The Rise of Trump Shows the Danger and Sham of Compelled Journalistic Neutrality

[Rebkeh]

An excellent piece by Glenn Greenwald
March 14, 2016

[snip]

(The Intercept_) Large corporations hate controversy (it alienates consumers) and really hate offending those who wield political power (bad for business). Imposing objectivity rules on the journalists who work for their media divisions was a means to avoid offending anyone by forcing journalists to conceal their perspectives, assumptions, and viewpoints, and, worse, forcing them to dishonestly pretend that they had none, that they float above all that. This framework neutered journalism and drained it of all its vitality and passion, reducing journalists to stenography drones permitted to do little more than summarize what each equally valid side asserts. Worse, it ensures that people who wield great influence and power — such as Donald Trump — can engage in all sorts of toxic, dishonest, and destructive behavior without having to worry about any check from journalists, who are literally barred by their employers from speaking out (even as their employers profit greatly through endless coverage).

https://theintercept.com/2016/03/14/the-rise-of-trump-shows-the-danger-and-sham-of-compelled-journalistic-neutrality/

[merrily]

1. Excuse me, WHAT journalistic neutrality? Cable news has turned into Trump Infommercial Central.

[Rebkeh]

2. That's the point he is making

The general standard is that the press is supposed to state just the facts and give straight news, letting viewers and readers determine their positions on their own. No bias, no spin. This no longer happens, they now aim for the appearance of neutrality, thereby going full circle and painting themselves into the corner of covering Trump all day. Which is good for business but terrible for journalism.

[merrily]

3. That standard flew out the window years ago. We now have a sharp distinction between reporting and

commentary. With commentary, which is what is done on everything but the 6 pm and 11 pm news on ABC, CBS and NBC , anything goes. (The straight news programs of major networks, of course, engage in only subtle slanting.)

I don't know that covering Trump all day is good for business, in the sense that it is good for ratings. I think we're told a lot of things are good for ratings, but I don't trust that, anymore than I trust anything else msm says.

[840high]

4. Trump must interest people. Look at DU front page.

[Rebkeh]

5. ^ This, Trump gets eyeballs and clicks

He is great for business.

[merrily]

7. The front page reflects what media is covering, but I didn't say that Trump is of no interest to

people.

[Beartracks]

6. And then there's Fox's faux faux neutrality.

Once the new model of faux objectivity had set in, then FOX could set about pretending to pretend to be objective. Which isn't the same thing as actually BEING objective.

==================

[world wide wally]

8. This is why Fox began bullshitting people with their "fair and balanced" tagline

Because they they weren't

[bemildred]

9. Gresham's Law, bad information drives out the good, if you let it. nt