Several days ago the most comprehensively documented and carefully written account of the mainstream media’s toxic and ultimately self-destructive relationship with Donald Trump was published by Columbia Journalism Review. And if you haven’t heard about it, then that doesn’t surprise me, because the reaction from the rest of the mainstream media (including its reliably voluble and strident online commentariat) has been notably muted as well.The reason is that the piece from CJR (a reliably institutional media organ, informally the dean of its academic wing) was a thoroughly sourced and timelined four-part series by ex–New York Times reporter Jeff Gerth about how Russiagate — which now best describes the media’s conduct in publishing, amplifying, and laundering what turned out to be partisan-concocted bunk about Trump’s purported treasonous compromise by the Russian government — ended up destroying its institutional credibility. It opens by noting that prior to Trump’s taking office (not winning the election, mind you, but taking office) the mainstream media held a net positive rating among Americans in institutional reputation, but that rating now hovers around a 26 percent level of credibility. And more than anything else, it was their recklessness in pursuing the fantasy of Russiagate that frittered away that institutional capital.
I generally try to avoid talking about Trump on this blog but I revel in watching the demise of the mainstream media, which has had nothing but an adversarial and hostile relationship against American conservatives in general and Republican politicians in particular. The cottage industry of criticism against Ron DeSantis is just the latest example of their playbook. Keep it up, clowns, and never look back.
INDEFENSIBLE: If a book-length compilation of errors and dishonest coverage — printed in the Columbia Journalism Review, and written by a reporter with the credentials of Jeff Gerth — doesn’t get picked up by MSM at all, it’s proof they will never reform. https://t.co/ZBDchee5nm
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) February 1, 2023
3 comments:
Anyone who says Russiagate was an "insane" "concocted" "fantasy" is in no position to point fingers at credibility.
Numerous people were found guilty and required pardons for their imaginary roles in the insane concocted fantasy.
From Columbia Journalism Review's editor in chief and publisher Kyle Pope:
"Voices in the right-wing press, including at Fox News and the Washington Times, hailed our report as proof of the media assault that they've been hyping all along... and for arguing that when it came to Trump's ties to Russia, there was no there there (which isn't the case, and which the story didn't claim)."
Pope wrote that three days ago. He contradicts your post. Acknowledgement of Pope's rebuttal from the conservative media and commentariat has been muted. Unsurprisingly.
For further illuminative color, Google "Jeff Gerth" + “Whitewater” sometime.
I'll start you off.
https://www.mediamatters.org/new-york-times/gerth-blames-ny-times-editors-whitewater-mistakes
Next, try "Jeff Gerth" + "Wen Ho Lee."
https://ajrarchive.org/Article.asp?id=32
I generally try to avoid talking about Trump on this blog but I revel in watching the demise of the mainstream media, which has had nothing but an adversarial and hostile relationship against American conservatives in general and Republican politicians in particular. The cottage industry of criticism against Ron DeSantis is just the latest example of their playbook.
Donald J. "People are saying Ron DeSantis was quite the pedophile back in the day" Trump will be crushed to hear that he's now part of the mainstream media and its playbook.
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