South Florida reporter shows personal bias against the TEA Party

By: Diane Sori

As an investigative reporter and talk show co-host myself for CPR Worldwide Media, I must say that a sign of a good reporter is to report the news NOT fabricate the news or insert personal opinions into a story where they do NOT belong. And a good reporter NEVER defames or dishonors his readers or listeners by way of personal attacks. Attacking or criticizing a subject of course is fair game, but when it crosses into the personal, bounds have assuredly been crossed. Local South Florida reporter and on-air personality Bob Norman, who works for WPLG Channel 10 in Miami, is one case in point of a reporter who has crossed the line on both accounts.

After confronting legendary American Republican political consultant Roger Stone...a man who has played a key role in the election of Republican presidents from Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan to George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush...while he was getting in his car in Miami, liberal leaning Norman posted on his facebook page, "Win a prize if you're the first to identify the infamous political operative who is assaulting my Local 10 photographer in this photo."

 

Never mind that in NO way did Roger Stone assault anyone, but Norman then went on to defame NOT just those who criticized his allegations and who came to Stone's defense, but he also went on a tirade against the TEA Party...who had absolutely NOTHING to do with the 'supposed' happenings or with the dialogue going on.

One of his personal attacks was against Patrick Castronovo, a personal friend of mine, as Norman refused to answer his question and told him to wait until the story in question airs.  Saying, "Patrick, you ask many questions and they tend to be annoying (you must agree since you've gone back and deleted a couple of them yourself). I didn't attack Stone. I asked him questions on a topic you'll find out about when it airs" Norman wants people to answer his questions while refusing to answer theirs...NOT the best of tactics when one is hired to report the news, and asking and answering questions is what makes a story news.

Continuing on in his refusal to directly answer any of his readers questions, Norman then went on to bring the TEA Party into a discussion that had NO bearing whatsoever on the TEA Party. Continuing on with his conversation with my friend Patrick, Norman started going way off topic transforming into his true liberal leaning self. Saying, "Patrick, one you deleted was where you were asking why I was "soooo scared" to reveal the blogger and then you claim I'm attacking Stone. Started smelling some of your Tea Party cooking coming into this."

 

"Started smelling some of your TEA Party cooking coming into this"...uncalled for as NOWHERE in the facebook back and forth was the TEA Party mentioned or even part of the dialogue, yet Norman chose to infuse the TEA Party into the conversation just to get his digs into both the TEA Party itself and those who follow TEA Party leanings. 

And so Patrick continued on saying, "I still stand by that question about Roger. So? But why would you say "Started smelling some of your Tea Party cooking coming into this?" Really? Be a professional Bob you work for channel 10 for Christ sake! Your bias remarks are unprofessional as a Journalist. I didn't realize that you had such an agenda? I thought Journalist were not to be so bias? Wow! Thanks for showing your true colors..."

"...Thanks for showing your true colors."And that is the crux of this altercation for a good reporter...a reporter who knows his job and his boundaries...went to a place NO reporter should go and in going there...in deliberately and with malice defaming a group having NO part in the ongoing dialogue whatsoever...shows Bob Norman to be a grade B reporter at best...an A-list reporter 'wanna be'...something he will NEVER be.

I sure hope WPLG Channel 10 calls him to task, for as their representative he in NO way does their station proud.