The democracy beat shouldn’t be some kind of specialized innovation, but a widespread rethinking across the mainstream media.
Making this happen will call for something that Big Journalism is notoriously bad at: An open-minded, nondefensive recognition of what’s gone wrong.
Top editors, Sunday talk-show moderators and other news executives should pull together their brain trusts to grapple with this. And they should be transparent with the public about what they’re doing and why.
As a model, they might have to swallow their big-media pride and look to places like Harrisburg, Pa., public radio station WITF which has admirably explained to its audience why it continually offers reminders about the actions of those public officials who tried to overturn the 2020 election results. Or to Cleveland Plain Dealer editor Chris Quinn’s letter to readers about how the paper and its website, Cleveland.com, refuse to cover every reckless, attention-getting lie of Republican Josh Mandel as he runs for the U.S. Senate next year.
Margaret Sullivan
July 28, 2021
Our democracy is under attack. Washington journalists must stop covering it like politics as usual.
[Ms. Sullivan openly demands the suppression of views which diverge from her narrative.
Prepare and respond appropriately.—Joe]
The first three paragraphs are so reasonable, so much common sense. Then the punchline is that they all need to double-down on the lies and deceptions to stamp out any vestiges of free thought and honest action that are left remaining. Good psy-op to rope in normies.
All the truth we think you need. Be still rabble and wear your masks.
Chuck Todd said the other day that there was no bias in the MSM, except when Fox was tilted to the right.
This will end poorly for some folk.
“But a wide spread re-thinking across the mainstream media.” She’s supposing their was an actual “thinking” in the first place?
I would posit that if there was anyone capable of “thinking” in the mainstream media. (Why do I always imagine myself standing over a urinal when I say those two words?) They wouldn’t be in the mainstream media. They would be doing something productive with their intellect. Something involving brooms, mops, and large floor areas.
Who cares of “our democracy” is under attack. We were never intended to BE a “democracy”. Democracy is nothing but MOB RULE AT THE BALLOT BOX. And things have reached the point now where even the ballot box is no longer relevant.