A man with many hats
: A week ago, Kos was arguing that he shouldn’t be held to journalistic standards because he’s an activist. But Chris Nolan spotted him wearing press credentials at a political event. Which is it?
25 responses to “A man with many hats”
-
Honestly, I don’t care any more. I just feel sorry for the poor souls who eat up what he says.
-
Wouldn’t he be more akin to a commentator than a news reporter? Do people like Rush Limbaugh and Randi Rhodes get press credentials? If so, wouldn’t Koz merely be keeping in line with that catergory?
-
Absolutely. No one ever needs to sign on to some kind of impartiality clause when they get press credentials. You think Christopher Hitchens, say, has to be impartial about anything he attends as a member of the press? Or what about Ann Coulter and Michael Moore covering the DNC and RNC respectively for USA Today? I’m sure they both have numerous sources of income which might create the appearance of a conflict of interest — the fact is, if they’re being paid for their opinions, that doesn’t matter.
-
The notion that press credential make you a journalist is silly. They are merely a tool for getting access.
-
Chris’ point is that she thinks he could have appeared as a member of an advocate team but instead chose to go as a journalist after just saying he’s not a journalist. Life is complicated.
-
It’s more ado about nothing. More precisely it’s about gossip and innuendo. Starting with Teachout’s “little slip” which was apparently designed to do 4 things (take a slap at Kos, support the Dean DNC candidacy, promote the Harvard shindig, and get her some traffic)you’ve mischaracterized this story consistently. In this case, Chris says “And it leads us right back to the path of full and open disclosure, now doesn’t it? And that’s a path Kos is refusing to take.”
But you know better, Jeff – the links to Kos’s disclosure were posted in your comments.
pot.kettle.black – you’re rapidly losing cred (at least with me) by the way you keep flogging this non-story. -
Whenever Mr. Jarvis repeatedly expresses an opinion based in fact on an issue of concern to him, the howls of indignation and cries of “Jarvis, you’re losing credibility with me” become legion. Call him what you will, but Mr. Jarvis is always civil and writes about things that matter to him. Criticize away (as he clearly does not fear it, but instead respects and responds to the critiques that have merit), but stop whining as if you’re in grade school and being forced to do summer reading simply because you’re annoyed he chose to write about something.
-
This whole Kos thing was brought up only to shift attention away from the Armstrong Williams flap which genuinely is a disgusting betrayl of all ethics. There is no story on Kos. Everyone knows he was working with Dean, everyone knows he makes no pretense that he’s objective. Yet here we are discussing the ins and outs of the kos affair with not a whisper about Armstrong Williams (I think that story’s been done to death, and everything on that specific case has already been said, but it’s simply staggering to see Jeff struggle with this Kos total non-moral dilema long afterwards).
Jeff, you said you didn’t like gotcha politics. I can’t think of a more gotcha case than jumping on a man attending a political event with a press pass. It’s petty. -
What’s the big deal? The issue is how he holds himself out to his readers, not what badge he wears to get access to an event.
You’re grasping at straws, Jeff. -
Jeff, you are kidding, right?
It’s not an either/or thing.
And your continuing to beat this dead horse (when even instaclown has given up on it) reveals yourself for the right-wing shill you are. Now admit you vote for W already, and stop shilling for the right.
By the way, as Oliver has said: Dean was right about Iraq you weren’t. When are you going to admit that? -
Jeez. We atrted to have a real discussion and then:
“stop whining as if you’re in grade school”; ”
“You’re grasping at straws, Jeff.”
“And your continuing to beat this dead horse (when even instaclown has given up on it) reveals yourself for the right-wing shill you are. Now admit you vote for W already, and stop shilling for the right.”
Howzabout a one-week, or even a one-DAY moratorium on troling? -
Many bloggers at both major-party political conventions were given journalist credentials (as was Michael Moore and father Guido Sarducci, and I think Triumph the Insult Comic Dog), and they would happily tell anyone who asked that no, they weren’t journalists at all. This included press-credentialed members of “Blogs for Bush.” I think the Republic survived the “complicated” contradiction of people grabbing whatever pieces of paper could get them through the door, though one never knows….
-
“Call him what you will, but Mr. Jarvis is always civil and writes about things that matter to him.”
Hmmm… I suppose that once you disregard his use of the terms “pondscum” and “pondsnot” to attack others, then yes, I’d agree that he’s civil. -
Chris Nolan isn’t the first to point out the fact that Kos likes to have it both ways. He’s a journalist when it suits him, and an activist/fundraiser when that suits him better.
-
Chris Nolan isn’t the first to point out the fact that Kos likes to have it both ways. He’s a journalist when it suits him, and an activist/fundraiser when that suits him better.
Kinda like, hmmmm, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc. But then again, neither Chris nor Jeff would criticize them, would they?
-
Hmmm… I suppose that once you disregard his use of the terms “pondscum” and “pondsnot” to attack others, then yes, I’d agree that [Jeff’s] civil.
Don’t forget “religious nutjobs” -
But then again, neither Chris nor Jeff would criticize them, would they?
Actually, Jeff criticizes righties all the time, little dude. Are you new here? -
What a complete asshat of a comment. Kos, by journalistic or “activist” standards, DID THE RIGHT thing by FULLY disclosing his relationship with the Dean campaign. Its amazing that some people lack the mental wattage to understand the import of the disclosure — it allowed those reading to make a judgment on Kos credibility.
Your comments smack of pettiness, and perhaps a little envy. They clearly far from being described as “intelligent” or “insightful” in any sense of the word. -
Limbaugh doesn’t really go to any event where he’d need press credentials, nor probably would he accept them. Hannity did his shows there but so did Chris Matthews, etc. Randi Rhodes, I think, was part of “radio row” which is a sort of “press credential” I guess (Franken was definitely there), same with the bloggers at the conventions. But I don’t think that’s what Kos did here.
-
“Kinda like, hmmmm, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc.”
Not like that at all, actually. When have they called themselves journalists, aside from Limbaugh’s tongue-in-cheek “America’s Anchorman” slogans? O’Reilly is a former journalist/current commentator. -
Didn’t Chris Nolan get booted from The San Jose Mercury News for having financial ties in the industry she covered?
-
Don’t forget Dan Rather had a fake Bikini Inspector license.
http://ratherbiased.com/news/content/view/611/2/ -
Does “press” equal “journalism”? Perhaps that’s the relevant question.
-
I don’t think most organizations that hold media events have “BLOGGER” credentials.
I think the confusion is over PRESS and MEDIA and BLOGGERS (non-conventional media).
I’m sure if O’Reilly or Hannity attends such an event they would be sporting their PRESS credentials. They’re not journalists, they are commentators and editorialists. As are bloggers.
If you want some distinction, ask the event sponsors to offer “ALTERNATIVE MEDIA” credentials as well as PRESS.
And America would be better off it EVERYONE understood that PRESS, CABLE “NEWS”, ON-LINE PUBLICATIONS, etc. are in now way to be arbitrarily associated with JOURNALISM.
Any pretense of objectivty has been lost as commentators have displaced announcers, and whole networks have filled their lineups with commentary shows masquerading as NEWS on a NEWS NETWORK.
It’s “current events entertainment” driven by ratings alone. News it isn’t. -
Markos responded to Nolan.
I thought she was making too big a deal about it when she first posted. Press passes don’t only go to journalists.
