Matt Taibbi takes apart Lara Logan for her criticism of Rolling Stone reporter

[JBoy]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/29/matt-taibbis-lara-logan-t_n_629047.html

Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi unleashed on CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan in a post titled, "Lara Logan, You Suck" Monday. "Lara Logan, come on down! You're the next guest on Hysterical Backstabbing Jealous Hackfest 2010!" his post began.

Taibbi was responding to Logan's appearance on CNN's Reliable Sources Sunday, during which she trashed Rolling Stone writer Michael Hastings for violating an "unspoken agreement" and publishing anecdotes in his article on General McChrystal that she feels were meant to be off-the-record. Logan also maligned Hastings' methods of gaining McChrystal's trust in order to facilitate their interview.

Taibbi:

Anyone who wants to know why network television news hasn't mattered since the seventies just needs to check out this appearance by Logan. Here's CBS's chief foreign correspondent saying out loud on TV that when the man running a war that's killing thousands of young men and women every year steps on his own dick in front of a journalist, that journalist is supposed to eat the story so as not to embarrass the flag. And the part that really gets me is Logan bitching about how Hastings was dishonest to use human warmth and charm to build up enough of a rapport with his sources that they felt comfortable running their mouths off in front of him....

If I'm hearing Logan correctly, what Hastings is supposed to have done in that situation is interrupt these drunken assholes and say, "Excuse me, fellas, I know we're all having fun and all, but you're saying things that may not be in your best interest! As a reporter, it is my duty to inform you that you may end up looking like insubordinate douche bags in front of two million Rolling Stone readers if you don't shut your mouths this very instant!" I mean, where did Logan go to journalism school - the Burson-Marsteller agency?

----more

[SpiralHawk]

1. Corporate Media hates real journalists as it hates truth

The RepubliCorporatistas at CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, and CMM are in so many cases desperate to justify their own feckless, knee-bent wholesale wankery.

When a real journalist comes along and has the guts to tell the truth they just flip out...not part of their blow-dry, fat-salary conception of being a reporter.

[ihavenobias]

2. Taibi will be on TYT to discuss this issue tonight.

Cenk also tore into Logan (and others in the establishment media) on this issue:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x480271

[jgraz]

10. This should be good.

I wonder who will bust on her more, Cenk or Matt...

[Scurrilous]

3. K & R

:thumbsup:

[boobooday]

4. This is a good fight

Should have started a long time ago, when the media enabled all Dubya's bullshit.

[LiberalFighter]

5. She failed to comprehend that Hastings had the article approved by McChrystal

after it was written.

[burnsei sensei]

6. If concerns about "embarrassing the flag"

are more important than the truth about an incompetent commander, I just don't know what to say.
Propriety can be put down where the truth can upturn things and perhaps save lives.

[ck4829]

7. K&R

[MisterP]

8. attention! Taibbi is a DEANIAC and thus doesn't understand the truckling servility needed for the

New World Order!

[UTUSN]

9. From when it happened...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8644741
She is one Lara LOGAN of CBS News. She said about HASTINGS's claim that there were no ground rules in the McCRYSTAL article, "IF YOU BELIEVE HIM." She said that this is well nigh incredible based on McCRYSTAL's experience in (operations/communications). Well, now, Lara, that IS precisely THE point, now, ain't it.

"When you start an article with McCRYSTAL making obscene gestures, that's not even quoting him."


Sounds like the grapes are sour. She said that she, by contrast, has never been seen by her contacts to be partisan. Hmmm. Otoh, she says, "Somebody like HASTINGS would probably look at my work and say it was" slanted towards getting further access. Yip, that's the ticket.



On Edit: So, Lara, in your mind McCRYSTAL's lack of judgment plus lack of preparedness in handling or predicting an adversarial situation does NOT add up to INCOMPETENCE for leading a war operation?!1

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Matt Taibbi is my hero....He sure does tell it like it is.

[Jankyn]

12. The whole point of embedding...

...was to make the journalists so dependent for access that they wouldn't report what they actually saw and heard.

This kid got the scoop of a lifetime by actually practicing the craft of journalism. More power to him.

[ihavenobias]

13. Kick n/t