Prominent Journalism Mag Worries Consumer-Driven Ideas Might 'Seep' into Coverage

Columbia Journalism Review, a prominent publication in its field, left no doubt about its position on covering health reform in a December 22 blog post.

CJR's Trudy Lieberman announced it was "ominous news" that a government health insurance plan might not come to pass:

"Ezra Klein over at The American Prospect’s blog was right on point last week when he sent along some ominous news. Klein, quoting a story in Congressional Quarterly, said that John McDonough, the former head of a Massachusetts advocacy group who now works for Ted Kennedy, seemed to be backpedaling on the public option..."

On the other side, Lieberman warned, "right-wing think tanks" are "on the march," illuminating problems with a government-controlled approach to medicine. She noted The Heritage Foundation's criticism of a federal health board, a top idea of Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle. Lieberman's warning: 

"Heritage health policy guru Robert Moffit argued that a powerful board plus a 'controlled' market dominated by a government health plan would end existing private coverage for people and 'ensure unprecedented government interference in the delivery of care.' Heritage uber health guru Stuart Butler made similar arguments in a Washington Times op-ed on Thursday. Such thinking is likely to seep into mainstream reporting."  

It is unfortunate that a journalist, who is supposed to discuss and dissect ideas from all angles, would be warning fellow journalists about certain ideas "seeping" into coverage, while hailing others as essential.

Lieberman declared ABC News had a "reasonable story" about a press conference featuring Rep. Pete Stark, D-CA, chairman of the House Ways and Means Health sub-committee. That December 17 story was slanted entirely in favor of a new Medicare-style public health plan. 

CJR's Lieberman said, "We will be watching to see if other media outlets do the same." 

Let's hope other media outlets instead give us a more fleshed-out, honest portrayal of the ideas out there, including ideas to give consumers -- not the government -- more control over their health care.