Brent Baker
Journalists at the networks may continue to deny any personal left-wing bias (witness the hostile reaction to Bernard Goldberg) but last week an ABC prime time entertainment show highlighted the leftist ideology of one fictional reporter who lashed out at Republicans as “fascists” as she resisted airing a story which would hurt a Democratic Senate candidate.
The plot line occurred on ABC’s The Beast, about the workings at the World News Service, a California-based cable news channel.
The reporter, named “Alice,” not only blasted conservative views (“If you think a woman doesn’t have the right to control her own body, if you think that freedom means that you can carry an assault weapon with armor piercing bullets, then yes, yes, yes, [shouting] I think you’re a fascist”), she gushed to a liberal Senator-elect before interviewing him on air: “I’ve always admired you. You know. I remember when you were a freshman Congressman and they blew up that abortion clinic in San Diego. I saw you on TV and you walked those doctors back into the clinic and I was thinking ‘there goes a very brave man.’”
In the June 20 edition of the show, reporter “Alice Allenby,” played by actress Elizabeth Mitchell, enthusiastically pursues charges that workers for the Republican U.S. Senate candidate, in a special California election which is too close to call even a day later, committed vote fraud to steal the election. She soon learns, however, that the Democratic candidate, “Hansen,” who is named the winner, really committed more vote fraud. At a nursing home she discovers that a Hansen-backer who owns many nursing homes used the names of dead and living residents to file absentee ballots.
Walking down the driveway outside the nursing home this exchange takes place between Alice, who wants to not report her discovery, and her cameraman, “Ryan”:
Ryan: “Hey, what’s wrong? That was prime time, blow the roof off brilliant.”
Alice: “Do you know what kind of a man Bill Hansen is? He is honorable, he is courageous. He is closest thing that my generation has to Bobby Kennedy.”
Ryan: “Ah, that’s a bloody myth. You’re confusing reality with great hair.”
Alice: “Excuse me.”
Ryan: “Bobby Kennedy was a hatchet man for his brother, they were both ruthless.”
Alice: “Listen, we’re not saying anything to anyone, understand?”
Ryan: “Why not?”
Alice: “Because, because we don’t have enough proof.”
Ryan: “Proof? You’ve got proof that a dead woman voted for Hansen by absentee ballot.”
Alice: “It’s still not enough. Somebody organized this. I need to find someone in the Hansen campaign who, who will go on record, even anonymously, before we can run it.” [after getting into their van, Ryan puts video camera up to her window] “What are you doing?”
Ryan: “Why don’t you tell the camera why you’re willing to slap a Republican and roll over for a Democrat.”
Alice: “Put the camera down, Ryan.”
Ryan: “No, come on, tell me.”
Alice: “Look, we don’t have enough proof, alright? When we have enough proof, we will run it.”
Ryan: “Yes, we do. Every T may not be crossed, but we have a boatload. You’re so infatuated with Hansen you’re afraid to hurt him.”
Alice: “That is not true.”
Ryan: “Then what, you just hate Republicans?”
Alice: “Just, just get in the car, alright Ryan? Just get in the car and drive.”
Ryan: “Go on, go on and say it.”
Alice: “I don’t hate Republicans Ryan. I just think that most of them are [screaming] fascists.”
Ryan: “Like me, then?”
Alice: “If you think a woman doesn’t have the right to control her own body, if you think that freedom means that you can carry an assault weapon with armor piercing bullets, then yes, yes, yes, [shouting] I think you’re a fascist.”
Ryan: “That’s what I thought.”
Alice is eventually convinced by Ryan and goes with the story.
Here’s how the ABC Web site describes the show:
Jackson Burns is an iconoclastic media mogul who has built a 24-hour broadcast news organization like no other. Jackson's (Frank Langella) unique team of reporters not only cover the stories but are covered as part of the story. Cameras in the halls, in their cars, and behind closed doors document the inner workings of World News Service (WNS) — a.k.a. The Beast — and the images captured are broadcast live to the world via the Internet.
From Jackson's perspective, journalists have lost all credibility. He believes that he must turn the cameras on his reporters to ensure their veracity and guarantee that the public gets the whole truth. For magazine reporter Alice Allenby (Elizabeth Mitchell), WNS is a frightening product of technology that crosses the line of propriety into voyeurism and sensationalism.
Jackson entices Alice with promises of more freedom, access, and resources than she could ever dream of. But Alice is torn between her desire to report the news and the organization's desire to make her a part of it.
Diverse and driven, the WNS staff shares a mutual need — to feed The Beast.
END Reprint from plug posted at:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/thebeast/index.html
After watching two episodes, I’d say this is definitely not “must see TV.” I’d bet it’s cancelled before the end of July.
(This article courtesy of Media Research Center.)
