Tuesday, August 19, 2008

C4 News Sniffing Around Obama

Channel 4 News is the first mainstream broadcaster on either side of the Atlantic to begin sniffing around the spin and hype of the Obama political machine, which has been highlighted by the Orange Party on a number of occasions. But is this a one-off or can viewers expect more unbiased  reporting?


In a down-bulletin piece last night, the programme featured a report from Washington-based reporter, Sarah Smith.

The lead in article, which accompanies the news package, points out Obama's life is subject to intense scrutiny:

"His rhetoric sounds like he is running as an "outsider", not just another politician, almost an anti-politician. But is the real truth about Barack Obama that he is really an insider and that he has spent years mastering the rules of the political game? His life and background are now subject to intense scrutiny, in particular his dramatic rise through the politics of Chicago. Meanwhile, rumours about his religion and his past in one of America's most corrupt cities swirl round the internet." 



With the Democrat convention less that a week away and the Obama campaign going into overdrive, it takes a fearless mainstream broadcaster to stick its neck out and try to uncover the truth. 

But Channel 4 is a state-owned, commercially subsidised broadcaster wearing its pseudo-liberal heart on its sleeve. The Orange Party suspects this will have been a one-off sop to fairness and objectivity, before the C4 News is sucked up in the Obama hype and starts to bang the drum for the One. 

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