Saturday, September 01, 2007

Lies from Iraq! Who's writing Katie's Baghdad blog?


"Here I am, my first day in Baghdad... It is overwhelming to be here and there is so much to take in..."

Four days short of a year ago, we posted an item titled, "Katie Couric kicks off with a big lie," pointing out that days before her debut as the CBS News celebrity newsreader, the network had begun running a "Katie Couric blog" that was purportedly-- but obviously not-- written by Katie.

Not too many people gave a toss-- until April, when an online commentary posted under her Katie's byline was found to be plagiarized from the Wall Street Journal. CBS News was quick to admit that Katie had nothing to do with the stolen words-- and even fired the producer who was Katie's ghost.

Now, Katie is in Iraq, in a desperate, sad stunt to generate ratings at the end of her snakebit first year-- and she's allegedly posting reflections on her blog from Baghdad.

The blog posting is boilerplate corporate propaganda, full of pro-military one liners (an obvious sop to CBS' hosts):
"...his personal opinion was that the U.S. has a responsibility to continue its presence here because, as he put it, 'We tipped over the apple cart'..."

"...The parents said they don't blame it on U.S. forces, and said they hope American troops stay, because if they don't, the 'militias will kill everyone'..."

"...The father... blamed the government and said a more secular government would do a better job..."
In a nod to Katie's cult, the posting includes the obligatory Wizard of Oz reference:
"...I guess that's why the author of a recent book on the zone named it 'Imperial Life in the Emerald City'..."
And it even includes a tease of what Katie will be presenting in future broadcasts:
"I'm anxious to talk to General Petraeus, to other top military brass, to some of the soldiers, and to Ambassador Crocker to get a better handle on the political situation..."
Think Katie wrote this? Again, it's obvious that the aging cutesie who seeks "America"'s trust-- is lying again.

2 comments:

  1. So Katie borrowed an underling's byline and publicly returned it when the time was right.

    Actually I don't mind if a network show has a team of internal bloggers (or producers, expanding on their news duties). Just don't call it Katie's blog.

    I think this was a weird move, to drop her into Iraq. Ratings or not, if she ends up in a body bag Moonves has an automatic trap-door exit for the 6:00 problem. Not to mention, potential martyr status and endless PR for a well-known anchor.

    I dunno... it's just not settling in right on this side of the TV set.

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  2. I like cynical girl's last line. That's the key.
    BK's "stunt" works well, too.
    I'll add "desparate" and "embarrassing."

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