Sunday on CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” host Brian Stelter was very critical of former CBS correspondent Sharyl Attkisson’s reporting skills because she has spoken about her experience at CBS News where she witnessed as a common practice the killing of stories unfriendly to the Obama administration.
Partial transcript as follows:
ATTKISSON: I do think, again, that’s a campaign by those who really want to controversialize the reporting. I do so you wouldn’t listen to it, because if people took the few minutes to do a Google search, you would see the dozens and dozens of stories. I’ve done that were, in many cases, complemented by liberal press and other liberal as being a very good story, and I have been criticized by the conservative side in the past.
STETLER: Do you think that’s what Media Matters is doing? Media Matters has been campaigning against you and saying you’re been inaccurate in your reporting is that what they are doing they are just trying to controversialize the issue?
ATTKISSON: Media Matters is my understanding is a far-left blog group that holds itself out to be an independent watchdog group, and yes, they clearly targeted me at some point. They used to work with me on stories and tried to help me produce my stories, and at some point —
STETLER: That’s interesting
ATTKISSON: Don’t they call you? I mean, they call journalists.
STETLER: They are always emailing us things trying to act outraged by something.
ATTKISSON: I was certainly friendly with them as with anybody, good information can come from any source. but when I persisted with Fast and Furious and some of the green energy stories I was doing, I quickly became a target. I don’t know if someone paid them to do it or if they took it on their own.
STETLER: Do you think that’s possible that someone paid them?
ATTKISSON: They get contributions from —
STETLER: But specifically to target you?
ATTKISSON: Perhaps, sure. I think that’s what some of these groups do, absolutely
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