“The Press Versus the President” does not acquit Putin, and it often gives explicit credence to claims that the Russians were attempting to meddle in the election. But as its title makes clear, the series offers a thorough account of the many ways in which mainstream corporate media outlets (the Times and the Washington Post get particular attention) operated hastily and sloppily in their coverage of the Trump campaign’s alleged collusion with Russian state operatives, and it highlights many specific instances in which editors and newsrooms elided nuanced fact in favor of the congealing narrative that Trump and his team had made deliberate attempts to conspire with Russia and secure the presidency. The report says little about what Russians did or did not do (as is true of Durham’s report, as well), focusing instead on the reasons why many news outlets owe the American people an apology for their role in stoking a false panic over deliberate collusion. Bob Woodward, no friend to Trump, put it best in a conversation with Gerth, quoted in part one: newsrooms need to “walk down the painful road of introspection.”
I’m an old journalist and in my day the idea was to keep yourself and your opinions out of what you were reporting (a good way to learns, actually. As my late friend Warren Phillips informed the staff of Wall Street Journal when he became its publisher — news is is news, opinion is opinion; we have sections for both; never shall the twain meet as long as I am publisher of this paper. Too many of today’s journalists want to determine the news, not report on it. Too bad. Accurate, impartial reporting is really of great value.p to our republic. Of course, you often have get off your ass and do real reporting, and not just rely on the internet..
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