• Katie Couric,  Sarah Palin

    Video: Sarah Palin Gets a Second Chance to Answer Katie Couric’s Reading Question

    Well, most reasonable people understand that Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin just froze when asked by Katie Couric about her reading background the first time. But, the LEFT and lamestream media spun it into a Dan Quayle potato spelling moment.

    So, does Sarah Palin acquit herself?

    Barbara Walters dismissed Sarah Palin as “uninformed” on Thursday, telling the former Republican governor, “…Many people find the thought of you as president a little scary.”

    The View co-host appeared on Good Morning America to promote her upcoming 10 Most Fascinating People special. She derided Palin, “You hear, ‘Oh, she’s very charming, but she’s uninformed.'”

    Previewing the program with GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts, Walters explained how she retrieved a famous question from Katie Couric: “And you know, the Katie Couric question that caused her so much trouble? What do you read?…I gave her another chance.”

    In the clip of the special, Walters condescendingly reworded the critique: “Would you like to tell us what newspapers, magazines or books you are reading right now?”

    And, Sarah Palin’s answer:

    I read a lot of C.S. Lewis when I want some divine inspiration. I read Newsmax and Wall Street Journal. I read all of our local papers, of course, in Alaska because that’s where my heart is. I read anything and everything that I can get my hands on, as I have since I was a little girl. And that’s one of those things, Barbara, where that issue that I don’t read or I’m not informed, it’s one of those questions where I like to turn that around and ask the reporters, why would it be that there is that perception that I don’t read?

    The whole perception that Sarah Palin was an unread creton was B.S. from the beginning. But, you know, Katie Couric, received a journalism award (from USC Annenberg School of Communications, Norman Lear Center) because Palin had a freeze up.

    Because, we all know what a penetrating questioner and honest journalist Katie Couric is.

  • ABC,  Barack Obama,  Brian Williams,  CBS News,  Katie Couric,  NBC News

    Katie Couric and CBS Television News Rating Plummets to Obama Channel – NBC

    Couric-falls-in-ratings

    Guess Katie Couric better hope she can see Sarah Palin from her mansion soon, right?

    NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was the #1 evening newscast again last week with a more than 800,000 viewer lead over #2 World News with Charles Gibson. And with an average of 5.18M Total Viewers, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric had its lowest viewership yet. In fact, it’s the lowest viewership since at least the 1991/92 season, as far back as Nielsen records track.

    • Total Viewers: NBC: 7,960,000 / ABC: 7,150,000 / CBS: 5,180,000
    • 25-54 demo: NBC: 2,380,000 / ABC: 2,030,000 / CBS: 1,590,000

    NBC Nightly News featured exclusive interviews of President Barack Obama last week: Inside the Obama White House.

    Look for ABC and CBS to scramble for some Obama time.

    And, Katie – stay classy, “Dont Be a Hater”, OK?


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  • John Ziegler,  Katie Couric,  Norman Lear,  Sarah Palin,  University of Southern California

    John Ziegler Answers USC Response to His Frogmarch

    John Ziegler / Katie Couric at USC from Orange County Films on Vimeo.

    John Ziegler is handcuffed, detained and escorted off the University of Southern California campus, April 15, 2009 – the long version

    I received an e-mail from John Zielger on Saturday saying he would be responding to USC Annenberg Dean Ernie Wilson’s response to the April 15, 2009 incident where Ziegler was handcuffed and detained on the USC campus.

    Here is Ziegler’s inline sentence by sentence answer (in bold):

    Thank you for your communication about the recent incident that took place at the Cronkite Awards ceremony involving an individual named John Ziegler. I want you to know the background of the situation. 

    In the days before his appearance on our campus, Mr. Ziegler publicly stated an intention to “demonstrate” (not true. I used the word â€protest” and later sent out a private e-mail to my website’s mailing list telling my “followers” NOT to come or protest, my op-ed and press release on the matter said only that I would be giving out copies of my film) against the presentation of a journalism award to Katie Couric. USC was happy to accommodate Ziegler and provided him with a designated area where he could register his protest (not true. that was not offered until after I was handcuffed and was irrelevant because I was not “protesting” but rather asking questions), be seen by attendees at the event, as well as students, and pass out whatever materials he wished.  
     
    On the day of the award ceremony, Mr. Ziegler arrived on campus with two cameramen (not true. we arrived separately and they did not work for me), not as a demonstrator, but as a journalist (really?? that’s very interesting and certainly not how they treated me), and demanded (false, I asked and never even pursued entering, only asking for a rationale for why I was not allowed to) that he and his cameramen be allowed to enter the Davidson Center to cover the event. There was in fact, pool coverage set up because the room was not large enough to accommodate multiple camera crews. He was told he could have that feed, which he refused (not true, I would have been happy to have the feed and inquired as to how to get it).  After being told repeatedly that the event was by invitation only, he contended he had a right to roam up and down the entryway with his cameramen (I didn’t have the right to be on an “open” campus that takes federal money??!), and he persisted in refusing to comply with the University’s request that he stay within a designated area (not true, that was after I was handcuffed) . After repeated requests for compliance, Mr. Ziegler was given the choice of either being arrested or leaving campus. He chose to leave campus (false, after being handcuffed. I was told I was under arrest and would be booked, then the LAPD and some higher ups arrived and I was told to leave or I would be booked and the camera people would be as well).
     
    The University both respects and facilitates freedom of speech and expression on campus (just not for conservative filmmakers asking about bogus awards given to liberal media members), but also reserves the right to set reasonable ground-rules to avoid disruption to its operations and protect the rights of others (which was in no way endangered in this situation). We at the Annenberg School have a powerful and evident commitment to protecting and promoting freedom of expression and the rights of the press (really??). I respect your feelings about how this incident was handled (gee, I wonder why!).

    Sincerely,

    Ernest J. Wilson III

    Dean and Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication

    Ziegler says he will be pursuing his legal rights in the matter and it is my bet, USC will cut its losses and apologize in some way.

    As the university should…….

    Previous:

    The USC Response to the Frogmarching of John Ziegler

    Video: John Ziegler – “I Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong”

    Video: The USC Trojan Frogmarch of John Ziegler


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  • John Ziegler,  Katie Couric,  Norman Lear,  Sarah Palin,  University of Southern California

    The USC Response to the Frogmarching of John Ziegler

    John Ziegler / Katie Couric at USC from Orange County Films on Vimeo.

    John Ziegler is handcuffed, detained and escorted off the University of Southern California campus, April 15, 2009 – the long version

    The University of Southern California has responded to the April 15, 2009 FLAP with conservative filmmaker John Ziegler. Note it is reported on an employee of the Annenberg Center who just happens to be a liberal, left-wing journalist, Marc Cooper’s blog.

    Here’s the statement from Annenberg Dean Ernie Wilson:

    “In the last 24 hours, the School has received a number of calls and messages related to an incident that took place on Wednesday at the Cronkite Awards ceremony involving an individual named John Ziegler. Understandably, there has been confusion, questions and concerns. I want you to know the background of the situation.

    In the days before his appearance on our campus, Mr. Ziegler publicly stated an intention to “demonstrate” against the presentation of a journalism award to Katie Couric. USC was happy to accommodate Ziegler and provided him with a designated area where he could register his protest, be seen by attendees at the event, as well as students, and pass out whatever materials he wished.

    On the day of the award ceremony, Mr. Ziegler arrived on campus with two cameramen, not as a demonstrator, but as a journalist, and demanded that he and his cameramen be allowed to enter the Davidson Center to cover the event. There was in fact, pool coverage set up because the room was not large enough to accommodate multiple camera crews. He was told he could have that feed, which he refused.  After being told repeatedly that the event was by invitation only, he contended he had a right to range up and down the entryway with his cameramen, sticking a microphone in other people’s faces, questioning them on camera.  He persisted in refusing to comply with the University’s request that he stay within a designated area. After repeated requests for compliance, Mr. Ziegler was given the choice of either being arrested or leaving campus.

    He chose to leave campus.

    The University both respects and facilitates freedom of speech and expression on campus, but  also  reserves the right to set  reasonable  ground-rules  to avoid disruption to  its operations and protect the rights of others. We at the Annenberg School have a powerful and evident commitment to protecting and promoting freedom of expression and the rights of the press. We have spoken with Martha Harris, Senior Vice President, University Relations, to express our concern with how Annenberg has been associated with this incident, and to discuss as well as our general philosophy on how these situations can be handled in the future.

    If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact James Grant in University Communications. In addition, if you are not already doing so, please refer any media queries about this issue to James Grant at james.grant@usc.edu …”

    Sincerely,

    Ernest J. Wilson III

    Dean and

    Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication

    So, was the University of Southern California who apparently has been taken over by the LEFT in some schools too heavy handed in its treatment of John Ziegler?

    In November 2005, David Horowitz, president of the Center of Popular Culture, released a study of professors’ political stances in top colleges throughout the United States.

    Horowitz found that professors registered as Democrats outnumbered those registered as Republicans 13-1 at USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism. Democrats also outnumbered Republicans 8-1 among the teaching staff at the USC Gould School of Law.

    Or was the conservative Ziegler just an attention seeking MORON who didn’t know his own place?

    You be the judge on the matter but if anything Ziegler drew attention to the faux-award given to Katie Couric by a left-wing Norman Lear Center of the Annenberg School of Communications which is cloaking its legitimacy in the donation of a rich leftist to a major university.

    What USC won’t do for the money……but it has always been this way.

    Previous:

    Video: John Ziegler – “I Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong”

    Video: The USC Trojan Frogmarch of John Ziegler


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  • John Ziegler,  Katie Couric,  Marty Kaplan,  Norman Lear,  Sarah Palin,  University of Southern California

    Video: John Ziegler – “I Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong”

    Conservative Filmmaker John Ziegler interviewed by Greta Van Susteren

    Remember the Flap from yesterday.

    Apparently, the University of Southern California does NOT appreciate this type of journalism. The video above shows John Ziegler as he is handcuffed, detained and then escorted off the USC campus for attempting to interview people attending the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.Also, Ziegler wanted to give away copies of his film on Sarah Palin.

    Watch the video above and then read this piece from a left-wing pundit.

    Press awards are generally open events, but even if it was a closed affair, Ziegler had a right to be a nuisance at USC.

    After all, this is America.

    A bad move for the Annenberg School of Communications, the Norman Lear Center and the University of Southern California.

    Wonder if Katie Couric will EVER have a comment?


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  • John Ziegler,  Katie Couric,  Marty Kaplan,  Norman Lear,  Sarah Palin,  University of Southern California

    Video: The USC Trojan Frogmarch of John Ziegler

    John Ziegler is handcuffed, detained and escorted off the University of Southern California campus, April 15, 2009

    Apparently, the University of Southern California does NOT appreciate this type of journalism. The video above shows John Ziegler as he is handcuffed, detained and then escorted off the USC campus for attempting to interview people attending the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.Also, Ziegler wanted to give away copies of his film on Sarah Palin

    Professional television journalists from across the county and a group of USC Annenberg students and faculty gathered April 15 for the 5th Walter Cronkite Awards Ceremony, administered by the Norman Lear Center, at USC’s Davidson Conference Center. The ceremony included a roundtable discussion and a luncheon where winners received their awards and gave remarks.

    Katie Couric made the trip to Los Angeles, taking time from her position as anchor and managing editor for the CBS Evening News to accept her award for “Special Achievement for National Impact on the 2008 Campaign,” which she won for her interviews with Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. At the podium Couric told the audience she went to great lengths to be unbiased in her interviews, focusing on every facial expression and body position.

    The Norman Lear Center in the USC Annenberg School for Communication, you say, sponsored these awards. Might they be a little nonplussed at the conservative Ziegler and called out – “SECURITY?”

    The Norman Lear Center was founded and is directed by Marty Kaplan, associate dean of the USC Annenberg School, who has been a political speechwriter, Hollywood studio executive, and screenwriter-producer.

    And, who is Marty Kaplan,the Director of the Norman Lear Center?

    Marty Kaplan is the Norman Lear Professor of Entertainment, Media and Society at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the founding director of the Norman Lear Center for the study of the impact of entertainment on society.

    Since May 2005 he has been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post. In 2008 he became a weekly columnist at The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. He hosted the radio show So What Else is News? on Air America Radio until September 4, 2005.

    He has worked as speechwriter and deputy campaign manager for Vice President Walter Mondale, a contributor to the public radio programs Marketplace and All Things Considered, a Disney studio vice president, a movie producer, and a screenwriter (Noises Off, The Distinguished Gentleman).

    No, left-wing political agenda there, huh?

    I have two degrees from USC and I can tell you have never witnessed such strong arm tactics. The fact is there were few people there, and no commotion (except when security accosted Ziegler).

    The universiity would have been better off allowing Ziegler to continue. Now, conservative donors will wonder why Norman Lear and his left-wing fascists now have a foothold on the campus.


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