If 'Media matters' for real,
don't parrot false Fox news
When you teach college journalism and use the term "media matters" in your blog, people might expect a little more than repackaged right wing propaganda and talking points.
But on Tuesday Jessica McBride regurgitated a misleading claim from Fox News that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin had pulled up stakes and moved his family to Dallas.
A quick check with Media Matters for America might have saved her parroting false information on her very own McBride's Media Matters.
Media Matters for America points out:
Echoing Hume's misleading report, Limbaugh falsely claimed that New Orleans mayor "has moved to Texas"
On September 13, nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin has "totally left town" and "has moved to Texas ... where his kids are enrolled in school." While the New Orleans Times-Picayune did report on September 10 that "Nagin has purchased a home for his family in Dallas and enrolled his young daughter in school there," the paper added that Nagin "said he will remain in the Crescent City [New Orleans] while his family lives for the next six months in Dallas, making occasional visits to his family when possible."To that add McBride's Sept. 13 report:
On September 12, The Dallas Morning News cited the Times-Picayune article and correctly noted that Nagin said he would remain in New Orleans while his family lives temporarily in Dallas.
Limbaugh's misinformation echoed a misleading "Political Grapevine" segment on the September 12 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume. Citing The Dallas Morning News, host Brit Hume claimed that "Nagin pulled up stakes and moved his family to Dallas," where he "has already bought a house ... and enrolled his daughter in school." But Hume did not disclose that The Dallas Morning News article -- as well as the Times-Picayune article on which it was based -- stated that Nagin said he would remain in New Orleans. Hume made a similarly misleading statement on the September 13 edition of Special Report, noting without additional explanation that Nagin "has now moved his family to his new home in Dallas."
From the September 13 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: Ray Nagin, the mayor, who has moved to Texas. He's totally left town. Mayor Nagin has left town, set up stakes in, I think, Dallas, where his kids are enrolled in school. Says the city is bankrupt, and, uh, they need help.
From the September 12 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:
HUME: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin greeted President Bush when Mr. Bush arrived in Louisiana last night and was at his side as he fielded questions on the Katrina relief efforts this morning. That quality time with the president, however, marks the mayor's first visit to the disaster area since Wednesday, when Nagin pulled up stakes and moved his family to Dallas. The Dallas Morning News reports that Nagin has already bought a house in the city and enrolled his daughter in school there. When the mayor appeared on [NBC's] Meet the Press on Sunday from Dallas, he was never asked about his presence there, or his decision to move his family.
From the September 13 edition of Special Report with Brit Hume:
HUME: But despite the lack of funds, Mayor Nagin, who has now moved his family to his new home in Dallas, says he won't stand for state or federal officials assigning reconstruction projects without the approval of city officials, saying, quote, "I don't want anybody outside of New Orleans planning nothing as it relates to how we're going to rebuild this city without us signing off on it."
While the New Orleans Times-Picayune did report on September 10 that "Nagin has purchased a home for his family in Dallas and enrolled his young daughter in school there," the paper added that Nagin "said he will remain in the Crescent City [New Orleans] while his family lives for the next six months in Dallas, making occasional visits to his family when possible."
On September 12, The Dallas Morning News cited the Times-Picayune article and correctly noted that Nagin said he would remain in New Orleans while his family lives temporarily in Dallas
Now comes the news that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has purchased a home in Dallas and enrolled his daughter in school there. Hardly sends a message of resolve, rebuilding, and hope for New Orleans, does it? He's also rarely been at the disaster site since.As for McBride's claim that he's rarely been at the disaster site since,Nagin is pictured above riding through the disaster site with a guy named "W" on the day of her post.
posted by xoff @ 8:23 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Nothing changes from what Jessica said to what you've quoted, except the possibility of Nagin moving his family back is an open question. After all, why BUY a house in Dallas if the relocation is only temporary? Of course, given the probable hostility of his neighbors should he move back to New Orleans, keeping his family in Dallas may be an understandable choice.
As for the picture you posted, well that's one visit to New Orleans.
Maybe I've just been watching too much TV the last 2 weeks, but I see the mayor in NOLA every day.
Do you think there is a conspiracy by the media to pretend he's there when they do interviews?
Coverage tends to blur together. Every time I looked up he was in Baton Rouge. And, at the time of Jessica's comment, "rarely" still applied.
So why do you think he purchased a house in Dallas instead of rented?
I have no idea why he bought a house. There is probably a financial reason.
But I think that when you claim that the mayor has abandoned his city, the burden of proof is on the one making that claim, not on me. And I've seen no evidence.
In the early days after the storm, he was criticized for REFUSING to leave New Orleans, and operating out of a damaged hotel near city hall, even though his staff had set up a temporary mayor's office in Baton Rouge. He wouldn't abandon his people then, so I doubt he is doing it now.
Let’s play it your way XOff – Say you are a political advisor to Mayor Nagin; he says,
“Billy, my trusted advisor, what should I do. I want my child to start school?”
Your advice would be:
A. Mayor, move to a nearby city in Louisiana – I am sure with our connections we can find someone with a suitable apartment. You shouldn’t buy a home because it sends the wrong message.
B. Mayor, you need to put your family in a trailer and even though there are no schools open in the area – just have your daughter do without an education (I realize that home schooling would be out of the question).
C. Go ahead and go to Texas Mayor, rent a house or apartment and have your daughter enrolled in school.
D. Buy a house in Texas and have your wife and daughter move there and enroll her in school.
I am guessing you'd advise him to do just about anything but D.
This mayor is out of his mind.
Well, he is a David Clarke Democrat, who switched from the GOP to run for mayor, then endorsed the Repub who ran against Blanco for governor.
I offer that as further evidence that he is out of his mind.
Post a Comment
<< Home