Murdoch channel in Michael Moore hatchet job shocker

Now I know its hardly newsworthy to find a Rupert Murdoch-owned channel producing low grade propoganda, but this week's hatchet job, Michael Moore and Me, really did plunge to new depths. Presented by the sometimes reality TV contestant, social commentator and 'yoof' tv pioneer Janet Street Porter, this tripe would surely have failed to pass GCSE Media Studies, such was its lack of content and balance.

Trailed for weeks on Sky as Janet's attempt to 'do a Michael Moore on Michael Moore', most of the programme consisted of Porter's failed attempts to track down the writer and film-maker. As she screamed 'Michael' in that intensely irritating voice from his front drive, she mused that he was probably avoiding her. Perhaps Moore was terrified of facing questioning from such a heavyweight political journalist, perhaps he peered out of the window and thought he was being stalked by a lunatic as I'd imagine there's every chance he's never seen or heard of her. Or perhaps he wasn't in. Nevertheless, Janet took her failure to find Moore as evidence that he was avoiding her and set about compiling a devastating dossier of evidence against him.

We learnt from a stage manager at the Camden Roundhouse that Moore was a bit of a prima donna, and from a disgruntled former employee that he didn't like being confronted. We even learnt the shocking revelation that Moore selectively edits his movies! I wonder how all those fair and balanced journalists at Sky reacted to the shocking news that such cynical tactics could be used. Whatever next on Sky? George Galloway on why Christopher Hitchens is a drink-soaked former Trotskyist popinjay? Maybe they'll scrutinise another journalist, one of their own number like the semi-literate right-wing propogandist Richard Littlejohn. Then again, these characters are Brits and Sky have obviously recognised that British viewers are more interested in exposes of American journalists so perhaps Bill O'Reilly is next on their hitlist.

But my favourite bit was the 5-second clip of an anonymous Flint lawyer who stated "Michael Moore is pure political poison", with no context or explanation for that view. The trailers had showed that bit as a highlight, which should have acted as a warning to the lack of strength behind JSP's argument. She seemed aware of this, and regularly drifted into personal attacks on Moore's physical appearance - the pot calling the kettle black if ever there was an instance. Just when I was struggling to stay awake, Janet produced another devastating charge, one that we've never heard before, that it was Moore's fault that Bush won the 2004 election! Well, obviously a best-selling film documenting the rampant corruption of the Bush administration, exposing the President's lack of a brain and demolishing the case for his unpopular war could only have helped Bush. Clearly his victory had nothing to do with John Kerry's complete lack of charisma and clarity, the similar hatchet jobs by Fox, Sinclair and all the Swiftboat veteran orientated blogs, the mobilisation of the Christian Right or indeed any of the many well documented explanations. At least Moore is one person who the Right would have failed to caricature as a 'flip-flopper". With Janet's air-fare apparently going to waste, she tried one last desparate tactic to try and locate the elusive Moore. She turned up at a celebrity gala, "Because its the sort of place you'd expect to find him", and screeched at a bemused looking George Clooney "Have you seen Michael Moore?" Pathetic.

If anything, this 'documentary' just served to prove how the Right-wing media will do anything to discredit a popular critic of Bush. Fans of Moore, far from being converted by this tripe, will surely now be even more convinced that he genuinely scares the neo-cons. And the millions of sceptics, who probably found some of Moore's claims of corruption a little outlandish, might now reflect that if this was the most damage a blatant hatchet job could do then perhaps there is some substance to Moore's accusations. More than anything, I was left wondering how much money Tony O'Reilly's Independent newspapers are paying a talentless buffoon like Janet Street-Porter and wondering if blogging is really the most lucrative way to go.