The Media/Journalism Thread

[DRW50]

Oh that liberal media.

Amazing how many people are lining up to do anything for such a repulsive and deeply uncharismatic man.

[Vee]

 

[DramatistDreamer]

[Vee]

Gannett journalists have been terrorized for years, it seems like.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

The bizarre end note about Zaslav sending an IG mash note to Stelter who he fired is the kicker for me.

[Vee]

 

[Vee]

 

[Khan]

Chris Licht out as CNN CEO; three people to serve as his interim predecessors:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/chris-licht-cnn-tumultuous-reign-130044199.html

[MichaelGL]

 

Thank you Jesus! 

What a terrible little experiment that was. 

[Toups]

But isn’t it John Malone and Zaslov who wanted CNN move towards the right?  Their pick of a new CEO might not change things. 

[Khan]

Yes, and that's because they, along with the rest of the media, continue to operate under the belief that there is a large and mostly untapped contingent of voters in this country whose views aren't being represented in the mainstream.  They look at how FOX News and its' ilk are doing in cable and they desire a piece of that pie for themselves.  (Never mind that FOX News skews older, white and male in an industry that grows more irrelevant by the minute.)

Put aside the fallacy in that assumption, however, and ask yourselves this question: does the rest of this country and this world really NEED to hear what those on the right and far-right are saying?  I'm all for allowing all voices to be heard, but not if some of those voices just want to make "others" out of everyone who isn't like them.

Edited June 7, 2023 by Khan

[Vee]

I don't think anyone thinks this will all change overnight because Licht is gone. (Nor would just getting Jeff Zucker back be a great help, IMO) Zaslav and Malone are still there. But this entire episode has been a thorough embarrassment for CNN and its parent company and will require real course correction. It is within these kinds of margins of unforced errors, failures and vulnerable windows that we as citizens are able to fight back and make our voices heard both with media and in politics as usual.

Beltway-centric media will probably never stop venerating the Reagan-era belief that there is a silent center-right majority of Americans they have to constantly coddle, cater to and apologize to and for, at least probably not for much of my remaining lifetime. But changes have been made and more change can be made. You do that bit by bit, day by day, year after year with incidents like this.

More about the Fall of Lich(t) - shades of the finale of Succession. As always, use archive.is to bypass paywalls on all these sites.

Some office gossip and then a rare moment of clarity from the otherwise exhaustingly credulous ex-CNN Licht casualty Brian Stelter:

Edited June 8, 2023 by Vee

[Vee]

[Khan]

I agree.

Being politically neutral doesn't cut it anymore - at least, not in the media.  This country continues to fight a war of misinformation.  You can be on the "right" side or the "wrong" one of that war, but, eventually, everyone has to choose a side.  Let's hope the David Zaslavs learn that lesson sooner rather than later.

[DramatistDreamer]

Who did nazi this coming, when bluesky is brought to you by the guy who brought that same lack of moderation to twitter? 

https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/08/blueskys-growing-pains-strain-relationship-with-its-black-community-moderation/?guccounter=1

 

[DRW50]

The guy who now spends his time cheerleading for headcase RFK Jr.