Fox News Reporter Jana Winter Facing Jail For Protecting Source – Mainstream Media Yawns, Raising Questions Of Liberal Bias
report Forbes news reporter, Rick Unger , who declares himself as a liberal (byline “writing from the left on politics and policy”). Rick comments:
In conducting a Google search, I was able to find just one short piece in the Washington Post’s “National” section that was picked up from the AP. The story simply reported that Winter’s hearing in Colorado was not to be delayed. No editorial…no serious coverage…just a few paragraphs on the timing of Winter’s hearing.
There has been absolutely nothing on the subject that I could find in the New York Times while Huffington Post did run one piece telling Ms. Winter’s story.
In response to this profound lack of attention, stories have been running on Foxnews.com, Buzzfeed and the Daily Caller highlighting the fact that had it been a New York Times reporter looking at jail time, the story would be huge.
As one considered to be a member of the liberal media, I have to say that I could not agree more with the conservative publications that are pointing out the hypocrisy.
There is simply no denying that were a Washington Post reporter or a New York Times reporter or a Huffington Post reporter facing jail in similar circumstances, this would, indeed, be a giant story taking up untold column inches in these publications.
Rick then proceeds to slam the liberal media. Too back bad it’s so easy…
Why do I think this?
Because when it has happened in the past to such a reporter, it was a huge story.
This sort of treatment of a Fox News reporter by the more liberal media outlets is not only shameful, it is self-defeating. Turning a blind eye to any reporter who has done their job in this manner serves only to reveal that the publications ignoring the story are only interested in protecting the rights of a journalist when that journalist works for a news organization that meets with their approval.
The fact that there are media organizations that may not respect Fox News—for whatever reason—simply does not make Ms. Winter’s work any less important nor does it make Ms. Winter any less worthy of support.(emphasis added-Ed) You may not like her employer but that does not make Jana Winter less of a reporter—as proven by the fact that she was the one who successfully broke the story that landed her in the soup.
Shame on you…
Shame on any news organization that has not covered Ms. Winter’s predicament and shame on any organization that has failed to editorialize in support of her principled stand. None of you should be surprised if your lack of support for one of your own —and Jana Winter is one of your own—comes back to bite you in the nose sometime in the future when it is your reporter facing a few months in the pokey.
Is “doesn’t fit the narrative” a good enough defense for ignoring Jana Winter? Food for thought.
Yes, I realize the judge has delayed his decision for some time.
