They are doing the exact same thing as in 2016 again. I’m writing this about CNN and have used their logo because they are the latest offender that I have encountered, but all the mainstream media are repeating the same mistakes that could predictably lead to disaster. Any recriminations that we may hear in the future will be too little and come much too late.
CNN just did an interview with Doug Burgum, Governor of North Dakota. The reason for the interview is that he is the first of the Republican Presidential candidates of this campaign cycle to endorse Trump.
Let’s look at the first part of CNN’s Mission Statement. What they tell the world they most believe their purpose is:
To Inform, Engage and Empower the World.
We are truth-seekers and storytellers...
Let’s focus on the phrase “truth-seekers”. During the interview Burgum made several glaringly false statements that went unchallenged that could have easily been. This is not the style today though of today’s check-the-box journalism, where you win if you get through all of your pre-prepared questions!
In discussing why he did a 180 flip on Trump, Burgum said, to paraphrase: “This is a binary choice. My state is an ag and energy state. Biden’s energy policies cause instability and are a disaster”. This could easily have been challenged in the following way “You are talking about oil here. Oil production in the US is at an all time record high. Could you clarify?”
Burgum went on and said “Unlike Trump, Biden’s policy is appeasement throughout the world. It is like Churchill vs. Chamberlain”. This too could have been challenged. The simple pushback would be “Biden is pushing hard for aid to Ukraine while Trump says he “could end the war in two days” which could only involve major land concessions to Russia. Biden has also been criticized for his embrace of Israel, who he has strongly supported since the Oct. 7 attack even in the face of criticism from his own party. Funding for Israel is being held up by the Freedom Caucus in Congress. ”.
Trump supports the House’s hold up in supplementary funds. So this allows to go unchallenged a portrayal that is pretty much diametrically opposed to reality, where the role of appeaser is just completely swapped from Trump to Biden.
Burgum said he is supporting Trump because “the voters have clearly chosen”. There was pushback there — with the reporter saying there have been no primaries yet. I agree with Burgum here regarding the Republican farce of a primary race, but his flip-flop is the troubling one of an integrity-free enabler, and is merely the first of many more to come.
The reporter finished with “Will you now run for another term for governor?” Burgum answered that for now he is here to campaign for Trump, and this is not his concern at the moment. The reporter then said, in a sincere voice, that he was sure that if he did run he would appreciate the ex-President’s support.
I do not want to argue here the rightness or wrongness of Biden’s policies. This would take a diary on each topic just to scratch the surface. Let me just say that I think Biden is moving things in the right direction, and it is up to all of us to ensure that continues, and to quicken the pace.
What I do want to say about what I heard here is that “check the box” journalism like this is a campaign ad for Trump. Repeated over the next 8-½ months, it will ensure that Biden gets it from both sides, and allows a completely false picture to be passed along of where Biden stands on the issues, ensuring he gets criticism from the left, middle, and right no matter what he does.
I’m sure CNN will say — “we leave it up to the viewers to connect the dots. It is up to the Biden administration to counter these campaign claims” Yada Yada.
If these were normal times, I would sigh and say, “yeah, fine”. But they are not.
These times call on reporters to step up and do their jobs. To be equipped beforehand with knowledge to challenge false statements, and to dare to do so. If it loses them access to one side, so be it. Somehow, I don’t think it will.
I do not know what we can do to supply enough pressure to say “what you are doing is not good enough!”. I appreciate that there is likely corporate pressure, probably memos and emails that reinforce what reporters are doing. It will ultimately be self-defeating I believe, unless media corporations are planning to seamlessly transition to becoming propaganda organs for a demagogue. Which would kind of go against the mission statement I started with. But I sure do wish there was something we could do that could actually have a significant impact besides just get mad.