Impartial moderator or no??
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Impartial moderator or no??
| Thu, 10-02-2008 - 7:22am |
Controversy brews up around VP debate moderator Ifill
- Story Highlights
- PBS' Gwen Ifill set to moderate Thursday's vice presidential debate
- Conservative Web sites are criticizing her new book featuring Barack Obama
- National Review's Geraghty: "further evidence of a jaw-dropping double standard"
- Ifill was criticized for her facial expressions after Sarah Palin's RNC speech
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/01/gwen.ifill/index.html
She has the possibility to make big money on her book if Obama is elected.

Just my opinion, and I am voting McCain, she has moderated many debates and appeared very well educated and impartial.
I think she has the capability of being impartial, and I'm not at all concerned about her abilities. However, it does bother me -- greatly -- that she didn't disclose information about her book to the debate commission when she was selected as a moderator. That kind of disclosure is Journalism 101.
Perception of bias is as dangerous as bias itself.
>>She has the possibility to make big money on her book if Obama is elected.
Whether he is elected or not, she has the possibility of making big money. The fact that he is running at all is what's at issue here -- not whether he wins or loses. History has already been made.
Laura
I wondered what the excuse would be.
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I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure
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Every moderator has a "side" they are on because everyone has a party affiliation, etc.
>>Every moderator has a "side" they are on because everyone has a party affiliation, etc.
Actually, that's not true. Most journalists do not claim party affiliation. (I don't.) In some newsrooms, reporters are even discouraged from voting. The issue of bias is taken very, very seriously by ethical journalists. It's usually a matter of grave concern.
Besides, lots of non-journalists have no party affiliation. I'm perplexed by your assertion that everyone is affiliated with a party.
>>Finding a perfect impartrial person is impossible, because we're all human.
This is absolutely true. That's why responsible journalists do all that they can to show impartiality and avoid even the perception of bias. That's why she should have explicitly disclosed her upcoming book to the debate commission. I really, really respect Gwen Ifill and find her to be one of the most reputable journalists in our country, but I'm disappointed in her at this moment.
Laura