Posted on 04/19/2006 6:25:27 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
The Pulitzer awards reflect discontent (Of course discontent with President Bush means that it is okay to give Pulitzer Prizes to a newspaper which lied about the NSA non story while breaking National Security Laws.)
Commentary: By Jon Friedman, MarketWatch Last Update: 12:01 AM ET Apr 19, 2006
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Many awards presentations are accused of being out of touch with the public or even appearing to be popularity contests. But I contend that many of the Pulitzer Prizes, handed out on Monday, accurately reflected the nation's growing discontent with President Bush.
In particular, the awards presented to reporters James Risen and Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times (NYTNew York Times Company as well as editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution could be called a reflection of Bush's declining national approval rating.
Cited for national reporting, Risen and Lichtblau broke the news of the administration's wiretapping program. Priest, winning in the beat-reporting category, was commended for stories about secret prisons and the government's counterterrorism efforts. Luckovich wittily skewered the administration's policies on many occasions.
The wiretapping story seems like the most compelling one of all. It has dominated the Washington talk shows for months and triggered a slew of fascinating sub-plots. The administration has contended that it needed to counter the threat of domestic terrorism while critics have said the program was a blow to civil liberties and reduced individuals' privacy. Awards are like children -- editors, like parents, say publicly that they love them all equally. But I wouldn't be surprised if this one especially pleased the Times hierarchy.
If anything, the Pulitzer vindicates the Times as a hard-hitting and public-spirited news operation. Originally, Times' critics blasted the paper for sitting on the Risen-Lichtblau story, insisting that the newspaper appeared to be timid in the face of the Bush administration's pressure tactics. Some Bush supporters, meanwhile, promptly took the opposite point of view and concluded that the Times had committed a traitorous act by publishing the stories. Considering that this sort of intense red-blue states warfare has been going on since (at least) the 2004 presidential campaigns, it wasn't a surprise that the Times' reporting would further polarize the nation. But that kind of parlor talk should be a secondary point today. For now, the Pulitzer selection committee deserves a big thumbs-up for getting it right this year.
(article excerpted from this point as it goes into other areas.)
The other sites have nothing to do with politics. :)
I think she looks much better undolled-up! Most good girls do.
Media whores awarding awards to other media whores is a completely insignificant event. It's like the DNC awarding a best Democrat award.
Howard Hughes (Jane Russell) would have liked that picture of dear Katherine.
;-)
"Media whores awarding awards to other media whores is a completely insignificant event. It's like the DNC awarding a best Democrat award."
That is an excellent summary of the zero impact of these awards.
Dave,
Ain't capitalism great?!
"Dave,
Ain't capitalism great?!"
Yes it is, and that is why the liberals hate capitalism with every breath.
I thought they reflected an overall lack of readership. Has any of the media outlets represented by these stellar individuals improved their market share over the course of the year?
"Has any of the media outlets represented by these stellar individuals improved their market share over the course of the year?"
I don't believe that any of them have increased their market shares.
Recall that the Nobel Committee was forthright in saying that awarding a Nobel to Carter was intended to be a kick in the shins to GW. These prizes mean about as much as used toilet paper.
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