“The Republican Party needs to die,” says Bartlett.
In a healthy democracy, journalists and reporters are supposed to be watchdogs, or holding government and elected officials accountable to the people. Unfortunately,media consolidation, the allure of access to the powerful over truth-telling, and a transition from a semi-independent press to a corporate business model has weakened the Fourth Estate in America. This trend reached a low point with the 2016 presidential race and the election of Donald Trump as president.
In that moment,the American corporate news media was obsessed with "balance" and "fairness," instead of holding Trump and his campaign (and his subsequent administration) accountable for their unprecedented maelstrom of lies. The American corporate news media also continued to utilize outdated models of reporting that emphasized the horse-race aspect of the election and how Trump would have to "pivot" and become a "normal" candidate, or as opposed to highlighting how he was an autocrat and a petite-fascist who repeatedly demonstrated a deep disdain for democratic norms and traditions.
The skillful deployment of "fake news"— another tool of autocrats around the world—was central to Trump's ability to outmaneuver and manipulate the American corporate news media as well as the millions of people who voted for him.
What can be done to rehabilitate the American corporate news media? How did a decline in civic and media literacy enable Trump to win the White House? Is there a way for the public to insulate itself against Trump's lies and strategic utilize of "fake news" to distract and manipulate the public? Can nowadays's Republican Party be salvaged from the political extremism and rigid ideology that helped to birth the crisis that is Trump's presidency?In an effort to reply these questions,I recently spoke with Bruce Bartlett, a former adviser in the Reagan White House who also served under George H.
W. Bush. Bartlett is a regular contributor to the unique York Times and has appeared on CNN, and MSNBC and other major news networks. He is the author of the unique book "The Truth things: A Citizen's Guide to Separating Facts from Lies and Stopping Fake News in Its Tracks."In our conversation,Bartlett explains some of the trends that led to a weakened American news media that was unprepared to confront Donald Trump and the Republican Party's onslaught. Bartlett says:When the mainstream media began to downsize to manage with the loss of revenue from advertising and subscribers, the first thing they did was lay off their most senior reporters. They were able to save a lot of money that way. The problem is that a lot of journalistic training takes residence informally in the newsroom where young reporters learn from the old veterans who have been around for a long time. One of the things that you learn in that way that can't be taught in the university is how to tell when somebody is lying.
There is also he said-she said” journalism, or where in order to gain access to a source that can now go around the traditional news media through Twitter and other methods,you have to give them whatever they want.
Your source has to be convinced that you’re going to be capable to them and get their message out the way they want it to be gotten out, so reporters are now nearly forced to be stenographers. Now obviously the reporters can't just do that, or but neither can they inject themselves into the chronicle and say,“Okay here’s what my source inside the campaign is saying, my reporting in examination of the fact says this is all bullshit, and that it’s a lie." They can't do that because then they burn their source,the source will never talk to them again if they tell the truth.
The crisis facing American democracy under Trump's presidency is made worse by extreme political polarization. The Republican Party and movement conservatives also have a deep disdain for democracy. On this point, Bartlett is extremely direct: "The Republican Party needs to die, and " he said. "It’s already a zombie; it’s brain-dead."During this episode of the podcast,I also reflect on Roy Moore's sex scandal and why conservatives are so enamored with a racist and alleged child molester. Related StoriesHere’s What Happens If Mueller Probe Takes Down Trump and Pence at the Same TimeMueller Has a Roadmap and the End Game Is NighFate of the soil Considered Agai
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