CNN's Daryn Kagan: Was she fair to George W. Bush?

I was amazed how angry and critical the newscasters on CNN were this morning (starting w/ Soledad). I have never seen them with this attitude; everyone they were interviewing they were accusing of not acting in the right way.

I did NOT see the interview. However, I'm with Mike, and I'm an American. I am deeply saddened over the way we've NOT responded to the dire needs of those in the immediate New Orleans area. I think the mood of many Americans is anger and disappointment. If she expressed that...then I thank her.
Peace.

As a member of the military (and thus, in some respects, a government employee), I would like to say that the media more often than not does not report what we tell them. They may come in where we are conducting a mission (Iraq, for example). They may spend an hour or so, or they may spend several days. We could go on and on showing them the entire time all the good things that are happening. What gets reported? Maybe a disgruntled soldier who despises our actions or misses his or her family. Maybe an incident that occurred during a mission. So, we are often faced with attempting to stage media events as some dog-and-pony show in order to show them the story as we want it told. Even when we do that, our story is often not told as we would like. Granted the media event is staged in order to make the military look good, but most of the time we feel obliged, because what is often reported is only about 10% of the story -- the worst part of the real situation. There is some exception -- some of the embedded media who have written their own books on their experiences have painted a realistic picture (the good and the bad) of the military

Maybe, the problem is the timing of the show that was staged by the President. We all know that the News media and the Politicians are "spinning" things, but there are times when "spin" is unacceptable. This is one of those times.

The videos I saw from the center of New Orleans (ppl dying in the street, etc.) didn't look "staged". When you've just seen footage of our fellow countrymen suffering, and then you see the President "staging"...well, in my mind, the angry response is understandable, if not justified.

Mike,
Now let me play devil's advocate, if not be a little postmodernist. Daryn Kagan was upset, so it can be argued, because she was beaten at her own game. Let's face it, the New Media tends to lean in the direction it slants, and since no one is born perpendicular (a quote from EB White) we need to consider her statement in the light of her lean. Bush used the situation to make a case that the leadership on the coast was accomplishing something.

Now, let me back off: we really know next to nothing of what is going on. We are not there; communication with those who are there is nearly impossible to get; so we are totally dependent on the media for our information. So, what we do "know" is what has been presented to us. I happen to think Bush intentionally was making a statement: the situation is a nightmare, but good things are going on.

I hesitated to say anything about the report I watched, and now hesitate to get in a discussion about it. But, as long as we can converse (as I see each of you doing), I'll chime in. I'm not politician; I'm an idealist, an Anabaptist, and one who sees the good in what I read (and not just the bad) and in what I hear and watch.

Scot,
Interesting approach...so, in a postmodern way of thinking, does this "spin" work:

Daryn knows that the ones who have the power and use it craftily, get the "end" they want. In the current situation, the media has a lot of power. She watches Bush & realizes he has just "spun" a good one, beating the media at its own game.

So, what is one clear cut response option for a post-modern journalist? Use the power ("means") at your disposal to manipulate things so you can get the "end" you want. She just happened to have a pretty good "means" - a camera, a big audience, and some decent rhetorical skills. So, she used them.

Is that what happened? Who knows? Certainly seems like a possibility...

From my perspective, everything you see has to be interpreted in light of the intent and slant of the one delivering it. In fact, it's what people tend to do anyway, whether it's conscious or not. Objectivity is an illusion and people usually have ulterior motives of some sort.

As far as the pro versus con on Bush, the half of those who voted and voted for him will probably feel like Kris. And the other half of the half that voted will feel he's nothing but a sleazy politician taking advantage of the situation to stage a publicity stunt. And the other half of the population that didn't vote will most likely split into one camp or another.

Me? It's important for politicians in positions like that of the President to at least provide the appearance of leadership and stability in times of crisis. And ours has done a decent job of that. At the same time, they are inevitably politicians, so they are naturally going to go for the best spin they can. And those in the media who don't lean in the same direction as the politician will point out that it's spin, which everyone knows anyway, but pretends to ignore.

Sorry. I'm an independent and just couldn't resist.

Perhaps we need to define what we mean by "leadership" - not just Kris, but all of us. I also think it's possible to over analyze this. Then, there's the issue that you address Scot - we're not there. Many of these reporters are though, so I'm trying to take that into consideration as well.

Well, there's several random thoughts for you.

The best comment I have read in this string...

The videos I saw from the center of New Orleans (ppl dying in the street, etc.) didn’t look “staged”. When you’ve just seen footage of our fellow countrymen suffering, and then you see the President “staging”…well, in my mind, the angry response is understandable, if not justified.

This is exactly the way I see it Franklin. I took the day of today for a long weekend and while I did not see Kagin's response, I did say to myself, 'wow, that just looks very out of place."

When you put the President's staged briefing, that is there to protect him politically, next to footage of babies that have been trapped with dead bodies for days, the President just doesn't come off looking all that good to me. And I say it was political protection because face it, he's a politician.

Thanks Kerry, you and your friends are in our prayers.