Our Centrism Journalism Fail Thread For 11/13/12: Hastingly Trying To Get Him off Air


Michael Hastings gave a needed reprimand to all of the Petraeus Fan Club, and caused one of the greatest awkward moments in modern day cable news Monday evening on Piers Morgan Tonight.

He exposed Morgan for the usual hack he is, exposed CNN Pentagon stenographer Barbara Starr for what she is, and exposed Andrea Mitchell, David Ignaitus, Diane Feinsteins, Paula Broadwell and all the rest of the Beltway/Manhattan centrist crowd who love or heed to the altar of David Petraeus.
"The larger point that I've been making is that essentially the media has played a role in protecting David Petraeus and promoting David Petraeus and mythologizing David Petraeus," he said.
 Hastings said Petraeus had failed in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and escalated violence in both places.

"So for me the questions of honor and integrity -- I was raising those earlier," he said. "A number of other journalists who were actually covering David Petraeus were raising those concerns. You might not get that from someone like Barbara Starr at CNN, who essentially is a spokesperson for the Pentagon in many ways." 
"Barbara is not a spokesperson for him, obviously," Morgan said. 
"Not too obviously," Hastings shot back. "I have followed her coverage pretty closely as she has covered my work before, too." "Just because she's written naughty things about you doesn't make her a spokesperson," Morgan responded. 
 "No, what makes her a spokesperson is repeating without question a lot of Pentagon claims," Hastings said.

What was even more hilarious about this was the fact that just two hours prior to this refreshing smackdown of centrist journalism, Wall Street PR spokesperson for life Erin Burnett displayed her wonderful centrist credentials again by saying, "He made us all feel special."

I hope CNN has one ounce of courage left, or at least some remaining of their former true journalism pride, to have Hastings back on any of their shows.

Beacuse if that is the last time we see Michael Hastings on CNN, then it would be another death blow to our already failed journalism television news culture, especially by our centrist, corporate media.




Comments

Unknown said…
Thanks for posting this clip. Aside from the details covered, it has been long needed for someone like Hastings to bust through the BS narrative Morgan and others so quickly adopt without question. Note: Morgan takes exception with most of what Hastings says then agrees with Hastings sentiments when Oliver Stone joined after the break. Meaning, Morgan only decides correct information comes from people he likes. What a git.

Great to find your blog.
MM

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