The Role of the American Press

cwo_ghwebb

No Use for Donk Twits
FTA: 'In one of the ultimate paradoxes, for American journalists -- whose role in theory is to expose the secrets of the powerful -- secrecy is actually their central religious tenet, especially when it comes to dealing with the most powerful. Protecting, rather than exposing, the secrets of the powerful is the fuel of American journalism. That's how they maintain their access to and good relations with those in power.

PMSNBC's Tucker Carlson angrily criticized her publication of Power's remarks. Carlson upbraided Peev for her lack of deference to someone as important as Power, and Peev retorted by pointing out exactly what that attitude reflects about Carlson and the American press generally (via LEXIS; h/t Mike Stark):

CARLSON: What -- she wanted it off the record. Typically, the arrangement is if someone you're interviewing wants a quote off the record, you give it to them off the record. Why didn't you do that?

PEEV: Are you really that acquiescent in the United States? In the United Kingdom, journalists believe that on or off the record is a principle that's decided ahead of the interview. If a figure in public life.

CARLSON: Right.

PEEV: Someone who's ostensibly going to be an advisor to the man who could be the most powerful politician in the world, if she makes a comment and decides it's a bit too controversial and wants to withdraw it immediately after, unfortunately if the interview is on the record, it has to go ahead.

CARLSON: Right. Well, it's a little.

PEEV: I didn't set out in any way, shape.

CARLSON: Right. But I mean, since journalistic standards in Great Britain are so much dramatically lower than they are here, it's a little much being lectured on journalistic ethics by a reporter from the "Scotsman," but I wonder if you could just explain what you think the effect is on the relationship between the press and the powerful. People don't talk to you when you go out of your way to hurt them as you did in this piece.

Don't you think that hurts the rest of us in our effort to get to the truth from the principals in these campaigns?

PEEV: If this is the first time that candid remarks have been published about what one campaign team thinks of the other candidate, then I would argue that your journalists aren't doing a very good job of getting to the truth.

Well said!

Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com
 

ImnoMensa

New Member
There are Journalistic standards? Damn. I never knew that.

Oh!! that means they look out for one source while hanging another, depending on the political view of the journalist.
 

cwo_ghwebb

No Use for Donk Twits
There are Journalistic standards? Damn. I never knew that.

Oh!! that means they look out for one source while hanging another, depending on the political view of the journalist.

That line was hilarious. But then she took him down a peg.
 
C

czygvtwkr

Guest
What idiot talks "off the record" anyway unless they want the stuff to become known.

Journalists should report facts, yes just boring facts, to inform the public. However todays journalists want to (and are somewhat successful) shape public opinion.
 

cwo_ghwebb

No Use for Donk Twits
What idiot talks "off the record" anyway unless they want the stuff to become known.

Journalists should report facts, yes just boring facts, to inform the public. However todays journalists want to (and are somewhat successful) shape public opinion.

Not only shape public opinion, but they want to BE the news vice REPORT the news.
 
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