Van Susteren: Anonymous Sourcing ‘Overuse’ One of ‘Biggest Crimes’ in Media Today

BALLASY You probably saw ░░░░░░░░ Koppel what he was ░░░░░░░░ about how The Washington ░░░░░░░░ and New York Times ░░░░░░░░ putting commentary on the ░░░░░░░░ page and featuring commentary ░░░░░░░░ lot and kind of ░░░░░░░░ it with the objective ░░░░░░░░ too much he thinks ░░░░░░░░ shows that they have ░░░░░░░░ bias and they re ░░░░░░░░ to get Trump specifically ░░░░░░░░ do you think VAN ░░░░░░░░ Well one of the ░░░░░░░░ I wanted to leave ░░░░░░░░ news and I had ░░░░░░░░ years at cable news ░░░░░░░░ t get me wrong ░░░░░░░░ traveled the world I ░░░░░░░░ to North Korea three ░░░░░░░░ I ve been in ░░░░░░░░ Afghanistan but I think ░░░░░░░░ news has changed and ░░░░░░░░ is doing what Ted ░░░░░░░░ said I ve gone ░░░░░░░░ to Gray TV which ░░░░░░░░ a broadcast I have ░░░░░░░░ 145 stations around the ░░░░░░░░ two in Alaska one ░░░░░░░░ Hawaii three in Iowa ░░░░░░░░ over the United States ░░░░░░░░ they re very factoring ░░░░░░░░ people trust their local ░░░░░░░░ And that s why ░░░░░░░░ m sort of swooping ░░░░░░░░ into the factor and ░░░░░░░░ But I agree with ░░░░░░░░ on that BALLASY Yeah ░░░░░░░░ seems like a lot ░░░░░░░░ people VAN SUSTEREN I ░░░░░░░░ to law school with ░░░░░░░░ wife I went to ░░░░░░░░ school with Grace Anne ░░░░░░░░ BALLASY Yeah he was ░░░░░░░░ saying that Trump s ░░░░░░░░ mistaken in his perception ░░░░░░░░ the media is out ░░░░░░░░ get him because of ░░░░░░░░ like that the way ░░░░░░░░ VAN SUSTEREN I mean ░░░░░░░░ used to be a ░░░░░░░░ bright line between opinion ░░░░░░░░ fact and that bright ░░░░░░░░ is no longer there ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ Ted s talking about ░░░░░░░░ the front page of ░░░░░░░░ New York Times Look ░░░░░░░░ know it s important ░░░░░░░░ have opinion because we ░░░░░░░░ a robust debate in ░░░░░░░░ country on important issues ░░░░░░░░ problem is when robust ░░░░░░░░ and facts are so ░░░░░░░░ that you don t ░░░░░░░░ if it s someone ░░░░░░░░ opinion or fact One ░░░░░░░░ the biggest crimes that ░░░░░░░░ going on in journalism ░░░░░░░░ now is the overuse ░░░░░░░░ anonymous sources I used ░░░░░░░░ be anonymous sources if ░░░░░░░░ thought you know a ░░░░░░░░ or national security secrets ░░░░░░░░ they use drive by ░░░░░░░░ If you pick up ░░░░░░░░ newspaper and highlight it ░░░░░░░░ ll say senior White ░░░░░░░░ official or senior ex ░░░░░░░░ House official or something ░░░░░░░░ that Nobody has the ░░░░░░░░ and the courage to ░░░░░░░░ up and be accounted ░░░░░░░░ when they make statements ░░░░░░░░ the press That s ░░░░░░░░ problem so we can ░░░░░░░░ challenge them A lot ░░░░░░░░ drive by smears it ░░░░░░░░ both ways Republican and ░░░░░░░░ and I think it ░░░░░░░░ terrible that we have ░░░░░░░░ much of it But ░░░░░░░░ you know if we ░░░░░░░░ clean that up BALLASY ░░░░░░░░ s what Lara Logan ░░░░░░░░ saying recently that the ░░░░░░░░ sources is quote garbage ░░░░░░░░ SUSTEREN And you ll ░░░░░░░░ that Lara Logan has ░░░░░░░░ done what I ve ░░░░░░░░ you know going back ░░░░░░░░ the to the broadcast ░░░░░░░░ is and reaching out ░░░░░░░░ the people because people ░░░░░░░░ the local network so ░░░░░░░░ I mean you think ░░░░░░░░ it think about it ░░░░░░░░ I mean I have ░░░░░░░░ VOA Voice of America ░░░░░░░░ show which I m ░░░░░░░░ lucky to have it ░░░░░░░░ worldwide including my show ░░░░░░░░ to Farsi and airing ░░░░░░░░ Iran Now what I ░░░░░░░░ is walking away from ░░░░░░░░ news walking away from ░░░░░░░░ getting fired by MSNBC ░░░░░░░░ that I m now ░░░░░░░░ my new job at ░░░░░░░░ TVs I reach all ░░░░░░░░ the United States and ░░░░░░░░ doesn t cost them ░░░░░░░░ dime They have to ░░░░░░░░ for cable and a ░░░░░░░░ of people are cutting ░░░░░░░░ cord This is free ░░░░░░░░ you know it s ░░░░░░░░ chance to work with ░░░░░░░░ reporters in all these ░░░░░░░░ So this is the ░░░░░░░░ time of my life ░░░░░░░░ hope BALLASY Okay Greta ░░░░░░░░ you so much.”