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Some days are more challenging than others for partisan media critics and, thus, for us here at PE. I’ve struggled with this question all day: Can a criticism be so baseless, obtuse and irrational to make it unworthy of response? The answer is many cases, is yes, especially when it involves broad generalizations, name-calling and the like.



When the criticism is specific and nonsensical at the same time, engagement is a tougher call. But, what the heck, here goes.



The conservative media group, Media Research Center, is taking out after CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi (once again) for a line uttered in the first installment of her “Home Front” series which will take Alfonsi across America to examine how Americans are feeling about the war in Iraq.



To kick off the series, Alfonsi visited Parris Island, South Carolina, and talked to recruits at the historic Marine boot camp. Here’s where the “controversy” comes in. Alfonsi wondered what attracts Marine recruits during a war and 19-year old Michael Laurello said he wanted to be “fighting the evils, what they did to us on September 11th.” In a voice-over, Alfonsi said:

“All three of the recruits we sat down with say they enlisted because of September 11th. Politicians will argue whether the war and 9/11 are related. But clearly here, to these recruits, the two are inseparable.”

And here’s how MRC saw it:

“Alfonsi … couldn't let such an apparent link between 9/11 and the war in Iraq go unchallenged and so she quickly admonished the naive recruits as she stressed how ‘politicians will argue whether the war and 9/11 are related’ -- though she added that ‘clearly here, to these recruits, the two are inseparable.’”

When that’s the headline complaint, you know it was a slow day in the bias mines for the Media Research Center.

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It certainly wasn’t surprising that we kicked off a rowdy conversation by wading into the Media Research Center’s criticism of the CBS “Evening News.” What did come as a pleasant surprise, at least to me, was the lack of vitriol and personal attacks in the course of that conversation. Apparently it is possible to have a rational conversation about media bias that is dominated (mostly) by strong opinions voiced in a (mostly) courteous, thoughtful manner.



Who knew?



I’ll try to maintain those standards in continuing the discussion (with some of these obviously unbalanced people). First off, MRC’s Tim Graham was kind enough to weigh in, here’s part of his post:

”Vaughn, this item is very instructional. If your objective is for CBS employees to engage in dialogue with their critics, it's interesting that they can't seem to do it for long without going CAPITAL in their outrage at being questioned. A longer fuse would be a good idea, at least in engaging the public.



I appreciate your effort to engage Brent Baker's critique. It's fair enough to say it is our job to nitpick, and we feel the need to find something every day, and some days are better (worse) than others. I would not agree we always slant the material. Often, the material is slanted enough without the additional push. It's fair to say the MRC has a bias -- and we have never claimed otherwise. But you don't have to be objective to know what objectivity is, or isn't.

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Imagine, CBS News being criticized by conservatives for being unfair to a Republican President. Never thought we’d see the day. Okay, I know this is about as newsy as announcing all the planes that land safely at La Guardia but it is part of what I’ve said we will address here at PE so, here goes.



The Media Research Center yesterday took issue with a story on Tuesday night’s “Evening News” about recovery efforts in New Orleans, focused on small businesses. You can see the story by correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi by clicking on the player below.










And here’s the heart of MRC’s criticism:

"After reciting a list of problems people are having in New Orleans, reporter Sharyn Alfonsi jumped to a soundbite of Bush in Mississippi, declaring: 'Every time I come back here, I see progress.' Alfonsi gratuitously pointed out that Bush was 'speaking inside an air-conditioned tent' and noted how 'he toured a Folgers plant in Louisiana' but, she stressed, 'small business owners say this kind of progress is the exception.' Then, over video of a row of damaged and abandoned store fronts in New Orleans, she countered: 'This is the reality.' Alfonsi made it personal, holding Bush responsible for the frustrations of a French Quarter restaurant owner: 'After five visits in three weeks, they want the President to wake up and smell the coffee.'"

“Evening News” Executive Producer Jim Murphy responds:

"Please explain to me what's WRONG with pointing out the President spoke from an air-conditioned tent, which to most people on the gulf would be a more than welcome relief from their existence. It was not gratuitous, it was an interesting note.



And Sharyn's use of the well-known phrase, 'wake up and smell the coffee,' was attributed to the restaurant owners as THEIR feeling, NOT hers. It's just good, colorful, pointed writing.



My problem with many of the MRC's complaints is that it regularly exaggerates the impact of whatever it disagrees with. If a President Clinton or a President Carter were in the exact same situation as this President, the MRC wouldn't peep about this script. It is a much more biased organization than any institution in the MSM."

My take on this involves several factors:

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