RECENTLY
Republicans are hellbent on default because why not
Republicans want chaos because they know the media – and, as a result, the public -- will blame President Biden, both in the short term and in the long.
“When he says something that is bogus, you stop him right there.”
Listen to my discussion of how to -- and how not to -- cover Trump, with Meghna Chakrabarti, the host of WBUR-FM's "On Point" radio show.
Washington Post is furtively sitting on a secret trove of Discord leaks
When a news organization has exclusive access to secrets that are effectively still secret, they have an obligation to publish them judiciously and maintain the secrecy of those that deserve it.
Lessons for Chris Licht’s successor at CNN
What CNN journalists made clear to their boss is that you simply cannot be a legitimate journalist and be neutral about Donald Trump.
Here’s how CNN can reduce the harm of giving Trump the microphone
CNN's obligation is to demand concrete answers to questions that have arisen since he left office, and to confront him with the facts he denies.
Republicans threaten to tank economy. Media blames Biden.
The nation is not “barreling toward default,” nor is it “careening,” or even “drifting” there. It is being pushed there by Republicans.
MISSION STATEMENT
Press Watch mission statement: Political journalism needs a reset
No one can possibly argue that modern political journalism has fulfilled its essential mission of creating an informed electorate. Here's how it needs to change.
FOX IS NOT NEWS
Fox’s big reveal is a teachable moment about journalism
Now is the time to publicly and definitively explain journalism's core values and how Fox does not share them, and to never again allow anyone – the public, the pollsters, the funders, the political parties – to confuse the two.
By firing Brian Stelter, CNN is capitulating to disinformation rather than fighting it
CNN’s latest big move is a huge victory for Fox. By firing Brian Stelter, CNN’s new management has rid Fox – temporarily, I hope – of one of its chief scourges.
EXPLAINERS
That thing that just happened didn’t just happen in a vacuum
The ultimate antidote to what ails political journalism today is context. And that doesn't necessarily mean doing a lot of extra reporting. It may mean just remembering.
Political journalists are doing voter interviews all wrong
How reporters go about interviewing voters, where they go, who they talk to, what they presuppose, and most importantly what questions they ask can make the difference between the stuff of parody and the best kind of political journalism. The key to doing it right is to explore not just voters’ political opinions, but their formative moments and their value systems.
REWRITE DESK
Not clear on who’s threatening democracy? Let me rewrite that for you.
Journalists should be making absolutely clear that Republican candidates for key state and federal offices are fully prepared to steal any future election that doesn’t go their way – making the conspiracy theory they spread about 2020 actually come true in 2024.
A “challenge” to Biden’s battle against racism? Let me rewrite that for you.
I would have written that the Buffalo massacre was a gruesome reminder of the importance of Biden’s desire to “restore the soul of America”.
‘Conservatives’ say teachers are ‘grooming’ kids? Let me rewrite that for you.
Instead of clearly debunking and critiquing this insane, divisive filth, the Washington Post does stenography and withholds judgment.