MSM/legacy media have become so tRumpified that they never question, challenge, or demand evidence of his lying claims...why can't SOMEBODY at the NYT or WaPo just state that tRump's use of "DEI" is code for Black and Brown people, or women of any race? Why adopt HIS language? Why not just immediately decode it for the filthy racism and/or misogyny that is his clear intent?
Yes, this is exactly what they should do. MSNBC's Chris Hayes actually said that today on Bluesky: that Trump's use of DEI was code, and what it was code for.
I started my career in the newspaper business, and have long held it in high regard. [I needed to eat and switched to computers, but religiously read several daily papers.] I have recently abandoned all daily newspapers as useful only for wrapping fish. My problem now is that I would need to subscribe to dozens of Substacks and other newsletters to get any understanding of what is or isn't happening in the world. As much as I would love to support all those independent efforts, that's beyond the limits of my retirement income. My wife has adopted the "ignorance is bliss" approach, and I may be forced to join her.
It's pretty ironic that Trump + GOP all consider MSM outlets like CNN, WaPo, NYT to be "extreme leftist" media organs, when in actuality they've entirely Centrist. But at least the MSM makes an effort to adhere to actual journalistic practices. For example, they usually cite multiple (actual) sources; they are willing to make corrections & retractions, etc.
But FOX News and its lesser RW imitators, like OANN and Newsmax, simply prefer to make stuff up. They manufacture fabulist nonsense out of whole cloth; or report on said made up nonsense to give it credibility. "Haitian immigrants are eating the dogs and cats." "Democrats abort (murder) babies after birth." "Women, Black and Gay employees at the FAA caused the DC plane crash."
Half of our voting population sadly lives in this alternate reality bubble, and sees drag queens lurking behind every door. GOP leadership, including our President, also seems to fully subscribe to living in this make believe land, created courtesy of our creative friends at FOX News.
A lot of substacks don’t require a subscription to read them, just to comment. Jen Rubin’s and Norm Eisen’s Contrarian is one example. Salon.com, Wonkette, Propublica and The Guardian are also free. The Guardian has both UK ans US editions so you can get some more international news, There are a lot of free podcasts, too. Still it is a pretty disjointed way to keep yourself informed.
Thanks. I'm reading all of those, and I'm an original supporter of Bulwark. I don't do podcasts. (I have attention deficit disorder; listening is painful and useless. In college, a century ago, I did better in lecture classes by not attending the lectures!) I just feel like I should support all these efforts...and more. I have this fantasy that some billionaire, noting how much money has been showered on the Federalist Society, will decide to provide a sustaining endowment for a real newspaper, staffed by real journalists who are paid appropriately, and distributed to any and all who want it, perhaps for a very nominal sum. Done properly, that would run out of business all the newspapers that were purchased by investment funds and castrated. [Wife says it's time for my meds...]
Hard to believe, I know. Traditional media is corporate media. Corporate media does not practice journalism. They do corporate pro-trump propaganda. They are scrambling to cover for the deadly incompetence of the trump-musk administration because that is what sycophants do to appease a dictator. Given the enormity of trump and co's ineptitude, it may be too great a task. That, and real reporting from real news outlets like this and other substacks and media outlets (e.g. Meidas Touch) may be what saves us. One thing is for sure, we'd be doomed without you.
Becky, you paint with too broad a brush. I do not believe that NPR, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and some other “traditional” media are either “corporate” or pro-Trump. WaPo has gone to the dark side. I’m unsure about the NYT, I used to trust them but they’ve become so wishy-washy. I don’t pay attention to TV news, so I have no opinion on CNN or MSNBC.
The Times isn't openly kissing Trump's hindquarters, but its relentless both-sidesing of political issues works to Trump's benefit, and that's no accident.
The Guardian is owned by the Scott trust, is not a corporation and is not a for-profit company.
NPR is also not a for-profit company, though it does get somewhere around a third of its funding from corporations. It is currently under investigation by the Trump Organization with an eye to eliminating its funding and does a certain amount of self-censorship.
The Atlantic and the New Yorker reach maybe 1% of American adults and are not exactly wildly profitable.
Comparing these small, fragile, and not-influential outlets with, say, ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX news (or, in FOX's case, "noise") which each have millions of viewers is completely inapt.
Here is a statement I never see when Trump starts whines "no fair" whenever his image takes a hit:
"Trump fails to exhibit maturity and character when asked to perform the job of president". This angle needs to be worked into coverage of his administration. It is verifiably true. And if he sues the reporting outlet, it should fight it in court in order to keep the legal precedents intact. The press should respect the public by informing it that a man who cannot withstand the pressure of being asked to perform at this level is dangerous. This is not a reality show. Lives are at stake.
The press should note that public service has different standards. When someone becomes president, they are expected to elevate the public good over their own. Trump is convincing people that 'it's someone else's fault' is an acceptable answer because the press validates that by not putting the goal posts back after he moves them.
If the traditional media are really serious about their mission to inform the public, they would be constantly repeating the most important fact about current American politics: the President of the United States is insane. Not merely cruel, bigoted, ignorant, narcissistic, or sociopathic -- but INSANE. Period.
I canceled my subscriptions to the New York Times and the Washington Post for precisely these reasons. I subscribe to several substacks, the Atlantic, the Nation and the New Yorker. As far as I'm concerned, the New York Times and the Washington Post have forfeited their right to be considered legitimate publications.
NYT & WaPo were pretty staunchly anti-Trump--or at least Never-Trumper--during Trump1. And roughly tripled their combined readership accordingly. NYT made a pile of cash off liberals and moderates horrified over Trump's/GOP's lurch into MAGA crazyland.
But under Biden, they began to slide back to their preferred slightly Right-of-Center positioning. But now they're acting like we're already in Victor Orban's Hungary, and self-censoring their content to more fully subordinate themselves to the MAGA consensus.
Every day it's getting easier to believe that none of the elite Beltway stenographers will stand up to tRump and call him out for the lies. Where was the one brave soul with the integrity and the courage to stand up in that liefest today and ask "Mr. tRump, the head of the FAA was fired by Elon Musk. Hiring is frozen for ATC on orders of Elon Musk. You fired every member of the Airline Safety Board at the behest of Elon Musk. How can you blame last night's disaster on minorities and disabled people?"
And if no member of the press is going to ask, why in the unholy f**k aren't Democrats all over the media today asking it????
"I suppose it’s still possible that some of the major news organizations will come around later today or in the next few days, and address Individual-1’s racism head-on."
Wanted to share this piece with you—it’s about how we keep falling into the outrage trap and how to fight back strategically. Would love to hear your thoughts.
After viewing all of the folks contributing to this thread, I am undecided if it is unusual to find so much TDS and Woke Mind Virus in one location.
The other day I took my Golden Lab to a new dog park. Similarly, I noticed that most dogs immediately sniff each other’s butt holes. Also, that one must step lightly and carefully, because when there is one dropping that many will follow.
Having experienced the new dog park, I have a greater understanding of this particular example of Progressives relieving themselves.
The usual, banal, boring, unoriginal droppings.
Strategic? Don’t make me laugh. You guys are whistling past the cemetery and are about as strategic as a Kamala interview.
“I suppose it’s still possible that some of the major news organizations will come around later today or in the next few days, and address Trump’s racism head-on.”
Trump was racist the day 10 years ago when he waddled down the escalator. He was racist the day he took out a full page ad to call for the execution of the Central Park Five, who turned out to be innocent. (As well as the day they were exonerated, when he was asked whether he would acknowledge he was wrong and he refused to.) He’s been an open, explicit racist the entire time he’s been in public life.
Our wealthy media stars have had decades to “address Trump’s racism full-on.” They cannot have made it any clearer that they don’t want to.
MSM/legacy media have become so tRumpified that they never question, challenge, or demand evidence of his lying claims...why can't SOMEBODY at the NYT or WaPo just state that tRump's use of "DEI" is code for Black and Brown people, or women of any race? Why adopt HIS language? Why not just immediately decode it for the filthy racism and/or misogyny that is his clear intent?
Yes, this is exactly what they should do. MSNBC's Chris Hayes actually said that today on Bluesky: that Trump's use of DEI was code, and what it was code for.
Chris Hayes also got something right that Mr. Froomkin did not:
“ He's not blaming DEI, he's blaming women and non white people,” wrote MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.”
Why are people ignoring the fact that the opposition to DEI is as sexist as it is racist? And then there is the hatred of gay and trans people.
Yeah, that is what I meant, but I didn't try to quote him because I couldn't remember his exact wording.
I started my career in the newspaper business, and have long held it in high regard. [I needed to eat and switched to computers, but religiously read several daily papers.] I have recently abandoned all daily newspapers as useful only for wrapping fish. My problem now is that I would need to subscribe to dozens of Substacks and other newsletters to get any understanding of what is or isn't happening in the world. As much as I would love to support all those independent efforts, that's beyond the limits of my retirement income. My wife has adopted the "ignorance is bliss" approach, and I may be forced to join her.
It's pretty ironic that Trump + GOP all consider MSM outlets like CNN, WaPo, NYT to be "extreme leftist" media organs, when in actuality they've entirely Centrist. But at least the MSM makes an effort to adhere to actual journalistic practices. For example, they usually cite multiple (actual) sources; they are willing to make corrections & retractions, etc.
But FOX News and its lesser RW imitators, like OANN and Newsmax, simply prefer to make stuff up. They manufacture fabulist nonsense out of whole cloth; or report on said made up nonsense to give it credibility. "Haitian immigrants are eating the dogs and cats." "Democrats abort (murder) babies after birth." "Women, Black and Gay employees at the FAA caused the DC plane crash."
Half of our voting population sadly lives in this alternate reality bubble, and sees drag queens lurking behind every door. GOP leadership, including our President, also seems to fully subscribe to living in this make believe land, created courtesy of our creative friends at FOX News.
A lot of substacks don’t require a subscription to read them, just to comment. Jen Rubin’s and Norm Eisen’s Contrarian is one example. Salon.com, Wonkette, Propublica and The Guardian are also free. The Guardian has both UK ans US editions so you can get some more international news, There are a lot of free podcasts, too. Still it is a pretty disjointed way to keep yourself informed.
Thanks. I'm reading all of those, and I'm an original supporter of Bulwark. I don't do podcasts. (I have attention deficit disorder; listening is painful and useless. In college, a century ago, I did better in lecture classes by not attending the lectures!) I just feel like I should support all these efforts...and more. I have this fantasy that some billionaire, noting how much money has been showered on the Federalist Society, will decide to provide a sustaining endowment for a real newspaper, staffed by real journalists who are paid appropriately, and distributed to any and all who want it, perhaps for a very nominal sum. Done properly, that would run out of business all the newspapers that were purchased by investment funds and castrated. [Wife says it's time for my meds...]
Also see: How a great nonprofit news organization would cover national politics
https://presswatchers.org/2024/12/how-a-great-nonprofit-news-organization-would-cover-national-politics/
THANK YOU!
Hard to believe, I know. Traditional media is corporate media. Corporate media does not practice journalism. They do corporate pro-trump propaganda. They are scrambling to cover for the deadly incompetence of the trump-musk administration because that is what sycophants do to appease a dictator. Given the enormity of trump and co's ineptitude, it may be too great a task. That, and real reporting from real news outlets like this and other substacks and media outlets (e.g. Meidas Touch) may be what saves us. One thing is for sure, we'd be doomed without you.
Becky, you paint with too broad a brush. I do not believe that NPR, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and some other “traditional” media are either “corporate” or pro-Trump. WaPo has gone to the dark side. I’m unsure about the NYT, I used to trust them but they’ve become so wishy-washy. I don’t pay attention to TV news, so I have no opinion on CNN or MSNBC.
The Times isn't openly kissing Trump's hindquarters, but its relentless both-sidesing of political issues works to Trump's benefit, and that's no accident.
The Guardian is owned by the Scott trust, is not a corporation and is not a for-profit company.
NPR is also not a for-profit company, though it does get somewhere around a third of its funding from corporations. It is currently under investigation by the Trump Organization with an eye to eliminating its funding and does a certain amount of self-censorship.
The Atlantic and the New Yorker reach maybe 1% of American adults and are not exactly wildly profitable.
Comparing these small, fragile, and not-influential outlets with, say, ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX news (or, in FOX's case, "noise") which each have millions of viewers is completely inapt.
MSNBC is being anything but wish washy.
MSNBC is under immediate threat due to the Comcast re-organization (see apnews.com/article/networks-cnbc-msnbc-comcast-new-company-00bf676f225f1c89026ef15bf8915ec9)
Here is a statement I never see when Trump starts whines "no fair" whenever his image takes a hit:
"Trump fails to exhibit maturity and character when asked to perform the job of president". This angle needs to be worked into coverage of his administration. It is verifiably true. And if he sues the reporting outlet, it should fight it in court in order to keep the legal precedents intact. The press should respect the public by informing it that a man who cannot withstand the pressure of being asked to perform at this level is dangerous. This is not a reality show. Lives are at stake.
The press should note that public service has different standards. When someone becomes president, they are expected to elevate the public good over their own. Trump is convincing people that 'it's someone else's fault' is an acceptable answer because the press validates that by not putting the goal posts back after he moves them.
If the traditional media are really serious about their mission to inform the public, they would be constantly repeating the most important fact about current American politics: the President of the United States is insane. Not merely cruel, bigoted, ignorant, narcissistic, or sociopathic -- but INSANE. Period.
I canceled my subscriptions to the New York Times and the Washington Post for precisely these reasons. I subscribe to several substacks, the Atlantic, the Nation and the New Yorker. As far as I'm concerned, the New York Times and the Washington Post have forfeited their right to be considered legitimate publications.
NYT & WaPo were pretty staunchly anti-Trump--or at least Never-Trumper--during Trump1. And roughly tripled their combined readership accordingly. NYT made a pile of cash off liberals and moderates horrified over Trump's/GOP's lurch into MAGA crazyland.
But under Biden, they began to slide back to their preferred slightly Right-of-Center positioning. But now they're acting like we're already in Victor Orban's Hungary, and self-censoring their content to more fully subordinate themselves to the MAGA consensus.
Every day it's getting easier to believe that none of the elite Beltway stenographers will stand up to tRump and call him out for the lies. Where was the one brave soul with the integrity and the courage to stand up in that liefest today and ask "Mr. tRump, the head of the FAA was fired by Elon Musk. Hiring is frozen for ATC on orders of Elon Musk. You fired every member of the Airline Safety Board at the behest of Elon Musk. How can you blame last night's disaster on minorities and disabled people?"
And if no member of the press is going to ask, why in the unholy f**k aren't Democrats all over the media today asking it????
"I suppose it’s still possible that some of the major news organizations will come around later today or in the next few days, and address Individual-1’s racism head-on."
I suppose pigs will begin to fly.
Wanted to share this piece with you—it’s about how we keep falling into the outrage trap and how to fight back strategically. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Check it out when you have a minute.
Thank you.
https://open.substack.com/pub/jasonegenberg/p/the-trump-overreaction-trap-stop-f98?r=3nm35j&utm_medium=ios
Great piece! I'll probably link to it soon. I'm trying to collect practical, doable ways for ordinary folks to fight back strategically....
Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to read the piece. Happy you responded to it and i agree with you.
I liked your piece a lot, with one reservation. I started writing a comment, but it kept getting bigger, so ...
https://forgetisaidanything.substack.com/p/the-important-thing-to-keep-in-mind
Thank you. I truly appreciate your support and sharing the piece,
Yes yes yes to Adam Serwer, Chris Hayes, Jamelle Bouie and all the others. thank you
After viewing all of the folks contributing to this thread, I am undecided if it is unusual to find so much TDS and Woke Mind Virus in one location.
The other day I took my Golden Lab to a new dog park. Similarly, I noticed that most dogs immediately sniff each other’s butt holes. Also, that one must step lightly and carefully, because when there is one dropping that many will follow.
Having experienced the new dog park, I have a greater understanding of this particular example of Progressives relieving themselves.
The usual, banal, boring, unoriginal droppings.
Strategic? Don’t make me laugh. You guys are whistling past the cemetery and are about as strategic as a Kamala interview.
Um…shut off aid to SA because they mistreat white farmers….
Traitors! How do they sleep at night😡
All the major news outlets are now owned by republicans.
“I suppose it’s still possible that some of the major news organizations will come around later today or in the next few days, and address Trump’s racism head-on.”
Trump was racist the day 10 years ago when he waddled down the escalator. He was racist the day he took out a full page ad to call for the execution of the Central Park Five, who turned out to be innocent. (As well as the day they were exonerated, when he was asked whether he would acknowledge he was wrong and he refused to.) He’s been an open, explicit racist the entire time he’s been in public life.
Our wealthy media stars have had decades to “address Trump’s racism full-on.” They cannot have made it any clearer that they don’t want to.
My humble contribution:
https://open.substack.com/pub/forgetisaidanything/p/lets-not-forget-what-happened-thursday
Why hide it now?