The LBT INTERVIEW: BEN SHERWOOD
A candid conversation about the “mainstream” media, its future, and its role in the 2012 election with special emphasis on the budding Benghazi scandal.
[Editor’s Note: Since the below interview was published in late-September, 2012, it has been revealed that Mr. Sherwood’s sister — Dr. Elizabeth-Sherwood Randall — serves as Special Assistant to President Obama. Mr. Sherwood has not responded to our request yesterday for comment on the appearance of a conflict of interest.We see that he is true to his word at the end of the interview on ABC’s Benghazi coverage strategy after the scandal has expanded.]
A brilliant, retentive intellect, a gift for sharp analysis, and a habit for telling the truth do not always lead one to the top of a media empire. The truth is, they did not lead Ben Sherwood to the top of ABC News. Sheer grit and determination did. Sherwood is an accomplished author, journalist and entrepreneur. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University and is a Rhodes scholar.
Sherwood sat down with Peter Hartwig to discuss ABC News’ treatment of the Benghazi incident. ABC and other “mainstream” media outlets have come under fire for not reporting the details surrounding Benghazi. Sherwood explains why along with his perspective on the role of the old line broadcasters.
The LBT:Your network is taking a lot of heat for not covering Benghazi. What not spend more time on Benghazi? Sherwood:Under my watch, ABC News has two priorities. First, we serve our shareholders. Second, we promote the ideals of ABC News. THE LBT:What ideals are these? Sherwood:The propogation of our democracy. As one of the original three networks, we serve as a filter for what news reaches American living rooms. It is our job to select this news appropriately. The lbt:That gets us to the point at hand. Why not report more about Benghazi? Sherwood:The deaths in Benghazi reflect badly – so some argue – on one side of the presidential race. If we are to be equal, we would need to report a similar controversy involving Romney. the lbt:As a matter of fairness? Sherwood:As a matter of fairness and equal time. We have genuine legal requirements for fairness in exchange for our use of the airwaves. Because Romney has never been burdened with the presidency and has no parallel allegations against him, we have to limit our coverage until after the election.
| the lbt:So if Romney had some scandal against him the Benghazi coverage could increase? Sherwood:Yes, and we had such a scandal early on when Romney spoke prematurely. He criticized the Administration’s statements while the crisis was ongoing. This was a breach of protocol and gave us plenty of grist for equal time. the lbt:What changed such that you could no longer use the Romney statements? Sherwood:It was not that we could no longer use them. The issue was that the Benghazi scandal was turning into a major, batten down the hatches shitstorm. We no longer had parity. Also, the American public needs a guiding hand. Let’s get serious. The media acts like a corrective rudder for the unwashed of our society. The guns-and-god people Obama referenced in 2008. the lbt:So do the big media players have a political function? Sherwood:Yes and no. Yes, in the sense of affecting outcomes. No, in the sense that our influence remains unseen. While I do not champion the Nazis in any way, I am an admirer of Joseph Goebbels. He was a master of message delivery. We can’t be as explicit as he was, but we can try to have an impact. the lbt:Has the hurricane helped at all? | Sherwood:Immensely. People can hardly notice that our coverage on Benghazi hit a brick wall even while the facts have gotten uglier. the lbt:So how do internet outlets and smaller publications like The LBT come into play, if they do? Sherwood:Listen, there will always be a place for the Turnips and other fringe-y publications. But most people don’t like to think very hard, and they like the familiar diversity brigades they get on their local news or the wrinkled old white guy on the national evening news. the lbt:Don’t forget Connie Chung and Katie Couric. Sherwood:Oh, you had to mention Katie Couric. She does good for us, but she and that dingbat Chinese woman proved that people like white men on the evening news. We are still traditional in some ways. the lbt:So when, if ever, will ABC cover Benghazi in more detail? Sherwood:If someone else blows this up into Watergate we will. And this can happen. Remember, it was Matt Drudge that proved to the world that Jewish chicks will give blow jobs – if you’re the president. the lbt:Small detail. Sherwood:You’re telling me. |