Armstrong Williams: I am not the only one?!?

shecky

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shecky
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
2,192
Was this guy just kidding?

And then Williams violated a PR rule: he got off-point. "This happens all the time," he told me. "There are others." Really? I said. Other conservative commentators accept money from the Bush administration? I asked Williams for names. "I'm not going to defend myself that way," he said. The issue right now, he explained, was his own mistake. Well, I said, what if I call you up in a few weeks, after this blows over, and then ask you? No, he said.
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Is this form of payola really more commonplace? Or was he just trying to make nervous smalltalk with a colleague?
 
It wouldn't surprise me. There's scads of ways to pay off someone, and it doesn't always include money.

Armstrong Williams probably won't be out of a job, (though he ought to be), but so should many in the mainstream media. Granted, he's paid for his opinion, not his news reporting, but there's something to be said for at least making the attempt at objectivity. After all, just ask Dan Rather.
 
There are right wing commentators in Australia who make no pretence at not sucking up to the Conservative politicians. They get business connections, parties, dinners, 'scoops', etc.

There was a 'cash for comments' scandal recently where paid 'opinions' were broadcast for various companies and products. Eg, one month the Telstra company is a bunch of blood sucking leaches, the next they seem to be doing their best to provide phose services for a reasonable amount.

If this was done for commercial interests, I don't see why the same lack of principles could not be applied to political ones.

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1095125.htm
 
a_unique_person said:
There are right wing commentators in Australia who make no pretence at not sucking up to the Conservative politicians. They get business connections, parties, dinners, 'scoops', etc.

There was a 'cash for comments' scandal recently where paid 'opinions' were broadcast for various companies and products. Eg, one month the Telstra company is a bunch of blood sucking leaches, the next they seem to be doing their best to provide phose services for a reasonable amount.

If this was done for commercial interests, I don't see why the same lack of principles could not be applied to political ones.

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1095125.htm
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In reading your link, AUP, I was surprised at the transparent lack of continuity in the punishments between the two. One got a serious slap, the other got a finger wag. Will you keep us up to date on this? This is serious business.
 
It's all ancient history now. We are slowly sliding down the slippery slope.

The whole story is much worse than this one episode shows.

There was an official enquiry about the whole shenanigans, and there defence was amazing. Although they pontificate about all things political, their defence was that they aren't journalists, but 'entertainers'.

The chairman of the enquirey was caught writing letters of endorsement to Alan Jones, one of the accused.

He finally resigned, but not before a protracted fight about whether or not he had done anything wrong.

The only reason the conservative government is still in power, imho, is because much of the press is determined to get the government re-elected.
 
I have to come out and admit this. I thought I'd get away with it, but Williams admission has left me no alternative.


I, too, have been paid by the Bush Administration to say nice things.

I got $72,000 over the last 3 years for saying things I believed in. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe in it, but the money helped.



(TEE HEE)


That quote from Williams saying he said things he believed in. That was priceless. It reminds me so much of the line from Quiz Show, where Charles Van Doren's father learns that his son has been part of a conspiracy with the show's producers to fake his winning streak:

"They paid you all that money to answer questions they knew you knew. Now THAT'S inflation, Charlie!"
 
Silicon said:
I got $72,000 over the last 3 years for saying things I believed in. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe in it, but the money helped.
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Yeees ... Have you considered the possibility that you believe what you do because other people were paid $24,000 a year to persuade you? And others (like Williams) paid rather more to do it surreptitiously?

(I don't know what kind of persuader you have to be at $24,000 pa. You've never persuaded me of anything, so I'm in no position to judge.)
 
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