The media also hyped the border crisis but went mum when the time kids were being held in those overcrowded facilities dropped significantly. I was surprised at how fast the situation was improved by Biden’s people in the only story about that that I have seen about that fact. Of course the problem isn’t solved because the situation in the countries those kids come from is terrible and won’t be easily fixed. Most of the media just moved on to hyping the next “existential crisis” for Biden rather than report on the very real progress that has been made.
Dan Froomkin has an article up at Presswatchers about the new executive editor of the Post Sally Buzbee. He also rips the Post for moving from one overhyped Biden crisis to the next as well as other problems with their reporting and links to similar criticism by Eric. The article is an interesting analysis of the problems at the Post and is hopeful that Buzbee might improve things.
Refusing to report on successes while constantly hyping problems is very damaging to our democracy because it makes people feel hopeless and reinforces the right’s lie that government can’t do anything right.
Mr. Boehlert: I think you’re on to something with “only bad news is news”. If it bleeds it leads.
Remember too we’ve just had four years of a President claiming credit for everything including the sun rising in the morning. A quiet President Biden is a strange experience.
My key point is that we can not expect the Lamestream Media to trumpet President Biden’s achievements. RW Media will find a way to criticize. Other Media will simply ignore. Distasteful as it might seem; we have to “brag like Trump” about actual achievements.
It's nothing short of astounding that the media can ignore, or normalize, a coordinated effort by the GOP to block literally everything Biden wants to do regardless of the benefit that would redound to the American people. If the Biden administration announced a cure for cancer, Mitch McConnell would lead the effort to block approval of the cure and the press would do an admiring story on McConnell's "hardball politics." Memo to the media: you will NEVER convince the denizens of Wingnuttia that you are not biased. Stop trying.
Republicans would claim it would increase our debt and drive inflation out of control if our government were to fund that cure.
This is off topic but just yesterday the Post ran yet another article by Larry Summers hyping inflation fears. This was at least the fifth opinion article like that they have run recently. Two were written by Summers and the rest said things like Larry Summers and other, unnamed, experts believe inflation is a serious threat. I have yet to see one article presenting the opposite case despite the fact that there are a lot of experts like Janet Yellen, Jerome Powell, Paul Krugman and over 100 others who have publicly come out on the opposite side of that argument. The Post editorial staff has a blatantly biased view of government spending. If that weren’t the case they would have presented both sides of the argument the way that Paul Krugman has done recently.
The attention (in clicks and advertising revenue) during the Trump misadministration was pure adrenaline, shot directly into the heart of our Failed Political Press ™. Not only was there a firehose of news, it was easy to write, and suddenly the press itself was relevant and part of the story (Acosta reporting nightly about being thrown out of the pressroom, or being threatened by MAGA at the rallies, etc.). They basked in the glory of being called an enemy of the people, and believed their own hype of having the president on the run.
Our media is an addict and is probably one of the few, measurable sectors of the economy who are not happy to return to anything resembling normal.
"They basked in the glory of being called an enemy of the people, and believed their own hype of having the president on the run."
They really started believing their own PR, didn't they, when we all know that they didn't have the president on the run at all, they barely pushed back at him and, with very few exceptions, could never bring themselves to call Trump and his minions liars who didn't care about the Constitution or the rule of law.
I'd love to be in a room with editors of these outlets and ask them directly why they have different standards for Democrats than for Republicans. Also, why they continue to treat the GOP as a serious party which has the American people's best interests at heart, with just a different approach to policy than the Dems have.
You don’t have to have an explicit decree from the Head Cheese to know what are his sentiments (and it is always a HE), and especially in the age of the shrinking newsrooms and leveraged buy-outs by hedge-funders who want to sell-off the assets for scrap.
This is the way the mainstream press will roll until A - the rightwing wins back Congress or B - sales and clicks drop so dramatically that even the billionaire media owners start to worry that their cash cow is drying up. Money is the only thing the owners of this country understand. The only way things will change is to stop subscribing to them, stop buying the products that are advertised on their networks, and pressure the corporations that donate to these extreme politicians. The people will decide if we are to remain a democracy or fall to fascism. We know what direction the 1% want to go. It's the 99% who will decide. Sadly however, it always feels like an uphill battle.
I really think we're wasting our time thinking trump is in any serious LEGAL trouble, I mean the kind of trouble that'll wind up with him legitimately facing prison time. I doubt even any of his immediate family/circle will see jail time either. Vance is not someone I'd put any faith in and Tish James tho very good won't nail him either.
Everything is labeled BREAKING NEWS or a crisis. Eric is spot on. Good D news is bad for Rs and profits. PLUS it’s still the former guy who gets an inordinate amount of press attention.
Most media is now owned by giant conservative corporations determined to get their message out. This article just confirms how successful that effort is going.
I believe it's carefully crafted and coordinated propaganda. Note how there's a theme of the week in press and on broadcast/cable networks. Last week the theme (from "journalists" no less) was that Democrats were neither equipped nor willing to handle Republican party's treachery. I read/saw that theme on three different venues within 2 days of each other. I swear the pundiratti class have never held real jobs.
I love your work and that you call the press out on their bullshit so regularly, but you have to practice what you preach!!! I am no supporter of Trump and view his rise and "reign" as a disaster, but he absolutely did not "urge" people to inject bleach into their bodies. He idiotically suggested that possibly people could try that and study it, but he absolutely did no urging!!! Hold yourself to the same bar you set for others. Thanks
I dont plan on it :) My point is really that those of us who uphold a truly transparent truth-based press should be rigorous about our own tendencies to distort in ways that fit with our "narrative"
I love your work and that you call the press out on their bullshit so regularly, but you have to practice what you preach!!! I am no supporter of Trump and view his rise and "reign" as a disaster, but he absolutely did not "urge" people to inject bleach into their bodies. He idiotically suggested that possibly people could try that and study it, but he absolutely did no urging!!! Hold yourself to the same bar you set for others. Thanks
The media also hyped the border crisis but went mum when the time kids were being held in those overcrowded facilities dropped significantly. I was surprised at how fast the situation was improved by Biden’s people in the only story about that that I have seen about that fact. Of course the problem isn’t solved because the situation in the countries those kids come from is terrible and won’t be easily fixed. Most of the media just moved on to hyping the next “existential crisis” for Biden rather than report on the very real progress that has been made.
Dan Froomkin has an article up at Presswatchers about the new executive editor of the Post Sally Buzbee. He also rips the Post for moving from one overhyped Biden crisis to the next as well as other problems with their reporting and links to similar criticism by Eric. The article is an interesting analysis of the problems at the Post and is hopeful that Buzbee might improve things.
https://presswatchers.org/2021/05/the-flailing-washington-post-gets-a-new-leader-with-no-time-to-lose/
Refusing to report on successes while constantly hyping problems is very damaging to our democracy because it makes people feel hopeless and reinforces the right’s lie that government can’t do anything right.
I *still* don't think the WP has reported on the huge decline in migrant children held by Border Patrol
Mr. Boehlert: I think you’re on to something with “only bad news is news”. If it bleeds it leads.
Remember too we’ve just had four years of a President claiming credit for everything including the sun rising in the morning. A quiet President Biden is a strange experience.
My key point is that we can not expect the Lamestream Media to trumpet President Biden’s achievements. RW Media will find a way to criticize. Other Media will simply ignore. Distasteful as it might seem; we have to “brag like Trump” about actual achievements.
oh yes, good pt abt Biden being the anti-Trump re: claiming credit
It's nothing short of astounding that the media can ignore, or normalize, a coordinated effort by the GOP to block literally everything Biden wants to do regardless of the benefit that would redound to the American people. If the Biden administration announced a cure for cancer, Mitch McConnell would lead the effort to block approval of the cure and the press would do an admiring story on McConnell's "hardball politics." Memo to the media: you will NEVER convince the denizens of Wingnuttia that you are not biased. Stop trying.
if GOP is angry about something, it's news!
Republicans would claim it would increase our debt and drive inflation out of control if our government were to fund that cure.
This is off topic but just yesterday the Post ran yet another article by Larry Summers hyping inflation fears. This was at least the fifth opinion article like that they have run recently. Two were written by Summers and the rest said things like Larry Summers and other, unnamed, experts believe inflation is a serious threat. I have yet to see one article presenting the opposite case despite the fact that there are a lot of experts like Janet Yellen, Jerome Powell, Paul Krugman and over 100 others who have publicly come out on the opposite side of that argument. The Post editorial staff has a blatantly biased view of government spending. If that weren’t the case they would have presented both sides of the argument the way that Paul Krugman has done recently.
They did it for eight full years under Obama. It's hardly even notable they're continuing with Biden. Except...
The attention (in clicks and advertising revenue) during the Trump misadministration was pure adrenaline, shot directly into the heart of our Failed Political Press ™. Not only was there a firehose of news, it was easy to write, and suddenly the press itself was relevant and part of the story (Acosta reporting nightly about being thrown out of the pressroom, or being threatened by MAGA at the rallies, etc.). They basked in the glory of being called an enemy of the people, and believed their own hype of having the president on the run.
Our media is an addict and is probably one of the few, measurable sectors of the economy who are not happy to return to anything resembling normal.
firehose indeed during Trump yrs, and i think press is scrambling a bit to fill space under Biden. hence the manufactured "crisis" coverage
Yep to all of this. Also, WRT
"They basked in the glory of being called an enemy of the people, and believed their own hype of having the president on the run."
They really started believing their own PR, didn't they, when we all know that they didn't have the president on the run at all, they barely pushed back at him and, with very few exceptions, could never bring themselves to call Trump and his minions liars who didn't care about the Constitution or the rule of law.
I'd love to be in a room with editors of these outlets and ask them directly why they have different standards for Democrats than for Republicans. Also, why they continue to treat the GOP as a serious party which has the American people's best interests at heart, with just a different approach to policy than the Dems have.
still, at least they got to thank Republicans for their time after each anemic on air interview with zero followup questions
And the editors would say, “Ask my boss.”
You don’t have to have an explicit decree from the Head Cheese to know what are his sentiments (and it is always a HE), and especially in the age of the shrinking newsrooms and leveraged buy-outs by hedge-funders who want to sell-off the assets for scrap.
This is the way the mainstream press will roll until A - the rightwing wins back Congress or B - sales and clicks drop so dramatically that even the billionaire media owners start to worry that their cash cow is drying up. Money is the only thing the owners of this country understand. The only way things will change is to stop subscribing to them, stop buying the products that are advertised on their networks, and pressure the corporations that donate to these extreme politicians. The people will decide if we are to remain a democracy or fall to fascism. We know what direction the 1% want to go. It's the 99% who will decide. Sadly however, it always feels like an uphill battle.
I really think we're wasting our time thinking trump is in any serious LEGAL trouble, I mean the kind of trouble that'll wind up with him legitimately facing prison time. I doubt even any of his immediate family/circle will see jail time either. Vance is not someone I'd put any faith in and Tish James tho very good won't nail him either.
Vance is corrupt and James just looks like she's posturing before announcing a run for Governor.
Agreed.
Everything is labeled BREAKING NEWS or a crisis. Eric is spot on. Good D news is bad for Rs and profits. PLUS it’s still the former guy who gets an inordinate amount of press attention.
Most media is now owned by giant conservative corporations determined to get their message out. This article just confirms how successful that effort is going.
I believe it's carefully crafted and coordinated propaganda. Note how there's a theme of the week in press and on broadcast/cable networks. Last week the theme (from "journalists" no less) was that Democrats were neither equipped nor willing to handle Republican party's treachery. I read/saw that theme on three different venues within 2 days of each other. I swear the pundiratti class have never held real jobs.
I love your work and that you call the press out on their bullshit so regularly, but you have to practice what you preach!!! I am no supporter of Trump and view his rise and "reign" as a disaster, but he absolutely did not "urge" people to inject bleach into their bodies. He idiotically suggested that possibly people could try that and study it, but he absolutely did no urging!!! Hold yourself to the same bar you set for others. Thanks
you literally will have to defend him on that for the rest of your life, "Karen." Enjoy!
I dont plan on it :) My point is really that those of us who uphold a truly transparent truth-based press should be rigorous about our own tendencies to distort in ways that fit with our "narrative"
I love your work and that you call the press out on their bullshit so regularly, but you have to practice what you preach!!! I am no supporter of Trump and view his rise and "reign" as a disaster, but he absolutely did not "urge" people to inject bleach into their bodies. He idiotically suggested that possibly people could try that and study it, but he absolutely did no urging!!! Hold yourself to the same bar you set for others. Thanks