FAIR Action Alert: CNN vs. "Sicko"

[swag]

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3135

. . .

When Moore confronted CNN's Blitzer about the inaccuracies in their "reality check" segment, he responded: "Well, if we get that confirmed, obviously, we'll correct the record." And CNN did correct one thing—Gupta acknowledged his error about Cuba's per capita spending ($25 versus $251). On CNN's Newsroom (7/10/07), Gupta seemed taken aback by the whole thing, saying, "Yesterday there was a lot said by Michael, quite frankly, lots of numbers thrown around, and it can get admittedly somewhat confusing."

He did not apologize for criticizing Moore for using current healthcare figures rather than outdated ones, or for implying that Moore concealed Cuba's healthcare ranking, or for misleading viewers about the findings of the survey on waiting times. "We're comfortable with what we presented," Gupta said, aside from misrepresenting what Moore reported about Cuban healthcare costs by a factor of 10, which Gupta attributed to "an error of transcribing the number down incorrectly."

"As a journalist and a doctor the facts are extremely important to me," Gupta claimed. That priority is not at all evident from his report on Sicko, which instead suggested that his chief goal was discrediting Moore's film. In pursuit of that mission he ended up making more serious factual errors than any he actually found in Moore's film. Gupta's failure to retract the other falsehoods, beyond his "transcribing" error, suggests that facts are actually of little importance to him compared to maintaining the pretense that he is an expert and that activist/journalists like Moore are not to be trusted.

The tendency for mainstream journalists to resist criticism is not surprising. Gupta's CNN colleague Kyra Phillips perhaps said it best when she referred to the second part of Moore's interview with Blitzer: "You can tune in to the Situation Room at 4:00 Eastern for a little more unedited Moore interview, if you can stomach it."

The implication couldn't be clearer: If we make false claims about your work, it's downright rude of you to say something about it.

. . . more

[catgirl]

1. K & R

I got into a short (I made it short) argument about this with a yes, you guessed it,
physician. He was using the inaccurate info from CNN-to the word. He actually called
me biased (barf) because of a 6 degrees of separation with Michael Moore. I did get
the last word in about the messed up health care in the US due to specialists that know
nothing outside of their boxes. All the people around applauded me with their nods and
smiles.

[TahitiNut]

2. CNN/Gupta had more misrepresentations in just a couple of minutes than Moore in his ENTIRE film!!

Appalling!

[BlooInBloo]

6. "fudges".

[Usrename]

3. Gupta lied in Michael's face during the "mia culpa" interview.

He can't help it because all he knows how to do is lie.

A great letter by caligirl:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1300007&mesg_id=1300052

[vademocrat]

4. Also, Gupta's segment was a "Keeping Them Honest " piece

on Anderson Cooper's show - who's keeping THEM honest?

What really bothers me is this "misrepresenting what Moore reported about Cuban healthcare costs by a factor of 10, which Gupta attributed to "an error of transcribing the number down incorrectly." This kind of transcription error should be unacceptable especially when their "mission" is to "keep them honest".

I've been too mad to write an email to Anderson Cooper but I think I'll copy what I've just written and send it....

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

5. He (Gupta) was completely convinced of his own bullshit.

He is just like every neocon I've ever met, read, seen.

[swag]

7. Click the link in the OP if you care to offer a comment to CNN or participate otherwise.

[ConsAreLiars]

8. Here's my letter.

Well, are you going to fire Gupta and hire someone who is an advocate for better health care instead? You ran his lies for a couple weeks before every mention of Moore's SiCKO, even though you had already learned it was full of false claims about the film and about how US health care stacks up against the civilized world. So I guess not.

He presents the propaganda of the "health business" jackals, and serves their corporate goals of enhancing their profits through deception, and he does his job well. So I expect you will choose to continue to be loyal servants to those who pay you.

Wishing that you get a conscience, but doubtful,
(Signed)