Matt Taibbi: Lara Logan, You Suck

Posted: Today,4:45 P.M. EDT | By Matt Taibbi
Lara Logan, You Suck

Lara Logan, come on down! You're the next guest on Hysterical Backstabbing Jealous Hackfest 2010!

I thought I'd seen everything when I read David Brooks saying out loud in a New York Times column that reporters should sit on damaging comments to save their sources from their own idiocy. But now we get CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan slamming our own Michael Hastings on CNN's "Reliable Sources" program, agreeing that the Rolling Stone reporter violated an "unspoken agreement" that journalists are not supposed to "embarrass by reporting insults and banter."

Anyone who wants to know why network television news hasn't mattered since the seventies just needs to check out this appearance by Logan. Here's CBS's chief foreign correspondent saying out loud on TV that when the man running a war that's killing thousands of young men and women every year steps on his own dick in front of a journalist, that journalist is supposed to eat the story so as not to embarrass the flag. And the part that really gets me is Logan bitching about how Hastings was dishonest to use human warmth and charm to build up enough of a rapport with his sources that they felt comfortable running their mouths off in front of him. According to Logan, that's sneaky — and journalists aren't supposed to be sneaky:

"What I find is the most telling thing about what Michael Hastings said in your interview is that he talked about his manner as pretending to build an illusion of trust and, you know, he's laid out there what his game is… That is exactly the kind of damaging type of attitude that makes it difficult for reporters who are genuine about what they do, who don't — I don't go around in my personal life pretending to be one thing and then being something else. I mean, I find it egregious that anyone would do that in their professional life."

When I first heard her say that, I thought to myself, "That has to be a joke. It's sarcasm, right?" But then I went back and replayed the clip – no sarcasm! She meant it! If I'm hearing Logan correctly, what Hastings is supposed to have done in that situation is interrupt these drunken assholes and say, "Excuse me, fellas, I know we're all having fun and all, but you're saying things that may not be in your best interest! As a reporter, it is my duty to inform you that you may end up looking like insubordinate douche bags in front of two million Rolling Stone readers if you don't shut your mouths this very instant!" I mean, where did Logan go to journalism school – the Burson-Marsteller agency?

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/matt-taibbi/blogs/TaibbiData_May2010/122137/83512

Tell it!

When I watched Reliable Sources this past weekend, I was shocked by her response.

... with some of her reports from Iraq. But it sounds like even she's been "swallowed up" by the corporate media machine now!

A sad day! And I also just found out a few minutes ago that the first aunt in my Mom's family died today (and my Mom had two brothers and nine sisters for many years now)...

She has always been a honest, responsible journalist. He has shown that he is willing to twist facts to support whatever narrative he's trying to sell at the moment as well as resort to cheap shots and namecalling as the title of this article illustrates.

Is that you Lara?

so there is no reason to trust either one of those jackasses.

So what flag is she waving?

And her attitude was outrageous coming from a journalist.

Her latest comments about the Hastings piece should be grounds for her termination if CBS hopes to retain any credibility in regard to their reporting on the Afghan war. She flat out admitted that she acts more as a PR flunky for the very people she was sent to report on. Her comments could not have been clearer. Her idea of being a journalist is bizarre and sadly it is the norm now with our mainstream news.

In addition, Howie Kurtz is about as corrupt as they come. His Reliable Sources show is a monument to the rot and corruption in media.

It happens all the time with journalists.

While Logan is lovely to look at, her recent reports have been tepid Pentagon press releases.

Wouldn't that be along the same line as saying hey we've heard/seen some unsavory things here, you might want to straighten up. But no they had to go all out to find out every little intimate detail because hey it's news!

being an ass, shouldn't they have done the same for Clinton? Don't know what you read into it but obviously not what I was meaning.

The journalist who posed as a porn producer to infiltrate a Meetup group in a bar in Cambridge--yes, remember Meetup Groups?--for Wes Clark early in the 2004 primaries, and then publishes a front-page article in The Nation excoriating Clark based on how gullible and naive his "campaign" staff is? (They weren't his campaign staff, and it is pretty immoral to pose as a porn producer to do undercover "reporting"). Feh.

what was actually said among your subjects. Unheard of! Didn't Hastings know he was supposed to clean it all up and present a package of 100% pure synthetic bullshit?

we are lost.

I haven't seen the MSM in this much of a tizzy since they were asked to explain why they didn't know a gay male prostitute who represented a newborn partisan Web site was among them.

:rofl:
rocktivity

This is a judgment call IMHO. I'm not a fan of printing gotcha statements by people I've interviewed unless I am certain that it represents who they are and what they are about. In the case of McChrystal, there were likely too many of these statements from him and too many of his staff to conclude that this was anything but what they really thought of the administration.

Part of what Logan said is correct. There is a lot of trust that goes into journalism. Right now, you can bet people are noting how much they can trust Taibbi if they have to deal with him. If I were advising any public or political figure, I'd have them pass on any interview with him and if they couldn't refuse, for some reason, I'd have them be sure they only gave stock answers from the press secretary.

That's what happens when you engage in gotcha journalism or other unsavory practices.

The incompetent/complicit Brooks and Logan should be ashamed..who the fuck do they imagine they are fooling?

Michael Hastings was on a bus in Europe.

Taibbi is sitting in DC, or somewhere else comfy that is very safe compared to Afghanistan.

I think both Taibbi and Logan have alright points of view given their different perspectives on reporting.

I agree.

He surely didn't sugarcoat it and this lady and the MSN have it coming, the truth hurts. That rant made my day, one of the best "calling outs" ever!

people like LL are the reason I dropped cable - the "news" is bullshit and not worth the money.