpton and Moseley Braun has left voters who rely on ABC television news almost entirely in the dark.

[dweller]

6. "almost entirely in the dark"

how ironic. Thanks ABC for your 'efforts'.

i think i'll support the candidate who keeps the lights on...Dennis Kucinich.

dp

[Cocoa]

7. that matches my experience

that very defensive response from "the Note" is the height of arrogance in my opinion.

Here you have them responding to people's complaints that they're not covering these candidates enough with a response that tells the people that they just don't know what they're talking about.

I know what I've seen on ABC and the other networks, I watch them all the time and except for the debates, I've never heard a word from the three "minor" candidates. I don't care if The Note says they cover them, they don't.