Slate's Bizbox
press box: Media criticism.

McSwoon at the New York Times

Jack Shafer
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2000, at 3:12 PM ET
New York Times; Feb. 13, 2000; Page 27

Even when the press comes bearing bad news about John McCain, it ties the package up with a pretty bow.

On Sunday, the New York Times published a critical piece about McCain, chronicling how he pushed through legislation that gave lucrative radio licenses to rich clients of influential lobbyists. In the Times' words, the story "provides a revealing glimpse of how Mr. McCain operates as Commerce Committee chairman"--and, one might add, a telling contrast to his stump rhetoric.

You'd never know this, though, from the way the story was presented. The headline, "McCain Broke With His Party in Licensing Flap," makes it sound as if McCain took a principled stand against the Republican leadership. (The story itself has almost nothing about this being a party matter.) And the photo! Chin heroically tilted upward and shot from beneath, the out-of-focus stars from a flag in the background forming a halo around his head: It could easily adorn a McCain-for-president campaign brochure, if not a banner in the May Day parade in Moscow circa 1935.

How many readers paged past the story thinking it was a salute to McCain rather than a slam? As former Reagan image manager Michael Deaver liked to say, never mind the words, the pictures are what counts.

Got a tip for Press Box? Drop a line to

Print This ArticlePRINTDiscuss this in The FrayDISCUSSEmail to a FriendE-MAIL
Share on FacebookPost to MySpace!Share with MixxDigg ThisShare with RedditShare with del.icio.usShare with FurlShare with Ma.gnolia.comShare with SphereShare with Stumble Upon
Jack Shafer is Slate's editor at large.
Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum
What did you think of this article?
POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES

Highlights from The Fray:


This is nonsense. The stance that McCain took, as well-explained in the NYT piece, was against the free lottery system of radio licenses, and instead in favor of a market-based auction system. Yes, auctions favor the rich over the poor. But does anyone--Shafer included--think we should be giving away a valuable commodity on the radio spectrum for free, and losing potential government revenue as a result?

--Ravi Desai

(To reply, click here.)

(2/18)

Washington Post
The Washington Post
OPINIONS
Let the Oil Deals Flow
Raad Alkadiri | Congress should not interfere in the oil industry's contract negotiations with the Iraqi government.