“Imagine that — 63 million Americans are written off because they disagree with the media elite’s politics. Echoes of Clinton’s ‘deplorables’ comment ring loud and clear.”
“This lack of balance permits little or no coverage of any of his achievements. How many people, for example, know about the employment records shattered by the jobs boom unleashed by Trump’s policies?”
“Black unemployment stands at 5.9 percent, the lowest rate on record. For Latinos, it is 4.5 percent, also the lowest on record. For women, it’s the lowest rate in 65 years and for young people, it’s the lowest since 1966.”
“Those statistics mean millions of people are getting their shot at the American dream. How can that not be newsworthy?”
Brilliant op-ed by Michael Goodwin. But he only frames this as a Trump-related phenomenon. It is certainly much, much older that the Trump candidacy.
Brilliant op-ed by Michael Goodwin. But he only frames this as a Trump-related phenomenon. It is certainly much, much older that the Trump candidacy.
This excellent article, however, misses the entire 1980s when the media portrayed Ronald Reagan as a dunce who was going to destroy the economy and destroy all life in this planet in a nuclear war with the USSR.
The American people responded by giving Reagan “three” terms, through which we saw unprecedented economic growth and by the end of his “thirf term,” Bush Sr.’s, the USSR no longer existed.
Godwin’s article misses the early 1990s when the media chose to portray Bush Sr. as out-of-touch because he seemed mystified by the latest supermarket-scanner technology. That “out-of-touch” narrative was a mainstay of their 1992 campaign reporting.
It misses the media’s narrative of the second Bush administration in which Bush Jr. was portrayed as an idiot who got us into a war looking for. WMDs that didn’t exist.
But to be fair, this charge is equally on Bush and Karl Rove. Bush for not speaking eloquently enough to
But to be fair, this charge is equally on Bush and Karl Rove. Bush for not speaking eloquently enough to
support his war, and Rove choosing not to fight back against the media narrative when most of Iraq’s WMD’s were finally found.
This lack of fight, BTW, was really the first spark that would eventually cause GOP voters to turn their back on traditional GOPers.
This lack of fight, BTW, was really the first spark that would eventually cause GOP voters to turn their back on traditional GOPers.
Godwin’s article also misses how McCain was the media’s favorite person in the GOP. He was their Maverick, the one who spoke truth to GOP power. Until he was officially the GOP POTUS nominee. Then he was a dottering, old fool who (maybe) cheated on his wife.
Godwin also misses the very worst cases of media biases, just four years before Trump cake down the escalator.
- “The Republican war on Women.
- “Binders full of women”
- “They want to take away your birth control.”
- “Romney gave his employees cancer!!!!”
- “The Republican war on Women.
- “Binders full of women”
- “They want to take away your birth control.”
- “Romney gave his employees cancer!!!!”
- “Romney forced a DOG to ride on top of a car!!!”
- The Candy Crowley CNN debate in which she called Romney on a “mistruth,” then hours later was forced to correct herself.
- And of course, mocking dumb Mitt Romney for believing Russia was our greatest geopolitical foe.
- The Candy Crowley CNN debate in which she called Romney on a “mistruth,” then hours later was forced to correct herself.
- And of course, mocking dumb Mitt Romney for believing Russia was our greatest geopolitical foe.
The people who were most predisposed to be against “the fake news” were already feeling like they had an enemy in the mainstream media long before Trump chose to run. Before he was even a Republican.
He simply communicated their discontent. They responded with their support.
He simply communicated their discontent. They responded with their support.
In other words: if the major media ever chooses to consider their role in electing Trump, beyond the $2 billion in free coverage they gave him throughout the primaries, they need to consider their coverage of GOP politicians and their supporters over the past 35+ years.
There is a vital role for a fair, honest, free press in our republic. But with freedom come responsibility.
It’s far past time for today’s media to take responsibility for their decades of bias. Or to just stop pretending to be unbiased observers.
It’s far past time for today’s media to take responsibility for their decades of bias. Or to just stop pretending to be unbiased observers.
With either decision, the media will be far better off in the long term.
And so will American consumers of news.
And so will American consumers of news.
* with freedom COMES responsibility.
(Twitter, we need that edit button.)
(Twitter, we need that edit button.)
Just realizing the unusually high number of typos in this thread. I apologize! I was typing fast to get all of my thoughts out. Hope it’s not too impossible to follow!
