One of the most maddening aspects of our current information environment is the media’s constant reach for a bogus equivalency between actions and opinions that most of us see as decidedly unequivalent. Perhaps I’m indulging in false nostalgia, but I remember a time when accuracy and–to the extent possible–objectivity were the markers of good journalism. (I tend to think that all changed when Fox “News” entered the picture and equated fairness with “balance,” but the essay linked below suggests the picture is more complicated than that…)
I still agree with whoever said the journalist’s job is not to report that person A says it’s raining and person B says it’s not–it’s to look out the window and tell us who’s right.
A recent article by Rick Perlstein in the American Prospect considered this aspect of contemporary media. He contrasted what I’m calling “both-sides-ism” with the approach taken by Josh Marshall in Talking Points Memo, a site I depend upon for clear-eyed reporting. (I’m not the only one who finds TPM a valuable resource; I note that several of the other sources upon which regularly rely, including Robert Hubbell and Heather Cox Richardson, also regularly cite to TPM.)
Perlstein is writing a book
about how the last 25 years of American politics brought our democratic republic to the brink of collapse. It apportions one-third of the blame to the failings of elite political journalism. One way I make the case is by pointing to two movements that arose in the opening months of Barack Obama’s presidency, and describing how both were reported in The New York Times.
The first was covered at a volume that betokens obsession. It was called the Tea Party. The Times told its story largely in the way its leaders wished: as a spontaneous outpouring of nonpartisan anger from ordinary Middle Americans at the alleged fiscal irresponsibility of the Obama administration.
The second movement was formed from the dregs of the 1990s militia movement. It sought to recruit active-duty military and police to thwart the Obama administration’s alleged plan, as founder Stewart Rhodes described it in his original manifesto, to “go house-to-house to disarm the American people … with orders to shoot all resisters.” These were the Oath Keepers, whom the Times only ever mentioned in a single news story, in passing, busy as they were sanding down the Tea Party to fit it into the both-sides “polarization” narrative that defines mainstream American political journalism.
It was a pretty striking example of how a supposed Newspaper of Record actively renders it impossible for ordinary news consumers to form an accurate picture of what was going on in front of their noses.
Perstein contrasts that faux equivalency approach with TalkingPointsMemo.com which he says is the “actual publication of record, compiling a bountiful archive of the ways “extremism” and “mainstream” merged in the history of the Republican Party from the dawn of President George W. Bush to the present.”
The essay is lengthy, and includes both a history of TPM and theories about how we got to this point. One part of that discussion really resonated with me; Perlstein writes that the Internet created a new D.C.-based national political journalism space—the Politicos, the Axioses, The Hill, etc., all of which are funded by a subset of the national corporate lobbying budget.
You advertise in Politico, you sponsor Politico’s events, because you need to talk to the people who run the state from Washington D.C., who don’t give a fuck if you are a political obsessive in Kentucky. ‘I need to be talking to the staffers who write the legislation on Capitol Hill.’… And so your publication can’t be left, or even right, in the sense that they see it. You’ve got to be nonpartisan and centrist. Whether or not the cocky 35-year-old political reporter who’s a dick on Twitter understands where his both-sides thing comes from—that’s where it comes from.”
As Marshall is quoted in their discussion, “What we think of as the ‘both sides’ thing is an artifact of the economic structure.”
Follow the money…
Here’s the problem: functioning democracies depend upon the existence of an informed electorate. When the most reliable sources of political news try to find a “balance” between disinformation and accuracy, they aren’t just distorting reality. They are undermining democracy.
In all fairness, no reporting is, or can be, perfect. Even the best reporters can only see through their own eyes, interpret what they see through their own worldviews.
But accurate, objective journalism can tell us whether it’s raining.
Sheila … to your last word: “But accurate, objective journalism can tell us whether it’s raining.” My favorite line from a Broadway hit decades ago: “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” …. the local sheriff was getting testy in response to public admonition: “Son! When it’s a thundering rainin’ outside, I don’t need someone in my face pissing on my boots!” Kinda like what it must have been like in the CNN producers enclave last night during the “debate”.
Journalists are people, too my friend! That’s the best reason I can think of to get your news from many different sources. Believe any single source at your own risk.
After watching last night’s debate, I’m as worried as anyone about Biden’s performance, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be good for him, because Biden feeds on crowds. Without that energy, he doesn’t do very well. Also I have to wonder why the moderators didn’t call out at least some of tfg’s lies. That’s not journalism.
Last night’s display of lies and ineptitude – by BOTH candidates – sent chills up my spine that I’ve never had before. Trump was his usual disgraceful, lying, self-serving idiot. But Biden, illness or not, mumbled his way through a disastrous evening, one I’m not sure we will recover from. The “journalists” who allegedly “moderated” were equally awful, and that collective awfulness will have Gooberville and Shitforbrains City dancing in the streets thinking they won.
God help us, because we seem to be unable to help ourselves. Now I’m REALLY glad I’m old. I just hope I can die before those Republican MFs cut my Social Security checks.
If the community understanding is that the role of journalism is to report the facts with honesty, reliability and independence, after last night’s debate, how will media producers set the stage rules for the next debate when it includes a chronic gas lighter espousing rapid fire lies not even closely relevant to the question posed by journalists?
Glenn Greenwald said there is no such thing as “objective journalism” because everyone is biased. Unlike Rick Perlstein, I don’t care about either political party. Rick and his social media followers are very pro-Democrat, except for those following him on X. He got off X because they kept pointing out his bias.
When I pointed out his bias on Facebook, it sparked a lengthy exchange between him and his fans. This is a clear example of the need for critical thinking in our society. He advocated that we must vote for Biden or get Trump—vote shaming.
I wonder how Rick feels this morning after watching Biden’s Sundowners episode on live TV. Biden’s handlers should know that dementia worsens after the sun goes down. Every email I received this morning from news agencies talked about Biden’s disastrous performance. Trump forced #GenocideJoe to work off-script, which is his weakness. We knew Trump would lie non-stop, which he did for the hour I could tolerate, but he contained himself by not speaking out of turn this time. The bottom line is that it was a disaster for Democrats and Biden. Those who believe that Obama is running the show got plenty of confirmation that it sure isn’t Joe or Kamala.
One interesting X post came from a “broadcast journalist” at NBC who said, “According to two sources close to the situation, President Biden has a cold.” She was getting hammered by respondents. LOL
Did not watch the thing! My wife was “tasting” it from time to time, and I saw tfg
barf about “…the kind of people he lets in” and no-one fact checked. Sorry to hear that fact-checking was not happening, overall. This was Biden’s opportunity to show his strengths, sadly wasted, it seems.
NPR writes that maybe the Dems need to reconsider who will be their candidate.
Wow!
A more hopeful, and hopefully salient comment comes from HCR’s newest blog. She quotes Stuart Stevens, “a former Republican operative:
“About the effect of tonight’s events, former Republican operative Stuart Stevens warned: “Don’t day trade politics. It’s a sucker’s game. A guy from Queens out on bail bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade, said in public he didn’t have sex with a porn star, defended tax cuts for billionaires, defended Jan. 6th. and called America the worst country in the world. That guy isn’t going to win this race.”
CNN fact-checked the debate and reported what was obvious. Trump rarely told the truth, and Biden sometimes could not remember the truth and did not express what he did remember well at all.
We do not have a qualified candidate for President yet, and there are only months left.
We know Trump owns the Reds, but we don’t see how the Blues are organized to address the problem.
It was also clear how much Trump hates this country. His financial interest in politics brought the country here ten years ago. We are just another of his failures.
There were winners last night, though—our enemies.
Yep, it’s raining. An appropriate headline would read;
The Democratic Party Would Rather Run A Befuddled White Man Than Support Our Current VP. A VP That Has All Of Her Faculties And Superlative Abilities.
Kamala Harris is qualified. But….
She probably isn’t beholden to Lockheed Martin and or Booze,Allen & Heath.
Today’s American President only needs to do the following:
Allow Israel to continue the brutal ethnic-cleansing of Palestinians unabated.
Open the Treasury to fill the coffers of the MIC.
Continue the elaborate money laundering scheme known as Fighting For Democracy In Ukraine.
Keep those monies flowing to Ukraine. Ukrainian political executives need those pensions paid by the US taxpayer. Ukrainians need their Healthcare paid by the US taxpayer,as well.
After all, both polical cults see US citizens as nothing more than marks.
.
Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe summarized succinctly:It was a wipeout from the moment it began.
President Biden walked into the CNN studio looking shaky and uncertain. As soon as he spoke, he sounded shaky and uncertain. He answered questions like an automaton, listlessly jumping from one random point to another, as if he hoped they might somehow coalesce into a convincing argument. Much of what he said was bizarre. Some was simply inaudible.
The contrast with Donald Trump was total. The rude, shouting, insulting Trump who debated Biden in 2020 was nowhere in evidence. The former president’s answers were clear, coherent, focused, if not always truthful or factual. His ripostes were devastating: “I don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence,” he remarked after one incoherent Biden comment, “I don’t think he knows what he said either.” [my HL, almost every commentary calls this out]
Biden gambled that an early debate would prove he hasn’t lost his mojo and isn’t too superannuated for a second term. He lost that gamble, big time. Democrats had better start working on Plan B.
Do you remember the slogan “America, love it or leave it”? I love it, and feel that it is leaving me.
Lester, what are YOU going to do to help save the country from the monster and the wide-spread ignorance that allows that monster to exist? Are you just going to point your finger while clutching your pearls whining all the way? What are YOU going to do to help execute plan B?
Vernon,
For nearly 8 years I have worked nearly full time to create and run CommonGoodGoverning, a citizen activist group across the US who help elect servant leaders who want to put “country over party” and “country over ideology”. We have helped elect folks like Conor Lamb, Elaine Luria, Dean Phillips, Elissa Slotkin and others. All these people are DEMS who ran in districts that The Duck won.
Most of our work involves connecting candidates with people who don’t always vote: minorities and young people.
Regarding “Plan B” – right now I would suggest there is little one person can do except for one – Jill Biden.
Lester … you hit the ‘golden calf’ award for today. When there is an ain’t it awful waffling problem it is time to frame it into an issue: something specific, something immediate, something that involves people into action. You have demonstrated that. Then let’s hope Jill has called Kamala to the ‘suite’ for a cup of tea. 😇
I’m not sure who said Kamala is a strong alternative, but it’s obvious they haven’t heard her speak in a while—55% unfavorable and 39% favorable, for a net unfavorability of -16 %.
https://www.latimes.com/projects/kamala-harris-approval-rating-polls-vs-biden-other-vps/
The WH has kept her out of the spotlight since her trip to Mexico in June 2021. The only chance the Ds have now is to reload with Gavin Newsome or Bernie Sanders.
Todd – GAB – gimmie a break! Gavin is extremely unpopular in CA with his huge deficit and out of sight cost of living and Bernie is…..OLD
Sorry, Lester, but those are your only hopes at this point. Period. Kamala is a disaster, just like Biden. If Biden stays, he loses to Trump. I expect Trump’s poll lead will grow significantly in the coming weeks.
Todd – time to get out of our boxes….
Try a great dark horse: Mitch Landrieu:
– Deep governing experience
– Profile in courage for taking down Confederate monuments in New Orleans
– Governing success and popularity in a deep-Red state
– Work on Biden’s infrastructure rollout to create jobs
Ocasio Cortez!
Hey, if it’s all got to burn, at least, give us a show. At least she’s not a religious person, and religion doesn’t like her, so that in itself would be an excellent matchup.
I don’t know why no one has claimed that there is a clearing present danger afoot. It’s been here for quite a while. When Obama was elected it really drew out every single nut job and conspiracy theorist on this continent. And it’s been a crash dive into the swamp of insanity ever since. The only thing that can be done is to claim a national emergency, and have someone who is halfway competent start cleaning up the mess. But that won’t happen, we were saying the same thing before the supreme Court became what it is today, and everybody blew that off. It was like everyone was blind, and folks would argue that The supreme Court had nothing to do with the day to day politics. Well, you see what’s happened, folks usually can’t see past the tip of their nose anyway.
Nope.. It’s Kamala Harris or Trump.
The Democratic Party got high on its own supply. It lied and became addicted to hubris.
That is what happens when a fraud has been revealed by way of the curtain being pulled.
Why no confidence of Harris from the party elite?
Because women and black-Americans serve only as window dressing for the party.
The Democratic Party would rather have brain addled white-man for a candidate than a fully functioning black-woman.
Especially at a time when the brain addled white-man is facilitating the ethnic-cleansing of people of color overseas. Joe Biden supports turning people of color into a bloody pink mist. Mostly children and women.
The message from the party;
Those people need to know their place.
Apparently, Todd is fine with a convicted felon, sexual predator, failed businessman, serial cheater getting elected because he doesn’t like anyone.
False equivalency.
This all started when the network executives decided that the new divisions jhad to produce profit. The vomit that spews from 45 on almost every occasion makes for good revenue, never mind if it is pure garbage.
The saddest thing about all the criticism of the President is that many seem to forget that he is working in a REAL job, a massively complicated job, every hour of every day all year long. 45 is playing golf and running his mouth at every opportunity. The media falls for it because he makes them lots of money. Voters fall for it because it suits their bigotry and misogyny.
If you don’t watch it, they make less money.
The bigger question is how do we get informed in the age of AI. You can bet that the clips from last night are being doctored as propaganda even now. Guess who is the loser in all of this. We, the People, are.
Joe Biden is the Ruth Bader Ginsberg of the Executive Branch.
Oops.
GinsBURG!
JD is the perfect example of a brown shirt. Why must one vilify someone because that person sayeth something different from you?
It’s because of entitlement and privilege. Plus a bit of being accustomed to having your way most of the time. Just because one says Joe sucks does not mean they support Trump.
Of course some folks have no ability for nuance. They can only comprehend dogmatic dogma.
Ian, LOL.
HRC summed up the effect and substance of the presidential debate. It’s obvious that “stage performance trumps substance these days”. Biden was sticking to old methods of listing accomplishments and aims of his administration, granted in a hoarse, halting voice that was difficult to hear. Trump was bluster and continuous lies using a gaslighting method “Gish Gallop” a rhetorical technique that spews of lies and insults in rapid succession that doesn’t allow time for a solid response, especially for a person with a stutter. The setting of the debate with no audience and muted mikes helped trump look more in control of himself than he actually is.
Biden was there obviously with a bad cold and not feeling well, also knowing a lot more than he could say for security reasons. It’s not necessary but dangerous to have a glib “day trader” politician in command of the nuclear codes.
US is in the middle of a cold civil war over whether we can keep the democracy we have and build on that. It’s war and we have to take one battle at a time. Last night’s battle was painful, and It’s clear to me the war will go on and who I will vote against. Jumping ship at this time shows weakness in ourselves; Biden has turned the ship and now needs all hands-on deck to complete the job.
Both my parents served in WWll, gave up their freedom and risk their lives to ward off fascism from this country at that time. Now it’s our turn to ward off that evil in djt and the Maga movement from our government by voting Democratic in masse this November.
HCR’s blog was referenced. I haven’t read/heard response of HRC. I value her opinion too,
Hillary Clinton is the last person I would listen to about Biden’s performance. AOC might work, John, but that will inspire the MAGA crowd. As for having a cold and not feeling well, he recovered from that cold today when giving his speech in N. Carolina. LOL
All Joe had to do was maintain for 90 minutes, but he failed miserably. Today, he told the crowd he was the only candidate to beat Trump and was not quitting.
He needs to be reminded of this quote last night:
“We’re able to make every single solitary person … eligible for what I’ve been able to do with the, uh, with—with the COVID, or excuse me, with, dealing with, everything we have to do with, uh … Look … If … We finally beat Medicare.”
~ Joe Biden, 6/27/24, First National Debate
Having lived and worked overseas in a hot zone (Jerusalem), I am acutely aware the jury is seated around the world. Smart and insightful people in every language are watching the debate and us. I am not upset. I feel profoundly embarrassed.
Biden didn’t fail miserably. Most of what he said was lucid and with a few misspeaks under those circumstances is understandable. The lies and insults from the wannabe dictator need to scrutinize and criticized. I wouldn’t fall for the propaganda of the Magas that Biden is incompetent. He is competent.
You suggest that Newsome would be a good replacement. Since he was married to Don Jrs. girlfriend for a while I see that as a problem. People who can be independent of influence from enemies are stronger.