I was watching MSNBC (unfortunately a special edition of Morning Joe) and saw Dave Wasserman, who I assume works with the Decision Desk at NBC News, get all pissy when pressed for answers. Certainly, Scarborough likes to be overly snarky and I can understand that someone might be annoyed at his one-liners. However, people want information. The audience wants to know what the hell is going on. There is literally nothing transparent about process.
Part of this is that the networks are enjoying “captivating” their audience. The longer they don’t make a call the more anxiety ridden viewers watch. It’s sloppy and a dis-service to viewers, but it keeps them watching... it weird that they don’t get that the longer they drag this out, the more likely some deranged psycho is going to escalate things.
Excellent piece Eric (as usual). It does appear the media has failed us yet again or they have huge investments in anxiety medication companies. All of the numbers show that Biden has won this election, likely over 300 electoral votes. But each media outlet appears to be waiting for someone else to make the call. And to your point, they still feel the wrath of Trump. You would think after all the trashing Trump has done to the media in the last four years, that each one would be fighting to be the first to announce Biden the winner. The sad thing is it really illustrates how the media is so in the tank for the Republicans.
I for one am ok with the press waiting another day to let the counting process play out a bit more. It is important that, after months of predictions of disorder and chaos from the president, the electorate see that the process is in fact orderly, methodical and fair. And it gave time for the expected Trumpist pushback to fizzle and the promised lawsuits to be shown up as frivolous. Imagine if the country had gone to bed with Trump leading, only to wake up in the morning to find that, thanks to some fake news manipulation, his lead had evaporated. Now of course, having first said that the count should end on election day, he wants to wait until the states all certify their counts.
Regardless the "motive" I'm glad the press's cooler heads prevailed.
Responsible journalism may seem like a thing of the past, but perhaps lessons can be learned from '16 and '20 by up-and-coming writers of fast-paced current events. Social media, and its ability to spread whatever passes for news, is what gets viewed first, so olde tyme outlets scurry to keep up.....to the deriment of truth.
This wasn't an election to mess with (nothing learned from '16, tragically) yet it ended up like a dirty diaper you have no replacement for until the store opens in the morning. Luckily, in time, the process ran its course and the win was clean.
In some ways the irresponsible newz folks, in enabling Drumpf, allowed him to plunge, spectacularly, further and further into his personal mania for all to witness and judge. A dangerous move, but in the end it whipped voters into action.
If anything is to come of this I hope it might be that politically based headlines will be more about things like the infiltration of useless groups such as QAnon, fanatics of every religious stripe, and single issue Republicons, into every and any level of government ...and how to recognize them and suppress their bogus rhetoric. There are just too many naive people in the US (*and* the world) who are falling for it. And those people breed for the sake of upping their own numbers.
Granting access has been the (lower case) trump card for way too long. A free press and the profit motive sure make strange bedfellows, he said wielding the bludgeon of the obvious
I've said many times before I have lost respect for the reporting of the news on network TV. They have spent the last 4 years just going along with the liar in chief bully and the evil hateful Republican party. So not surprised they haven't called the election.
I have serious doubts about the media changing its treatment of Democrats now that Trump is gone. I don’t see that ever happening in my lifetime.
I am late to this discussion because than an hour after Biden was declared the winner sewage backed up into my downstairs bathroom. I spent the day mopping. I took it as evidence that the sewage was being purged — a stretch since it went into my house but I refused to be discouraged.
I am going to be a contrarian on this post. God knows I am a harsh critic of the media but I think they were right to take all the time needed until the votes to put Biden were actually counted. I think that watching the ordinary people counting votes in warehouses for hours on end helped counter the fraud narrative. The time it took also gave Trump supporters time to get used to the idea. I know the Trumpers in my family have been really subdued which is not like them. No claims of fraud. I am hearing the same thing from friends who also know Trumpers well. I live in a solidly Republican neighborhood in the Southeast we know a lot of well educated, successful people who support Trump. You wouldn’t believe the bonkers emails my husband gets from his sisters who were perfectly sane, moderate people thirty years ago. They are quite aggressive in their attacks on Democrats but since Biden won not a peep. I take that as a very good sign.
I was watching MSNBC (unfortunately a special edition of Morning Joe) and saw Dave Wasserman, who I assume works with the Decision Desk at NBC News, get all pissy when pressed for answers. Certainly, Scarborough likes to be overly snarky and I can understand that someone might be annoyed at his one-liners. However, people want information. The audience wants to know what the hell is going on. There is literally nothing transparent about process.
Yeah, it made zero sense.
Donald Trump is so pathetic, and it boggles my mind that people are frightened by him.
Part of this is that the networks are enjoying “captivating” their audience. The longer they don’t make a call the more anxiety ridden viewers watch. It’s sloppy and a dis-service to viewers, but it keeps them watching... it weird that they don’t get that the longer they drag this out, the more likely some deranged psycho is going to escalate things.
I had that small suspicion at first. But now I feel like they look so goofy for not calling the race....
Excellent piece Eric (as usual). It does appear the media has failed us yet again or they have huge investments in anxiety medication companies. All of the numbers show that Biden has won this election, likely over 300 electoral votes. But each media outlet appears to be waiting for someone else to make the call. And to your point, they still feel the wrath of Trump. You would think after all the trashing Trump has done to the media in the last four years, that each one would be fighting to be the first to announce Biden the winner. The sad thing is it really illustrates how the media is so in the tank for the Republicans.
Finally it's been called. Halle-fucking-lujah
Nobody wants the scoop, but they all peddle Breaking News. That's funny. Or maybe I'm just in a good mood.
Biden Wins. I am so happy.
A great day
You saw this, Eric, yes?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/07/rupert-murdoch-owned-us-outlets-turn-on-trump-urging-him-to-concede-with-grace
Yep, Murdoch clearly debt signal to all is US propwrites—so much for independent journalism
I for one am ok with the press waiting another day to let the counting process play out a bit more. It is important that, after months of predictions of disorder and chaos from the president, the electorate see that the process is in fact orderly, methodical and fair. And it gave time for the expected Trumpist pushback to fizzle and the promised lawsuits to be shown up as frivolous. Imagine if the country had gone to bed with Trump leading, only to wake up in the morning to find that, thanks to some fake news manipulation, his lead had evaporated. Now of course, having first said that the count should end on election day, he wants to wait until the states all certify their counts.
I live in Nevada. I've looked at the numbers. There's no way. They could project it. But they were all afraid. Working the refs works.
It certainly seems that way. News outlets in past regularly called elections w/ exact same numbers/percentages in play as Nevada on Friday
I ended up wondering, since Fux Noise called Arizona to get to 264, if somebody calling Nevada then would lead to more pressure.
Regardless the "motive" I'm glad the press's cooler heads prevailed.
Responsible journalism may seem like a thing of the past, but perhaps lessons can be learned from '16 and '20 by up-and-coming writers of fast-paced current events. Social media, and its ability to spread whatever passes for news, is what gets viewed first, so olde tyme outlets scurry to keep up.....to the deriment of truth.
This wasn't an election to mess with (nothing learned from '16, tragically) yet it ended up like a dirty diaper you have no replacement for until the store opens in the morning. Luckily, in time, the process ran its course and the win was clean.
In some ways the irresponsible newz folks, in enabling Drumpf, allowed him to plunge, spectacularly, further and further into his personal mania for all to witness and judge. A dangerous move, but in the end it whipped voters into action.
If anything is to come of this I hope it might be that politically based headlines will be more about things like the infiltration of useless groups such as QAnon, fanatics of every religious stripe, and single issue Republicons, into every and any level of government ...and how to recognize them and suppress their bogus rhetoric. There are just too many naive people in the US (*and* the world) who are falling for it. And those people breed for the sake of upping their own numbers.
Granting access has been the (lower case) trump card for way too long. A free press and the profit motive sure make strange bedfellows, he said wielding the bludgeon of the obvious
I've said many times before I have lost respect for the reporting of the news on network TV. They have spent the last 4 years just going along with the liar in chief bully and the evil hateful Republican party. So not surprised they haven't called the election.
it will be very interesting to see joe press changes it’s behavior for Dem WH
I have serious doubts about the media changing its treatment of Democrats now that Trump is gone. I don’t see that ever happening in my lifetime.
I am late to this discussion because than an hour after Biden was declared the winner sewage backed up into my downstairs bathroom. I spent the day mopping. I took it as evidence that the sewage was being purged — a stretch since it went into my house but I refused to be discouraged.
I am going to be a contrarian on this post. God knows I am a harsh critic of the media but I think they were right to take all the time needed until the votes to put Biden were actually counted. I think that watching the ordinary people counting votes in warehouses for hours on end helped counter the fraud narrative. The time it took also gave Trump supporters time to get used to the idea. I know the Trumpers in my family have been really subdued which is not like them. No claims of fraud. I am hearing the same thing from friends who also know Trumpers well. I live in a solidly Republican neighborhood in the Southeast we know a lot of well educated, successful people who support Trump. You wouldn’t believe the bonkers emails my husband gets from his sisters who were perfectly sane, moderate people thirty years ago. They are quite aggressive in their attacks on Democrats but since Biden won not a peep. I take that as a very good sign.
You're not contrarian; you're using common sense, gut feeling, and a feel for historical narrative that few, today, wish to refer to deeply enough.
The wait was smart, and well worth it. It was partly that old delayed gratification we used to commonly, and mostly gladly, accept, coming into play.