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Rather than, for example, having equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats (or conservatives and progressives) on every talk show, or devoting equal numbers of words to each side of a political argument, we should be thinking about what coverage serves the public best. We should not, however, resort to taking everything down the middle, no matter what. We should be resolutely objective in the sense of seeking evidence and approaching subjects with an open mind. Does that mean we throw objectivity out the window? Of course not. What can members of the press do to help keep it from tipping over as the 2024 campaign looms? What should we have learned since that summer in 2016?įor one thing, I’m convinced that journalists - specifically those who cover politics - must keep a sharp focus on truth-seeking, not old-style performative neutrality. American democracy is now on the edge of a precipice. In every way, Trump was a deeply abnormal candidate, but the news media couldn’t seem to communicate that effectively or even grasp the problem.Īs we would learn over the coming years, the Capitol was not inviolable, and neither is the democracy it represents. As Trump prepares to run again in 2024, it’s worth reminding ourselves of the lessons we’ve learned - and committing to the principle that, when covering politicians who are essentially running against democracy, old-style journalism will no longer suffice. It’s been an education for all of us - a gradual realization that the instincts and conventions of traditional journalism weren’t good enough for this moment in our country’s history. It took too long to stop believing that, whenever he calmed down for a moment, he was becoming “presidential.” And it took too long to moderate our instinct to give equal weight to both sides, even when one side was using misinformation for political gain. Too often, we failed to refer to his many falsehoods as lies. Too many times, we acted as his stenographers or megaphones. We’ve come a long way, but certainly made plenty of mistakes. Now, six years later, we journalists know a lot more about covering Trump and his supporters.
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I tried to let all this nastiness roll off my back and even found it amusing when a Post reader sent me an email calling me a “venomous serpent.” John Schwartz, then a reporter for the New York Times who had become a friend, suggested I treat it as a badge of honor and write a book titled “Memories of a Venomous Serpent.”
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One reader suggested I have my breasts cut off. Perspective | What happens to society - and our democracy - when community and regional journalism dries up
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