Prometheus 6

Having It Both Ways
What Hugh Hewitt’s ‘interview’ with Sarah Palin says about journalism today
By Brent Cunningham Wed 1 Oct 2008 01:42 PM

There is zero journalistic value in Hewitt’s interview. There isn’t even the illusion of critical distance, of healthy skepticism, of intellectually honest inquiry, of some sense that it is crucial to deeply sound out this person who wants to lead our nation at such a perilous time on what she would bring to the table. Instead, we get culture war nonsense about Joe Six-Pack and “gotcha” questions from the Elite Media....

So my question to Cillizza —and to ABC’s Jake Tapper and to Jimmy Orr at The Christian Science Monitor and anyone else who cited this interview—is, if you’re going to call attention to Hewitt’s work, why not go the extra step and label it what is? Especially when what you’re calling attention to is his ridiculous media bashing. Otherwise, you risk giving Hewitt’s hackery the imprimatur of real journalism....

There is nothing wrong with what Hewitt does, but let’s be honest—and clear—about what it is and what it is not.