Many Americans just want help. They neither understand the politics of it nor have any desire to do so. They don't read the news the way we do - I mean, I'm obsessed with news to the point where I don't read for pleasure anymore. However, I think most Americans are not that way at all. All they see is that they need help and no one is helping them. Washington is the bogeyman because to a starving person, what's the difference between a Republican saying "I won't do anything" and a Democrat saying "What can I do." The starved person still gets nothing.
Reagan planted a seed when he visited Bitburg Cemetery in 1985. It’s clearly harvest time. The Big Lie then was that the visit was a benign message of understanding and forgiveness to Germany. In truth it was the Mother of Dogwhistles to American racists. Today’s big lie is that Senate Republicans are principled administrators terrorized by Trump. In truth he fashioned his persona to feed their deepest desires, which are antithetical to democracy.
One, the L word for the DC political media brothel is not Liberal. It's Lazy. It's just easier to "report" it and write it this way.
Two, this protects their sources and friends. If they write that it's really Senate republicans at fault, will Senate republicans speak to them? Will they be able to socialize with the "reporters" who favor those republicans?
Three, the public has too little interest in civics, thanks to the putrid work of the DC political media brothel. And thus it becomes a vicious circle.
So The Times had a story today on a friend of mine, Heather Richardson, a history professor who write a daily blog rounding up the news and looking at the bigger picture. She does it not because she loves doing it, but she felt a sense of obligation. And throughout the story, The Times's new media columnist kept emphasizing the number of subscribers and the money they must bring in, and not the ineluctable fact that she writes this in part--and she hasn't said this to me--because of the failings of his newspaper and his colleagues.
Thank you for pointing out the terrible writing of Sarah D. Wire. I read her thread on Twitter and people are really giving her the business, myself included. Here's the truth: unless we train more journalists like you and [everyone name your fave journalists/writers here!], the things we hope to accomplish as a society are severely hampered. Also, did everyone in this country skip eighth grade social studies? We spent the entire year on the government and the conclusion was: wow, what a brilliant document the Constitution is.
You're absolutely right. The Liberally Biased Mainstream Media™ has been perfecting their "BOTH SIDES!!!" bullshit for decades now, because the wealthy billionaires who own these media companies are big donors to the Republican party and want to make sure their tax breaks keep flowing in. So they pay talentless hacks like Chuck Todd and Chris Cillizza an obscene pile of money in order to spread their bullshit around.
They also love promoting polarizing figures like Drumpf and Bernie Sanders because they're disruptive, and disruption, to them, brings eyeballs to their TV shows/newspapers/sites for their advertisers, who are the only ones they care about!
The entire industry is in bad need of an enema. Otherwise, America will be doomed beyond belief!
The Republican implosion has been the only bright spot in 2020. And their efforts to turn QAnon into the next Tea Party just in time for the 2022 midterms to derail Biden’s presidency will fail miserably because of it.
I have complained about reality TV reporting for years. I'm a critic in the healthy sense of the word. News outlets decide daily what we hear, see and read. The frame stories and narratives. I write this phrase often, ", Never underestimate the power of the media to control narratives." Having trusted sources can be a challenge and they should be scrutinized too. We're in trouble in this country. Words matter more than ppl like to think. Holding media accountable is vital to our success. Thank you for this story
When I hear "high Broderisms" spew from the likes of Chris Cillizza, I know we're at the masquerade ball of news which is the compounded interest of years of bad reporting, editing, publishing and production.
Mainstream Media is owned largely by Republican billionaires. They are not going to provide the entire story to their readers. Essentially they won't be held accountable because they are not lying. They're just not telling the entire truth, that it's not that Congress is dysfunctional but that it's the controlling party of the Senate led by one corrupt Mitch McConnell that is. Not going the extra mile and pointing to the whole truth is a form of voter suppression. To the not so invested consumers of news, simply reporting that Congress is at fault is perfect. For the average reader, it doesn't require too much critical thinking and searching for the real truth. That's because, and unfortunately, far too many Americans are too lazy to help themselves stop voting against their own best interest. However, in defense of many of these folks, their immediate need for help is far more pressing than diving into the editorial pages of The Washington Post daily. When the people are convinced that the system doesn't work, it will bring to rise an authoritarian leader. The press's "both sides do it" narrative promotes this outcome. We've now experienced an authoritarian wanna-be and in the future we certainly will again unless the media begins to seriously understand their role in a democracy.
So how do we return the press back to the art of actual reporting? Reporting the entire story and not vague references. Call each and every person out by name. No more “all inclusive” groups but the actual people who are destroying this country.
Are you not guilty of the same crime you're accusing the MSM of by failing to cite specific names/reporters/owners? Instead of blaming "Congress" or "Washington," you're now umbrella-ing the responsibility to "the media." Without more personal accountability, I see no change.
“Well, there are some people that are so mendacious, I just wouldn’t put them on air. Kayleigh McEnany, I never booked her. Jason Miller from the Trump campaign, I would never book him. These are just people who tell lies the way that most people breathe. There was no value in that.”
So by accident or omission, that decision to not give the liars his media platform was good.
There’s more wrong in the media than just the false equivalence of Both Siderism, but Both Sides is very easy.
How the *implosion of the gop* plays itself out remains to be seen but keep in mind that moscow mitch needs only one of the georgia senate seats to maintain SML status & the Rs have a significant minority in the house, they could in theory retake it in 2022, for a party that hates governing that's not too bad, we need to continue to be concerned that too many white people give the gop this much power despite it's refusal to govern in any good faith
How Beltway journalism is destroying our faith in government
Many Americans just want help. They neither understand the politics of it nor have any desire to do so. They don't read the news the way we do - I mean, I'm obsessed with news to the point where I don't read for pleasure anymore. However, I think most Americans are not that way at all. All they see is that they need help and no one is helping them. Washington is the bogeyman because to a starving person, what's the difference between a Republican saying "I won't do anything" and a Democrat saying "What can I do." The starved person still gets nothing.
Reagan planted a seed when he visited Bitburg Cemetery in 1985. It’s clearly harvest time. The Big Lie then was that the visit was a benign message of understanding and forgiveness to Germany. In truth it was the Mother of Dogwhistles to American racists. Today’s big lie is that Senate Republicans are principled administrators terrorized by Trump. In truth he fashioned his persona to feed their deepest desires, which are antithetical to democracy.
It seems to me the problem is multi-pronged.
One, the L word for the DC political media brothel is not Liberal. It's Lazy. It's just easier to "report" it and write it this way.
Two, this protects their sources and friends. If they write that it's really Senate republicans at fault, will Senate republicans speak to them? Will they be able to socialize with the "reporters" who favor those republicans?
Three, the public has too little interest in civics, thanks to the putrid work of the DC political media brothel. And thus it becomes a vicious circle.
So The Times had a story today on a friend of mine, Heather Richardson, a history professor who write a daily blog rounding up the news and looking at the bigger picture. She does it not because she loves doing it, but she felt a sense of obligation. And throughout the story, The Times's new media columnist kept emphasizing the number of subscribers and the money they must bring in, and not the ineluctable fact that she writes this in part--and she hasn't said this to me--because of the failings of his newspaper and his colleagues.
"Trump signs stimulus bill into law, averting shutdown", this mornings WP front page lead.
Our hero. He saved us at the last minute, again! What a guy!
Thank you for pointing out the terrible writing of Sarah D. Wire. I read her thread on Twitter and people are really giving her the business, myself included. Here's the truth: unless we train more journalists like you and [everyone name your fave journalists/writers here!], the things we hope to accomplish as a society are severely hampered. Also, did everyone in this country skip eighth grade social studies? We spent the entire year on the government and the conclusion was: wow, what a brilliant document the Constitution is.
Love your work, Eric!
You're absolutely right. The Liberally Biased Mainstream Media™ has been perfecting their "BOTH SIDES!!!" bullshit for decades now, because the wealthy billionaires who own these media companies are big donors to the Republican party and want to make sure their tax breaks keep flowing in. So they pay talentless hacks like Chuck Todd and Chris Cillizza an obscene pile of money in order to spread their bullshit around.
They also love promoting polarizing figures like Drumpf and Bernie Sanders because they're disruptive, and disruption, to them, brings eyeballs to their TV shows/newspapers/sites for their advertisers, who are the only ones they care about!
The entire industry is in bad need of an enema. Otherwise, America will be doomed beyond belief!
The Republican implosion has been the only bright spot in 2020. And their efforts to turn QAnon into the next Tea Party just in time for the 2022 midterms to derail Biden’s presidency will fail miserably because of it.
I have complained about reality TV reporting for years. I'm a critic in the healthy sense of the word. News outlets decide daily what we hear, see and read. The frame stories and narratives. I write this phrase often, ", Never underestimate the power of the media to control narratives." Having trusted sources can be a challenge and they should be scrutinized too. We're in trouble in this country. Words matter more than ppl like to think. Holding media accountable is vital to our success. Thank you for this story
When I hear "high Broderisms" spew from the likes of Chris Cillizza, I know we're at the masquerade ball of news which is the compounded interest of years of bad reporting, editing, publishing and production.
"Dies in darkness" my aunt Fanny.
At some point, when the same thing keeps happening over and over, you have to ask if it’s deliberate - and why.
If Republicans love dysfunction in government, what is the media’s excuse?
Mainstream Media is owned largely by Republican billionaires. They are not going to provide the entire story to their readers. Essentially they won't be held accountable because they are not lying. They're just not telling the entire truth, that it's not that Congress is dysfunctional but that it's the controlling party of the Senate led by one corrupt Mitch McConnell that is. Not going the extra mile and pointing to the whole truth is a form of voter suppression. To the not so invested consumers of news, simply reporting that Congress is at fault is perfect. For the average reader, it doesn't require too much critical thinking and searching for the real truth. That's because, and unfortunately, far too many Americans are too lazy to help themselves stop voting against their own best interest. However, in defense of many of these folks, their immediate need for help is far more pressing than diving into the editorial pages of The Washington Post daily. When the people are convinced that the system doesn't work, it will bring to rise an authoritarian leader. The press's "both sides do it" narrative promotes this outcome. We've now experienced an authoritarian wanna-be and in the future we certainly will again unless the media begins to seriously understand their role in a democracy.
So how do we return the press back to the art of actual reporting? Reporting the entire story and not vague references. Call each and every person out by name. No more “all inclusive” groups but the actual people who are destroying this country.
Great piece. It’s spot on. One side wants to help people the other wants to hurt them. End of story.
Are you not guilty of the same crime you're accusing the MSM of by failing to cite specific names/reporters/owners? Instead of blaming "Congress" or "Washington," you're now umbrella-ing the responsibility to "the media." Without more personal accountability, I see no change.
I read yesterday that CNN’s Jake Tapper said,
“Well, there are some people that are so mendacious, I just wouldn’t put them on air. Kayleigh McEnany, I never booked her. Jason Miller from the Trump campaign, I would never book him. These are just people who tell lies the way that most people breathe. There was no value in that.”
So by accident or omission, that decision to not give the liars his media platform was good.
There’s more wrong in the media than just the false equivalence of Both Siderism, but Both Sides is very easy.
How the *implosion of the gop* plays itself out remains to be seen but keep in mind that moscow mitch needs only one of the georgia senate seats to maintain SML status & the Rs have a significant minority in the house, they could in theory retake it in 2022, for a party that hates governing that's not too bad, we need to continue to be concerned that too many white people give the gop this much power despite it's refusal to govern in any good faith