Blogs > Cliopatria > AMERICAN MEDIA LOSING READERS' TRUST?

May 29, 2009

AMERICAN MEDIA LOSING READERS' TRUST?




Blogging for the Telegraph about White House spokesmen attack on the general trustworthiness of the British media by Andy Gibbs, Nile Gardner writes:

Can you imagine Gibbs making these remarks about The New York Times or The Washington Post, or NBC, ABC or CBS? This would never happen. The British press, especially the Telegraph, has been singled out because they frequently publish articles critical of the Obama administration and are not afraid to take on the status quo in Washington. Increasingly, millions of Americans are turning to online UK news websites for cutting edge reports on American politics and U.S. foreign policy that the mainstream media refuses to cover in the States, especially if it is unflattering to the Obama White House.

Robert Gibbs' completely unwarranted rant against the British press is an absolute disgrace, and the President should disown his views. An unreserved apology by Gibbs is also in order.

For all its talk of"raising America's standing" in the world after the Bush years, the Obama administration is doing a spectacularly bad job of reaching out to its allies. Unfortunately this is the new face of America's public diplomacy, which will only serve to alienate public opinion across the Atlantic. Congratulations Gibbs - you've just made an enemy out of the entire British media, quite an achievement for the man in charge of selling the President's message.

In other words, the American mendia continues it's uncritical cheer leading for Obama. Perhaps, that not the internet is the reason it is losing customers.



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