January 1, 2017

Chuck Todd's emotional journalism.

On "Meet the Press" today, Chuck Todd — interviewing the NYT executive editor Dean Baquet — showed a disturbing inability to do his job, to be a professional journalist. I don't see what's so hard about understanding professionalism. You're a journalist, you cover the people in the news, and you don't let the subjects of the news shake you up by telling you you're doing it wrong. As long as you are following principles of professionalism — maybe you aren't and that's your problem — you should be able to stand your ground firmly. Yet somehow, Donald Trump's criticism of journalists is dogging him:
CHUCK TODD: This presents a very difficult situation. I face it myself personally from him sometimes, we face it as a network, where he personalizes coverage and disagreements about coverage with the organization and sometimes with individual reporters. You're a human being, I'm a human being. It's not easy sometimes doing that. 
Is Todd play-acting, trying to drum up sympathy? It makes no sense. Consumers of journalism don't worry about how the reporters feel. But Todd could be mistaken and think acting wounded will cause viewers to want to defend him against mean old Trump. I doubt it. So maybe Todd really is hurting. But that seems ridiculous. Cover the news! If someone in the news is a gigantic bastard, so much the better for the news provider. Tell the story. What's this "I'm a human being" business?

Todd asks Baquet: "How are you instructing your journalists to handle the personal attacks that may come his way in a very public setting?" This is an odd question, and not just because of the awkward, ungrammatical "his." It assumes instruction must be given to reporters, like they're snowflakes in need of a safe room.

Baquet doesn't buy into the drama. He takes what I think is the obvious professional position: "[W]e have a huge obligation to cover this guy aggressively and fairly. And that means not letting personalities get in the way." He concedes that Trump's antagonism is "annoying" and takes note of a possible threat to First Amendment values, but he completely avoids the emotionalism of taking it personally. He puts any "personal stuff" "off to the side." Well, of course.

Next Todd brought on the editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, Gerard Baker. Todd played a clip of Trump calling the WSJ "a piece of garbage" and then asked Baker "How did you handle the direct attacks?"

Baker, like Baquet, took the professional approach. You just "get used to it." Trump has his style. The WSJ reporters know what it is. They deal with it. Baker observes that at least he can tell that Trump is reading his newspaper.

Bringing up a "leaked memo" from Baker that said "Everybody's got to be fair to him," Todd says:
Were you concerned that the personal attacks were going to make some of your reporters react? They're human. We're all human beings. And when you personally get attacked, it's hard to sort of set that aside. 
There's that human business again.



Baker concedes he was "concerned," but immediately changes the subject from how reporters feel to what Trump is like. He's "different." And some reporters feel that they're in a "contest" with Trump, which sounds a tad emotional, but Baker doesn't pursue the feelings. He just says "it's reporters' jobs to take everybody on, you know, to test everything that a politician says against the truth." In other words: professionalism.

95 comments:

Kevin said...

So there were no questions about how Trump is supposed to handle the personal attacks from the media?

Achilles said...

And some reporters feel that they're in a "contest" with Trump,

Of course they do. The people that pay them want them to put out certain information because they are propagandists. Trump is calling them what they are, "garbage." They are paid shills and that includes the WSJ. They might be shills for slightly different people than the NYT but they are still shills and there is zero professionalism in the field.

Rob said...

Isn't it amazing that some journalists are delighted to dish it out to public figures, and especially to Trump, but can't take it themselves. Sauce for the goose, boys and girls, sauce for the goose.

campy said...

I'm liking the comment moderation today! Hope it continues throughout 2017.

Once written, twice... said...

LOL, Ann deletes comments critical of her never being critical of Trump in 2016 in this post that is critical of the media's coverage of him.

I got your attention Ann.

Birkel said...

Bam!!

Hahahaha!!

As for the post, the MSM is just now recognizing what Glenn Reynolds wrote these many years ago in An Army of Davids that the gatekeeper function has been outflanked. Some people do not know how to handle the realization.

Journalism destroyed itself. The idiots are the seed corn.

Academia is doing the same thing. And nobody inside the venerable institutions seems to understand. Or at least they cannot help themselves.

TWW said...

This is a good analysis.

rhhardin said...

Professionalism means hooking your profitable audience, in thic case coloring the job with objectivity colors.

Soap opera women rule.

They like to feel objective.

That coloring is what these talks are about. The feelings are there for the soap opera audience, which remains their only audience.

If they lose that audience, they're out of business.

rehajm said...

The Center for American Progress comes after you if you kill all of their pawns.

rhhardin said...

Dark matter plays a big role in professional journalism.

Jon Ericson said...

Poor Chuck Todd, If he doesn't keep pushing in the proper direction, someone who sucks even more will take his place.

rhhardin said...

The universe is probably held together by journalism. That's what's out there in alien galaxies.

Mark said...

Professionalism from journalists would be a nice change of pace from the last 8 years.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Trump is doing to the press what they tried to do to him with that Russia hacked the election business. If not outright delegitimize the press, Trump is aiming to bring them down a notch or two. One of his spokesman said Trump is going to use Twitter to make major announcements during his administration.

Part of me wants this because of what the press has been getting away with for decades.

But part of me also understands the legitimate role of the press, keeping the citizens informed.

Jon Ericson said...

She's got your number too.

rhhardin said...

Ah! I'm reminded of Christian Schutze's Stenciled Speech for All Occasions, cited by Adorno in The Jargon of Authenticity, and now on the web here.

Feel the humanity of it.

It's from long long ago. Nothing changes.

Jon Ericson said...

So, when does the brain trust arrive?

rhhardin said...

The endgame is that the press is recognized as for soap opera women. It loses its claim of serious work, but is rather entertainment for shallow people.

rhhardin said...

Remember, there's no audience for hard news. You can't run a business on it.

They absolutely have to cheat or die.

Ambrose said...

"Mommy, the boy I called Hitler - only worse just called me a bad name. I need a wahmbulance."

Michael K said...

I kind of like Chuck Todd, maybe because I have heard Hugh Hewitt interview him. He seems to be a bit more objective than his guests, who are mostly hacks.

He does seem bewildered by Trump because they are used to dealing with politicians who need the press.

Trump makes his own hole, to quote an old joke. He doesn't need them.

He's been doing TV since they were in undergraduate school.

Once, smitten seems to be losing it.

Unknown said...

In any of the "personal attack", has Mr Trump ever singled out any specific individually>? You know, personally?

n.n said...

You're a human being, I'm a human being.

Maybe not. According to the Pro-Choice Church, the State may deny your individual dignity (e.g. [class] diversity), and your life may be deemed unworthy of life. You fear losing power lest you become a victim of your Choice. You believe that time is now. You're probably wrong, but the cognitive dissonance is deafening. The Tell-tale Hearts are beating ever louder.

Big Mike said...

The mainstream media would do well to start by firing every employee who has matriculated at Columbia School of Journalism and replacing them with people who have a grasp of the notion that when we pay our hard-earned money for a copy of the Times or the Post or kill time by watching a news show on TV to that we are interested in news.

YoungHegelian said...

...face it myself personally from him sometimes, we face it as a network, where he personalizes coverage and disagreements about coverage with the organization and sometimes with individual reporters. You're a human being, I'm a human being. It's not easy sometimes doing that.

Todd really selective about whose insults he lets bug him, isn't he?

The Obama people treated the press like shit every day from the campaign onward.

Hillary was second no one on the public stage in her loathing of the press, who she felt never gave either her or Bill a fair shake. David "Batshit Crazy" Brock even said in an interview after the election that the HRC campaign should have from the beginning gone after the "real enemy", the press. A sample of Brock's bile can be found here.

But,now Todd tells us that his wittle feewings are hurt by Trump? Give me a break!

MikeR said...

The guilty flee where no man pursues. They are _hurt_ by his attacks on them, since they know they didn't do their jobs this election season. And they are afraid, because he can do his press conferences on YouTube and just ignore them.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Rh reminds me of the remark Hugh Hewitt used two weeks ago, to diplomatically dismiss a co panelist, during a Meet the Pressure broadcast.

Hewitt said "I understand your authentic concern."

Sebastian said...

"[W]e have a huge obligation to cover this guy aggressively and fairly." And that is the "professional" position. As if they mean it. Which they don't: aggressive yes, fair no. Nor do they have an "obligation": cf. their coverage of O. Their only obligation is to peddle the prog narrative.

Jupiter said...

It must be really frustrating, being Dean Baquet.

First you and the people working for you report fairly and honestly on Donald Trump, pointing out that he is a three-headed demon from Hell who eats Mexican babies for breakfast and made his fortune trading slaves. And he attacks you as brazen partisan hacks. Then, you and the people working for you report fairly and honestly on Hillary Clinton, pointing out that she seldom walks on water before Noon, and many of the people she has raised from the dead still lack adequate housing. And Donald Trump attacks you as brazen partisan hacks. You just can't win with this guy!

traditionalguy said...

DJT only points out the media's blatant dishonesty. Since the internet with Comment Blogs, YouTube, Twitter and Cell phone videos we just laugh at the Chuck Todd's as silly liars. Everybody now sees their pretense as Umpires calling a game but always plastering the media screens with intentional fake balls and fake strikes, or Referees blown calls on obvious instant replays and intentionally doing it.

Truth is light.

Jon Ericson said...

We all feel the press's pain.
Delicious.

glenn said...

When the Mookies in big media start treating Democrats the same way they treat others maybe I'll believe them. Until they do they aren't real reporters and don't deserve to be treated as such.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I read somewhere that Trump has asked Chuck Todd after every interview, to play back the interview with the sound down.

It might have been a Daily Beast story.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

This guff has not been sufficiently over-analyzed. Are you sure you're getting enough to drink?

chickelit said...

Todd asks Baquet: 'How are you instructing your journalists to handle the personal attacks that may come his way in a very public setting?'

How is Chuck Todd being instructed to handle personal attacks and who is instructing Chuck Todd? These are the obvious next questions.

Unknown said...

Ever since although started blogging the Sunday morning shows and russert passed, I stopped watching these self-congratulating blowhards. But I need althouse notes. Ty!

traditionalguy said...

Seriously, Todd is trying to start a Press ?lives Matters mob riot in the media street to bring down President Trump.

And it may work. Martha Tadditz will shed no tears if DJT is accused on High Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Mark said...

Only "journalists" are allowed to engage in personal attacks. It's unfair when their targets personally attack them in return.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Maybe Chuck needs a safe space in the studio.

Lucien said...

Wasn't Todd just taking one for the team by being the straw man? He just gave editors at the WSJ and NYT to show how professional they are being by adopting the stance of someone who thinks it is only human for journalists to be personally offended by Trump & to therefore cover him unfairly. "Oh NO, no,no,no" said they "OUR newspapers have so much journalistic integrity that we're not biased against Trump at all -- we just want to cover him aggressively and fairly. Thanks for giving us the chance to make that clear, Chuck."

Mark said...

These guys are no longer able to indulge in the nonsense of "it's not personal, it's strictly business." Trump sees that that is BS. It is personal.

Skipper said...

Is this the first time these hunyuks have been criticized or the first time they've taken it seriously? Poor babies. We don't trust 'em either way.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Poor democrat operatives with bylines. boo hoo.

Lyle Sanford, RMT said...

"Is Todd play-acting, trying to drum up sympathy? It makes no sense. Consumers of journalism don't worry about how the reporters feel." I stopped watching TV years ago and when I catch a snippet of some newsperson on a net video I have to turn it off in seconds because of the weird emoting they do - they seem deeply into emotionally modeling what they think they and others should feel about everything. My point is that people like Todd think they're conveying a lot more than simply reading the news - how they're making people feel seems one of the main motivations of their behavior - so they are very much concerned with how people think they feel - seemingly more so than being a "professional journalist"

Larry J said...

The press does have an obligation to cover political candidates aggressively and fairly. Unfortunately, it's blatantly obvious they're only aggressive with Republicans and fair with Democrats.

gadfly said...

And now we know why "Chuckles" Todd's Sunday show is more commonly called "Meet the Depressed."

Don't you love farce?
My fault, I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want...
Sorry, my dear!
And where are the clowns
Send in the clowns
Don't bother, they're here.

FullMoon said...

Chuck Todd need only call Rush on open line Friday for pointers on handling personal attacks from politicians.

Carter Wood said...

Chuck Todd is usually quite good. This was year-end navel-gazing, and I cut him a break.

Gerard Baker is my idea of a great reporter turned editor.

mccullough said...

Trump has as much rights under the first amendment to tweet and be bombastic as the media or any of the rest of us do. It is well past the time for the corporate media to acknowledge that the first amendment gives us all the same rights; it is not there just to protect publicly traded media companies.

The WSJ guy is right. It is a contest. May the best player win.

n.n said...

Trump not only stands his ground, but he has the means to expose the attackers. The Press is on unfamiliar ground. No longer immune inside the sanctuary of the Fourth Estate, they have become the story. An experience not so different from when Deep Plunger exposed Clinton in WaterCloset.

PB said...

They're a bunch of asses (NYT, Todd, etc). They've lost touch with core principles of honesty and fairness in their near-religious zeal to support the "liberal" cause. They've lost touch with humanity as they look down on the world from their self-described elite positions.

Yes, it's a contest and a competition. NYT is losing money hand over fist, losing subscriptions and ad revenue. Same thing for NBC News.

They need to understand that consumers have an "off" switch and are using it.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Russia hacks Chuck Todd.

Chuck blocked me on twitter. The guy is ultra sensitive.

Comanche Voter said...

Chuck Todd is a pussy--not a professional journalist. And since Todd is a pussy, it's obvisou that Trump has grabbed in (albeit by the nose).G

Man up little boy. The voters have spoken (or at least the Eletoral College has spoken). Deal with it. Trump is (or will be as of January 20) the President of the United States. If you can't get too close to that particular stove, cash in your chips and go home to a safe space and your little blankie.

Original Mike said...

"So maybe Todd really is hurting. But that seems ridiculous. Cover the news!"

Todd has been really butt hurt since the election and it seems to be over people questioning the integrity of the press. But he's clearly a partisan and he displayed it again this morning. I don't remember the context but he declared the 2008 market meltdown as the fault of the financial industry. But that's not a fact, it's an opinion. I guess he's not observant enough to realize that.

Thuglawlibrarian said...

Jeez, Chuck Todd is such a f#cking drama queen.

Quaestor said...

Once written twice misspelled wrote: LOL, Ann deletes comments critical of her never being critical of Trump in 2016 in this post that is critical of the media's coverage of him.

Shifting the bell curve ever further to the left — and loving it.

Original Mike said...

I remember the context. Todd was marveling that the press has lower public approval numbers than the financial industry who, in his words, almost ruined the economy.

Bob Boyd said...

“When people can’t control their own emotions then they have to start trying to control other people’s behavior.” – Robert Skinner

Anonymous said...

I don't get it. The root of journal-ism is a Journal. i.e. a line by line record of some fact made by someone who maintains a journal that goes into a ledger that is often summed and audited. That when modified without a clear record gets a ceo sent to jail. Hard to find any of this in today's use of the term journalism or even reporter. All are similar to vaudeville, a series of separate unrelated acts. By those metrics even the following is "journalism":

Overheard at a small reception for the man a month or so before the election. As he walked in and started visiting each table. A male donor said in a voice that could be heard at the other 10 standing tables. “Please don’t grab my crotch” he laughed. The men at the event choked on their drinks and their wives’ mouths were frozen open. The same man asked “what’d that cost you?” Mr. T. said a fully paid week at Mira Lago. call it $5K plus free golf passes. And for that 5K I got $300M of airtime and press inches. And it took all the air out of Ms. C’s. campaign. nothing she said about her goals and dreams for the American people could be heard. Plus she had to spend real bucks out of her campaign coffers for ads and they still were not capable of breaking thru. A win win. “Goal.” Boy are those democrats stupid, worse, they are stupid bullies. I get to use my time connecting with those that are really hurting who have lost faith in all government, including me, too help them, but I've always been a quick study. So I have to help them to believe in me, because that’s all they have after so many lifetimes of disappointment and the elites shafting them every day in every way. Now, get out of my way. I don’t drink, so I need to relax and enjoy the high you get from the pursuit as much as any given adolescent high school boy does, and probably more. It’s better and more exciting than any alcoholic drink. Plus you don’t (often) wake up with a hangover. And if you're any good your dance partner is smiling ear to ear too.

Original Mike said...

I've been watching MTP since the election just to watch Todd's pain. Does that make me a bad person?

bgates said...

Sunday Morning Partisan Fest #1:
the United States has a new president-to-be who has made it clear he’s not going to be bound by traditional rules against corruption, traditional rules against foreign influence, traditional rules in just about any way....I think there’s a pretty much even chance that we’re going to have a constitutional crisis or have a completely incompetent presidency that doesn’t know how to exercise power

Sunday Morning Partisan Fest #2:
Gosh, that Donald Trump can sure say some mean things, can't he?

Bay Area Guy said...

Journalists have spent the past 2 or 3 generations trying to suppress their liberal opinions, while claiming to report the news squarely. But their opinions almost always bleed into their writing and reporting (see Dan Rather).

It'd be better (and probably cathartic) for them to simply declare what their world view is (pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, non-religious, upper West Side) and then just report the news. And then we could show them their biases, and perhaps they could learn and improve.

Jake Tapper seems like the only guy who actually tries to play it square. Britt Hume did this when he was at ABC too.

Jupiter said...

mccullough said...

"It is well past the time for the corporate media to acknowledge that the first amendment gives us all the same rights; it is not there just to protect publicly traded media companies."

Well, according to the Democratic Party, Citizen's United was wrongly decided and must be reversed. Meaning that the First Amendment protects media corporations and no one else. Well, maybe unions. Unions are good, right? They should get to say whatever they want. Sure, include the unions.

The press seems to be pretty much OK with that. Yeah, that sounds about right to Dean Baquet. Us and the unions. Everybody else needs to shut up.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Text of the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Nothing in there about journalists. A few years ago I researched the history of the word "press." Until about 1840 it was used to refer to physical printing presses, not industries or professions. Makes sense in the context of the First Amendment, otherwise why differentiate press from speech?

wild chicken said...

Eight years ago, the GOP was beat up for not reaching out to young voterz with Twitter and stuff like Obama did! Seriously, that was the received wisdom.

So, Trump runs and shoves Twitter up their asses. Tooo funny.

Paco Wové said...

Well, exactly, Lewis. "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press" means "no government controlling of opinion, either in spoken or written form". With "speech" standing in for all public utterance, and "press" standing in for all forms of the printed word.

Synecdoche – it's a thing! And the Founders were smart guys.

Unfortunately, we now have a populace that is descending into such ignorance that con-men can attempt to trick people into thinking "freedom of the press" is reserved for them such as have some official government sanction (a.k.a. "journalistic credentials").

richlb said...

Todd, do you know how a Police Officer does their job? Or how a nurse at an inner city hospital does their job? Or an addiction counselor or correction official does their job? Oh hell, how a Gap cashier does theit fucking job?!?!

Earnest Prole said...

It’s all about you, Chuck. You finally have a President worthy of your profession’s narcissism.

Mary Beth said...

How do you handle attacks?

I don't know, how has Fox handled the attacks from Obama? (I don't really consider disparaging remarks that either Trump or Obama has made about news organizations that are critical of them to be "attacks", but if that's what Chuck Todd and friends want to call them, that's what I'll call them too.)

Jon Ericson said...

Jeez, how boring, all the prog trolls have the day off.

mockturtle said...

I have always considered Chuck Todd the quintessential asshole. I am incapable of further analysis.

John Salmon said...

Gee, how would HL Mencken have dealt with a pol who didn't like him? These guys really are snowflakes.

richard mcenroe said...

"He just says "it's reporters' jobs to take everybody on, you know, to test everything that a politician says against the truth." In other words: professionalism."

Well, I suppose they had to start sometime.

Gretchen said...

Obama could rail against Fox and talk radio for not repeating his talking points and Chuck Todd thought he was right in doing so.

These reporters should be discussing how many of them run stories by and otherwise act as PR agents for democrats, then ask themselves why Trump might get a bit grouchy.

Journalists need to grow up, and realize Trump won't cower in the corner like previous Republicans and that he's figured out how to get his message out without them, or fool them.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jack Tors said...

I wonder whether Chuck Todd maintains the moustache and goatee as a cloaking device for his overwhelming effeteness. His wife consults for Democrat candidates (Bernie Sanders campaign paid her firm almost $2 million during the last election cycle); Todd has reportedly never acknowledged this on air. When Glenn Reynolds refers to "Democrat operatives with bylines", Todd is one of the first "journalists" to pop into my head.

Yancey Ward said...

The middlemen are being cast aside in the news business.

FoxNews broke the Left's monopoly on how news is covered with a progressive lens, and the internet is undermining what power is left by removing them from the process altogether, even opinion making.

What you saw with Todd this morning is typical progressive tactic- claiming to be a victim of some mean white guy. I think Todd was clearly crying for sympathy. I wouldn't cross the street to piss on him if he were on fire, and I am in increasingly good company.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hyphenated American said...

Is Chuck F. Todd requesting a safe space? Is he "triggered" by Donald Trump's criticism? Does he need a hug?

Clyde said...

Ernie Souchak was not available for comment.

bflat879 said...

What Chuck Todd fails to recognize is we've been watching the level of "professionalism" the press has shown for the past 8 years and, on a scale of 1-10 it's been like a -3. FOrget their coverage of President Obama, let's just talk about their coverage of the Clinton campaign, when you'd think they wanted to up the level of professionalism. There was not one news organization, with the exception of Fox News, that recognized the problems with the server and it's implications to the big picture. How can you have a candidate for the presidency even being considered when they completely avoided FOIA requests, which the press uses to gauge someone's honesty?

The media have a long way to get to earn back the trust of the American people. People like Chuck Todd don't get it so it's going to take a lot longer. If they cover Trump fairly, people will know it. If they start doing hit jobs to protect Obama's legacy, people will know that also. The choice is theirs.

bflat879 said...

What Chuck Todd fails to recognize is we've been watching the level of "professionalism" the press has shown for the past 8 years and, on a scale of 1-10 it's been like a -3. FOrget their coverage of President Obama, let's just talk about their coverage of the Clinton campaign, when you'd think they wanted to up the level of professionalism. There was not one news organization, with the exception of Fox News, that recognized the problems with the server and it's implications to the big picture. How can you have a candidate for the presidency even being considered when they completely avoided FOIA requests, which the press uses to gauge someone's honesty?

The media have a long way to get to earn back the trust of the American people. People like Chuck Todd don't get it so it's going to take a lot longer. If they cover Trump fairly, people will know it. If they start doing hit jobs to protect Obama's legacy, people will know that also. The choice is theirs.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Ann, for this call out. But I have to ask, is Chuck Todd a journalist? Was there any point in time he was? I didn't follow, was it "Roll Call" he was on? If he was a journalist, what happened to him? Was it entry into the MSM at NBC?

Peter said...

" "How are you instructing your journalists to handle the personal attacks that may come his way in a very public setting?"

If someone is criticizing your performance as a journalist, is that a "personal attack"? Is he unable to distinguish between an actual ad hominem attack, and criticism of one's work?

Why would criticism of a journalist's professional performance be somehow off-limits, illegitimate, or otherwise unacceptable? If the criticism is of your work, why would you attack the critic instead of just defending your work?

Mike Sigman said...

Most of the liberal media is to objective journalism about what pedophile priests are to the Catholic Church. The liberal media has broken the rules, so to speak, of objective journalism, but they want to be treated like they're professionals? They're not professionals and they're not ethical journalists, so it's silly to be upset that someone like Trump scorns them. Most of the nation scorns them for their lack of professionalism.

JimB said...

Many years ago, a classmate at law school told me of his visit to his alma mater, Missouri JSchool. At the time, he was the Hill correspondent for the Voice of America. He was shocked at what he found. The JSchool was teaching the students that their purpose as professional journalists was...to mold opinions of the readers. Not to report and analyze. Not anything like what he had been taught some twenty odd years before.

RIP, Russell Black, my friend. Had you lived, you would have seen the consequences of the change.

JimB

mockturtle said...

The JSchool was teaching the students that their purpose as professional journalists was...to mold opinions of the readers.

Exactly, JimB! In other words, become propagandists--for the good, of course, of people who are less enlightened. Sounds a lot like the Chinese Cultural Revolution or the USSR, doesn't it?

Uniblogger said...

Why Trump won….the Media, and Chuck Todd, overplayed their hand.

I thought that the press was primarily responsible for Trump’s victory by their daily ‘over-the-top’ attack-dog screeds of Trump being a Racist, Xenophobe, Nazi, anti-Semite, and Misogamist all rolled into one instead of attacking his ideas.

Their constant Chicken Little, sky is falling, drumbeat caused people to ignore their news; just as citizens who live under a constant barrage of totalitarian government propaganda learn how to tune it out.

mockturtle said...

Their constant Chicken Little, sky is falling, drumbeat caused people to ignore their news; just as citizens who live under a constant barrage of totalitarian government propaganda learn how to tune it out.

Yes, they have spun themselves into irrelevance.

Seeing Red said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lewis Wetzel said...

Hugh Hewitt's report on his visit to CSJ back in 2006 is still timely: http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-medias-ancien-rgime/article/7805

JAORE said...

" A few years ago I researched the history of the word "press." Until about 1840 it was used to refer to physical printing presses, not industries or professions."

I use the same premise when I'm told the 2nd Amendment does not apply to modern firearms. After all the Founding Fathers did not anticipate semi-auto rifles, right?

Well, the truth is there were weapons back then a LOT closer to semi-auto rifles than the internet and satellite TV are to the printing press.

Rockport Conservative said...

I watched a part of this, but the truth is I walked out of the room in disgust. They seemed to be more in favor of talking about how professional they were, what a fine job they did and in defending their coverage than anything else. Frankly, it was a very unprofessional discussion of claiming to be professional. Perhaps there was something professional that happened after I left in disgust, but I watched none of the rest of that show.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Leftwing news people love to pat them selves on the back--- just like hollywood.

Martin said...

Todd confirmed what we already knew--he has no business being in reportorial (as opposed to being on the Op-Ed page) journalism.