64 Comments

The Times is corporate America: rich, white, male and mostly Republican. Like the Yankees. The Dems are perpetual underdogs, characterized as inept screw-ups, like the Mets. Great recap of the Times’ fawning coverage of Trump and his acolytes. #LGM

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ha, i like that analogy!

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The Times seems to view Democrats as girly-men or, worse, actual girls. Republicans are the manly men party and that clearly impresses them. The Times preferred bullies like Cheney and Rummy as well as the swaggering Dubya to Gore.

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Media love their Republican Bully Daddies.

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The criticisms that Democrats like Gore and Kerry kept getting always felt to me like the kind of no-win criticisms women typically get. If a women doesn’t fight back she is accused of being weak, if she does she is accused of being harsh, looking ridiculous, etc. When I read George Lakoff explaining that people (including the media) subconsciously view Republicans as representing the values of the strict authoritarian father and Democrats as representing the softer mommy values, it started to make sense. It also explains the media mocking Clinton for feeling our pain.

The media coverage of both Gore and Kerry reeked of accusations that they were effete wimps which was particularly outrageous since both of them had actually served in Vietnam while the chickenhawks Bush and Cheney had done everything they could to avoid it, despite claiming to have been supporters of that war. The Times actually printed Maureen Dowd’s misogynistic accusation that Gore was so feminized he was practically lactating. I can’t imagine them allowing an equally racist remark to be printed.

I really believe this is an issue that needs to be publicly discussed. Now is the time after we have had four years of seeing the damage that bowing to authoritarian men does to our democracy.

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Your comment is right on. It perfectly describes the media's obsession with valuing perceptions vs facts, especially when perception is tied to women.

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As a baseball fan myself, I can’t think of a better reference and analogy.

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Right but now the Mets have the richest owner in baseball. Hopefully, as a long time Mets fan, they become as good as the Yankees but maintain that everyday person feel. But I digress...

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It’s a bummer that Cohen made his money off insider trading but hey ;) Good for the Mets, as a former long suffering Sox fan, a WS win cures all.

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Cohen got off with a fine. The sanctimonious Comey put Martha Stewart in prison for lying to investigators after finding that she had not committed insider trading. No double standard there. Stewart is a powerful woman and a big Democratic donor and Comey was a Republican but we all know Comey is a man of great principles who would never be biased.

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Agreed and I will never forgive Comey. He's on my "Dance on Their Grave" list. He robbed Hillary.

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And it wasn’t just Comey’s two public statements that damaged Hillary. . He made those statements because he had lost control of the Trump-lovers in the FBI, particularly in the NY field office. He was their boss and knew that they were breaking FBI/DOJ rules forbidding interference in our elections. In fact they were likely violating the law, specifically the Hatch Act. Comey just sat around wringing his hands trying to come up with ways to pacify them. He has said he was trying to protect the reputation of the FBI and other say he was also protecting his own reputation. No one bothers to point out he had sworn an oath to protect our constitution, which means protecting our elections, not himself or his agency.

Now this man who couldn’t control his subordinates - and apparently didn’t even try - makes big bucks giving speeches about how to be a great leader. He makes me more than “sightly nauseous”.

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Nov 13, 2020
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Hey, he’s not as bad as Trump and his entire Cabinet in terms of insider trading. I suppose I should be more outraged but honestly, I’m not. As you said, winning cures all. Btw, I am urging Steve Cohen to make Theo Epstein an offer he can’t refuse. If Theo wants to be the greatest GM/President of Operations EVER, I can’t think of a better team to add to his resume. Sox, Cubs, Mets🤞🏼#trifecta

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I concur and I think it's going to happen. When the Mets win, it's epic. That we're finally acknowledging how to create a team with competence, ethics, hard work and a plan...it's like Biden winning. #LFGM

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I believe the difference in coverage by the Times between Trump supporters and Biden supporters can be explained in large part by one bias. The Times and corporate media are far more concerned about Democrats going too far left than they are about Republicans going too far right.

The kinds of economic reforms the left-left would adopt would directly challenge the status of our corporate ‘citizens’; the Republican obsession with tax cuts and deregulation is a much more comforting vision.

The last thing the Times wants is to admit that a majority of Americans would support the economic reforms the ‘radical’ left offers or dare to endorse them. It’s ironic when you consider how Trump supporters view the Times as a radical leftist - socialist - communist - liberal rag.

Here’s a tell. McConnell and the GOP will be as obstructive as ever of the Biden administration. Will the Times call them on their defiance of the will of a majority of Americans?

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That is right on the nose. The majority of Americans, for instance, want our taxes to pay for health care for all, but we're slammed with messaging saying that "slippery slope into socialism (or communism--no difference, ya kno?)

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It drives me crazy that the media equates health care for all with single payer. There are several countries — Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands and Belgium who use a multiplayer, private insurance-based system. Those countries all have high quality, universal affordable health care. By implying that Democrats who want to leave private insurers in the mix of opposing universal coverage creates a false conflict. The media should be reporting the pros and cons of these approaches, not misleading the public to think that all other developed countries are single payer.

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Nov 13, 2020
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Hmm. Depressing but not surprising.

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I live in the red, red part of Wisconsin and I've been a NYT reader for about 50 years. I used to drive miles to the only bookstore in the area to buy the Sunday edition, so I've watched it evolve along with everything other news media format during that time. It's important to remember that NYT is a BUSINESS, not a public utility. We can argue about whether that's beneficial, but that's what it is, and Trump has been a boon for them. Tragedy and civil strife, incompetence and brazen criminality, are moneymakers - just ask Fox or MSNBC. As a business, NYT and the rest are not interested in spending more than they have to on raw materials, and it's really cheap to send a reporter into the middle of the country for a day or two to talk to the rubes and write up that experience without making it too complicated. I think NYT core customers really love to read these pieces because making people in 'flyover country' sound stupid, racist, and naive allows them to feel smarter, less racist and clever. Of course, it's not that simple. What is simple is to demand that news outlets present balanced, accurate coverage of events and issues. And if they don't, we have to cobble together an array of reliable and responsible coverage to inform our decisions. That's our job as citizens and we've seen what happens when we hide in our comfortable bubbles with likeminded people and binge on information that pushes us further in.

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Thanks Eric. I greatly respect your energy towards and analysis of the NYT. I suggest that some, perhaps many of your Press Run readers know the extent that the NYT is flawed because writers like you point to those flaws when necessary. Especially the worship of trump voters. I can't wait to be done with the unscientific anecdotal diner interviews!

This campaign was certainly one for the history books. One new spin was the cohesive Democratic message following the primaries. It wasn't quite "republican lock-step" but there was unity. But all thinking Ds knew it wasn't going to hold for 4 years. That's just not how Ds roll.

So no, NYT, Biden supporters are not a cult. But by expressing thoughtful policy approaches over mindless support of money, Ds avoid facing down things like the hypocrisy shown in USSCT nominee 2016 videos next to 2020 videos.

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thanks, i appreciate it. still so many people view the NYT is a liberal outpost working on behalf of Dems!

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The New York Times' messaging about Hillary's emails was a big part of her losing the election. It wasn't just one announcement by Comey.

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The Washington Post also hyped that pseudo-scandal as did many in the broadcast media. Chris Cillizza — the “journalist” who said it is his job to report on perceptions, not facts — was a big offender. The WaPo seems to have learned its lesson since then. CNN, on the other hand, has hired Cillizza.

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Two words: Judith Miller

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Then these people have a problem with reading and understanding what they have read. If you can't understand racism and greed from NYT following 45 and other GOP members, then we already know NYT's isn't liberal.

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The media is disdainful of the disagreements among Democrats and clearly admires the way Republicans goose step in unison behind their leaders. They don’t understand that what Democrats are doing is the essence of democracy; Republican “unity” is the essence of authoritarian organization.

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First off, I do suggest Trump voters are significantly more monolithic than Democrats.

Then we do have AOC saying that if everyone ran social media like she does; everyone would win. We also have Connor Lamb stating that “Defund the Police” hurt him in his Re-election. Abigail Spangbarger as well.

I do not view this as a detriment. Congresswoman Occasio-Cortez knows her district. Congressman Lamb knows his district. Each should support and encourage the other and avoid harm.

71 million Trump voters may goose step in unison. Democrats aren’t that regimented. It an outgrowth of our bigger tent.

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One of the problems with being the "big tent" party is that you have Connor Lamb, AOC, Dianne Feinstein and Rashida Tlaib. You get Joe Manchin, Doug Jones and Kyrsten Sinema (all three voted to confirm Barr) and you get Pramila Jayapal, Danica Roem and Val Demmings.

It's said, "Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line".

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I don’t see that as a problem at all, I see that as what real democracy is supposed to be. The more progressive people need to realize that they need Joe Manchin. I can guarantee that if he loses to a Republican that Republican would be much worse. They also need to realize that the party twice rejected Bernie by large margins - 3million in 2016 alone, something that could not possibly have been the result of supposed DNC manipulations. If they want to see their positions be accepted they need to do the work of bringing not just other Democrats but also swing voters to get onboard with them. Republicans worked for years to convince millions to agree with their insane ideas. It doesn’t help if you use words like socialism that have been demonized since before I was born — and I am in my 70s.

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I’m a Black woman Biden supporter. Tell them to come talk to me. While I didn’t really have a favorite during the early primary I ultimately voted for Biden after watching and assessing all the candidates b/c thought he had the best chance of winning. After he became the nominee I donated, and I’m becoming a bigger fan every day as I watch how he, his staff and his family are handling this most unusual time. He’s the perfect person for this particular moment.

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Stunning, just stunning. A few times over the past four years I nearly hit the "send" button to subscribe to the NYT's. The last time I stopped short was when I learned a "climate denier" was hired to give a different perspective. I can't tell you how sick I am and worn out by the perpetual 2 sides argument with Trump voters from the midwest constantly lined up in parks, evenly interspersed with Biden voters to give "both sides". What is equally disgusting are the focus groups with Trump supporters. I find all of media and journalism to be frustrating, but one thing I know for sure, and I don't need CNN, NYT, WAPO, The Daily Beast, or Lily to explain to me the why's of Trump supporters in spite of his complete malignant and self-serving self absorption. Of course the list goes on. WHY do they support him? Here's a hint-THEY ONLY WATCH FOX NOISE to get their 'news' ( or NewsMax, Breitbart, and so on). Any Trump supporter I've engaged with essentially mirrors FOX. The engagement ends when I ask them, "Let me guess where you get your news and information?"... By the way, how many people have increasingly interacted with Trump supporters who say, "well, I use to be a Democrat". Bullshit.

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The fact that the Times and other outlets are not screaming to high heaven that Trump and his enabling Republicans aren't attempting to stage a coup is outrageous. I know all the talking heads predict that the courts will hold and I believe they will but we've never seen anything close to this in the United States. Hillary Clinton conceded and called Trump the same night she lost. Barack Obama had Trump to the White House by this time four years ago. Ironically, David Leonhardt's article in today's NY Times does point out the dangerous behavior of this president by asking what would we call this if we saw it in another country? Unfortunately the Times doesn't give this story the front page. Don't put it past this corrupt Trump administration with the help of Bill Barr to attempt to corrupt electors in certain states to go against the will of the people. While it is unlikely, there were many things that came to fruition over the last four years that I considered unlikely.

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In 2016 I never saw any article in the mainstream media showing sympathy for the heartbroken Hillary voters, especially women, who had to watch their candidate be subjected to constant vicious smears, misogynistic attacks, and bogus investigations. She still managed to get 3 million more votes than Trump but her supporters were completely invisible to the media that depends on their support to survive.

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The endless coverage of Trump cult members (and the messaging that the "east- and west-coast elites" should work harder to "understand" them (and that's already starting up AGAIN). "They are mad because you've labeled them racists, and they don't think they're racists," etc. etc. There was NEVER a message that the right should try to understand the left, OR that the horrible propaganda painting us as the enemy was based on lies. There are still people who say "Killary" or make a point to emphasize Obama's middle name, which "sounds like a terrorist, ya know..." As one other commenter said, Democrats are NOT monolithic, while right wingers acted like Trump was the second coming. We DO want to hold Biden accountable, as we always feel is necessary with every politician. But yes, I stood up and cheered at home at their victory speeches. I AM excited.

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This. The true tell here is that NO ONE suggests that the far-right reach out to Democrats. Ever. Besides, what exactly is the message to folks plotting to kidnap a Governor?

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The president committed so many atrocities that cheering on the kidnapping plot was a mere drop in the bucket, skimmed over and now yesterday's news...

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"Excuse me, if you could put that automatic weapon aside for a minute..." lol

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Its whatever is the most controversial. Fortunately, Biden's not getting sucked into the rhetoric. At his COVID press conference on Tuesday, none of the reporters' questions were about COVID. They were all political. Its nothing more than a distraction aimed at creating confusion. You can either enable it or marginalize it by reporting on substance.

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Sad to say, this hypocrisy has been par since Reagan, maybe Carter. One of the huge storylines for the corporate media during those years up to this very minute is the Republicans can do no wrong, Democrats nothing right or good. Then again, there’s a good question how well the corporate media actually inform in regard to national affairs, if they do at all, and whether that’s a failure of misinformation or disinformation.

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I maintain it's disinformation.

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When so many publications are going belly up The Times is thriving it is not a paper it is one Big Blog full of hacks who bring nothing to the table other than discourse

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Or propatainment.

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Part of the problem is that the better story is division among Democrats instead of the fact that they united behind their candidate.

And part of the problem is Conventional Wisdom. This story's authors are not part of the DC political media brothel (the chief chucktodd of them all, madam; Norah O'Donnell, the David S. Broder Chair in Sullying One's Once Good Reputation; and MoDodo, Grand Wizard). But they report to a national desk that is far too tied to it.

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The Hobson's choice does seem to be editorial input by curation or algorithm.

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Perhaps the reason for this is that Trump supporters really do adore Trump and Democrats really are leery of Biden? If that's the case, are you criticizing the NYT for accurate reporting?

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Jon--if this was a one-off maybe. But the NYT has history with these type of reporting.

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Perhaps so, but I don't see it. I just scanned today's NYT, and saw nothing positive about Trump and nothing negative about Biden. I looked at the "adoring profile of a Trump fan" and found no evidence it was "adoring." I suspect if I followed the other links, I would find relatively unbiased reporting. And why are we surprised that NYT reported Trump's supporters didn't care about his many screwups and bad acts? It's accurate that they don't care. I just don't see the supposed bias.

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Nov 12, 2020
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Incorrect. I truly don't see it.

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