ABC News made Keith's worst person's list for this fiasco. Apparently as Media Matters has reported, they're going to feature Andrew Breitbart in their coverage of the mid-term elections this year. Put this one under the you've got to be f**king kidding me column.
Failing Upward: Breitbart To Be Featured in ABC's 2010 Election Coverage:
Media Matters has confirmed that noted propagandist Andrew Breitbart will provide analysis for ABC News during their election night coverage.
After Breitbart's BigJournalism.com website reported that Breitbart would "be bringing analysis live from Arizona" for ABC, Media Matters confirmed his participation in a town hall meeting anchored by ABC's David Muir and Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg that will be featured in the network's coverage.
Asked about Breitbart's history of unethical behavior and misinformation, ABC News' David Ford told Media Matters: "He will be one of many voices on our air, including Bill Adair of Politifact. If Andrew Breitbart says something that is incorrect, we have other voices to call him on it."
Media figures and outlets from across the board rejected Breitbart's race-baiting lies after he smeared former USDA official Shirley Sherrod as a "racist," using as "proof" a heavily edited video of comments she made during a March NAACP event that he posted on his site BigGovernment.com.
ABC's Terry Moran subsequently reported that "Breitbart had released only a clip of her speech, which distorted her real meaning, that she was wrong and had learned from her error," while Donna Brazile said that Breitbart "should apologize" to Sherrod. Both Brazile and Moran will also be featured during ABC's election night coverage.
Go read the rest and here's more from Digby on this -- Send In The Clowns:
ABC has hired Andrew Breitbart and his lying little helper Dana Loesch to do election night coverage. Seriously.
I don't think I have to spell out all the ways in which it is an insult to its viewers and to its journalists to do this. There are many examples of his grievously bad judgment and disgusting behavior, many of which are listed here. But my personal favorite of his "journalistic" top ten screw-ups has to be this one: [...]
ABC must know that the Shirley Sherrod or ACORN stories aren't the only examples of his mendacious ways. He's made his career out of these racist video hoaxes. It isn't a coincidence. So I think we have to assume they think having a lying racist on the air will bring in some ratings. Whether they foolishly see this as adding "edge" to their allegedly hip "Facebook" program or whether they are making a pitch for Fox's white supremacist audience, it's a journalistic travesty to allow this man and his lying lieutenant anywhere near a legitimate news organization.
But then these news outlets are all making huge profits from the right wing buy out of our democracy, so maybe it's just the price of doing business.
There's more at Digby's place as well, and if you'd like to voice your displeasure over this decision here's ABC's contact page.
