AP gives managers, bureau chiefs Fournier 'talking points' memo

Dude, I would say the memo attempts to rebut some of those points --- the AP saying he criticizes both sides doesn't make it so, ESPECIALLY IN THIS RACE, in which his tone has been remarkably partisan.
And again, as lots of others have pointed out, as I pointed out in the Fournier thread I started, the problem is that the AP is not the Washington Times. If they want to assign someone with equal stature to Fournier to write analysis from the other side, fine.
And the real deep horseshit in the memo: Fournier's "Biden Pick Shows Lack of Confidence" was NOT similar in content and tone to most of what was written -- unless your reference point is Republican talking points.
Most of you here on this board read widely what was said about the Biden pick. Was that the prevailing tone? It most certainly was not.

 

The AP looks more ridiculous with every passing day.

They're handing out talking points to defend their political writers, now?

Seriously? And we're paying for it?

 

You're missing the point. It's not that he's wearing two hats. Walter Mears, among others, has already done that (fairly successfully) at AP. It's that Fournier's credibility as a non-partisan journalist is shot to hell. Self-inflicted wounds, none worse probably than his ass-kissing e-mail to Karl Rove.

Talking points? Please.

 

Just as with politicians, we are now subjected to the bright light of public scrutiny and smearing by ideologues. Walter Mears undoubtedly had his cronies who would pass on the juicy bits on which one builds a precise, incisive commentary.

Cranberry is correct. The wounds — though well-intentioned, wounds nevertheless — are self-inflicted.

AP must continue to be purer than Caesar's wife.

Fairness and accuracy is to a newspaper what virtue is to a man or woman. None of us want to work for whores.

 

In defense of Ron's email to Rove, as partisan as it might sound (and it did to me too), Rove is a major source for lots of politicians, big mouth and all, so maybe the kudos and congenial tone are to help keep the pipeline open for reporting reasons.

The AP has been seemingly tough on Obama, but maybe they feel the need to vet someone who's so popular. They've been hammering Palin too.

 

And with good reason. Have you scoped out the Politics forum yet?

 

Fournier was a major 'presence' in HBO's movie "Recount" on the 2000 presidential election. ... though his character was never onscreen.