For reporting that is an embarrassment to the profession of journalism, and for being beholden to corporate paymasters rather than the citizens of America.
Well, ladies and gentleman, we have our first two-time
winner of the BuzzFlash Media Putz of the Week Award: Chris Matthews, AKA "Tweety
Bird." Not only is Matthews our first repeat winner; but he also was
the first recipient of
the Media Putz designation.
Progressive radio talk show host Stephanie Miller calls Matthews "the
right wing tool," but it's his loathsome and endless misogynist
comments that have made him -- most recently -- the epicenter of repulsion. During
the turmoil of media coverage just before and after the New Hampshire primary,
Matthews kicked into overdrive with his tasteless, sexist comments about
Hillary Clinton.
It's fair game to talk about policy, experience, campaign strategy, and results
when a candidate is running for political office, but Matthews specializes
in catty, disturbing comments about false caricatures related to personality,
sex, race, etc.
BuzzFlash reader Maria of Port St. Lucie, Florida, writes of Matthews: "For
days and weeks now, not wasting time to put Hillary down. If she laughs,
it is wrong, if she claps, it is wrong, if she defends herself, it is wrong.
He wants to do to Hillary what he did to Howard Dean."
As we've written before on BuzzFlash, Americans can't debate public policy
if we have jerks in the media -- who are looking to boost their ratings and
paychecks -- who engage in sensational bigotry and sexism to get publicity.
Matthews was once a respected print journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle,
but decided to go for the bucks by becoming a television "shock jock" performance
artist.
Each night on "Hardball," Matthews attempts to create the equivalent
of an irresistible gaper's block: you know what you are seeing is horrifying,
but you can't resist watching.
By mercilessly mocking Hillary Clinton and targeting her as a woman, Matthews
not only commits an injustice, but he also derails our eyes and ears from
analyzing life-and-death issues relating to the candidates, issues germane
to choosing a president.
So the loathsome "quips" of Matthews are not only deplorable; but
also they are a disservice to democracy.
As we noted when Matthews became the inaugural recipient of the BuzzFlash
Media Putz Award, "Every week, you remind us how easy it is to separate
[so-called] journalism from the truth."
Yes, indeed.
Chris Matthews previously won the Media PUTZ of the week on June
28, 2007.
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