The Blog

2021-

2021-08-22 i
THE STATE OF THE DISUNION IX

On Today’s Mainstream Journalism

I think that it's fair to say that there has been no greater journalistic malpractice than RussiaGate. It was far, far worse than the run up to the Iraq War which was bad enough itself.

I actually wrote a column for an Indian newspaper in 2019 on the parallels between the media failure associated with the Iraq War and the media failure associated with Russiagate. That it appeared in an Indian newspaper maybe gives some insight into the lack of appetite for any kind of substantial domestic “reckoning” on that issue.

The lack of professional accountability combined with the move from attempted objectivity to out-and-out advocacy journalism bodes ill for the profession. Have we hit the nadir yet? Or is there still a long way to go? We are now in the state where journalists are of the view that harsh criticism of their reporting/writing is tantamount to 'violence'. It's almost as if they seek to create rules (and possibly laws) that will insulate them from criticism and would in effect create another protected class, one that is little more than a stenographer for acceptable social, cultural, and political views.

I only think it bodes ill for the profession when it’s done unethically. Here is a recent Substack article where I outline my views on exactly this question. Please reference that in lieu of a more extensive answer here, so I can finally rid myself of this interview.

Who should we be reading?

The back of cereal boxes.

— Michael Tracey interviewed by Niccolo Soldo

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