When Publicity Becomes Confused With News

We see things like this:

ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE

Tue Jun 16 2009 08:45:10 ET
On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!

Highlights on the agenda:

ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House.

The network plans a primetime special -- 'Prescription for America' -- originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate.

Robert Stacy McCain also points this out while wondering why ABC wants to take MSNBC’s place as the Obama publicity and apologetic channel.

Why compete to become the most mindlessly pro-Obama network? That’s not news, it’s publicity.

I guess Gibson wants to experience tingly legs like Chris Matthews.  McCain is right, this is publicity.  Especially when it is only highlighting one side of the debate.  They are simply helping the Obama campaign for government controlled healthcare.  As Michelle Malkin points out ABC: has now become the All Barack Channel.

Journalism is getting both sides of the issue, and this certainly misses the mark.

Update: Other reactions

Tabitha Hale says watch out for the drool fest.

Stay tuned for the drool fest. I reckon some of the questions will come out like “We know you’re the smartest president ever in existence, tell us how you’re going to take care of us this time!”, and “So after you’ve magically provided everyone with health care and saved millions of lives and cured cancer, what’s next?”.

Pundette is calling for a boycott!

So ABC has dramatically emerged from the closet (not that we didn’t already know they were in thrall to Obama), giving up all pretense of independence, objectivity, and balance. They’re pleased and honored to serve as the main propaganda conduit for the Obama health care takeover, offering up four different broadcasts — Good Morning America, World News Tonight, Primetime, and Nightline — in obeisance to the Supreme Leader’s agenda.

Also ABC’s announcement about this “conversation” on healthcare.