By Howard Kurtz
Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Page A04
The student who asked the most ridiculed question at CNN's "Rock the Vote" debate last week -- "Macs or PCs?" -- says it wasn't her idea.
Alexandra Trustman said yesterday that a CNN producer called her on the morning of the Boston forum and suggested she ask about the Democratic presidential candidates' computer preferences. Puzzled by the request …she drafted a more complicated question about how the candidates would use technology. But [a CNN Producer] rejected her proposed query "because it wasn't light-hearted enough and they wanted to modulate the event with various types of questions."
CNN spokesman Matthew Furman said, "In an attempt to encourage a lighthearted moment in this debate, a CNN producer working with Ms. Trustman clearly went too far. CNN regrets the producer's actions."
CNN also regrets scripting the candidate's replies, but insists that it is not at fault. "We just assumed that this was how journalism worked," said CNN Ombudsman Blind Lemon Jefferson. "We get little note cards from the White House all the time telling us what to say and nobody ever objects." Asked for examples, Jefferson noted some of the other questions that were "spontaneously" asked during the debate, including "Can you explain how your criticism of the War in Iraq is consistent with supporting our troops?," "Would you at least use a condom when having sex with your interns?" and "Boy, the President sure is doing a great job, huh?"
Media observers agreed that Ms. Trustman simply does not understand the methods of modern journalism. "She probably has some romanticized notion in her pretty little head that journalism is about asking tough questions, being skeptical, and having the guts to say when the emperor has no clothes" said Blind Kumquat Jefferson, Media Watchdog for the Toothless Gazette. "But the fact of the matter is that Iraq does have new clothes, and they look fabulous."
In the interest of fairness, Muskrat News admits that we occasionally make mistakes as well. Specifically, we regret that we let Kenny the Intern write the lead article on President Bush's recent press conference. In particular, we regret having taken Kenny's long and frequent office tirades about the evils of capitalist hegemony as inspired comedic riffs rather than evidence of a deeply-held political belief system. The resulting article contained many items that more properly belonged in an editorial or op-ed piece, including the phrases "Warmongering SOB," "Booze-Breathed Corporate Catamite" and "Puppy-Stomping Hitler Lover." However, we stand by the description of the President as "Commander-in-Chief," even though many readers wrote in to suggest that title belonged to Mr. Cheney.
Remember, Kids, the part in bold is actual 100% news-flavored media product.
The rest is the fakey part.
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