Reporting on politics/DC/Congress

[Wendell Barnhouse]

Stepping on the third rail and hoping to survive.
Being retired and spending too much time on Twitter and observing the news, I've become much more attuned to the reporting that takes place.
My opinion is that too many journalists who cover the WH and Congress allow their egos to get in the way of their job. For four years, the WH press corps refused to push back, refused to aggressively ask follow up questions, refused to use the word "lie."
Watching today's coverage of the impeachment proceedings, it was notable that the House impeachment managers were grilled about why witnesses weren't called. The reporters asking those pointed questions were much more aggressive than any reporters were during the Trump administration. Raskin and others pointed out that even McConnell admitted the House made its case. Raskin also explained the game was rigged because the acquittal votes were based on the procedural idea that an ex-president can't be impeached. It was a classic Catch-22.
My take: Some reporters started another long day Saturday assuming they would cover the vote. Then the news broke of witnesses. Then the story reversed field (again). I think some reporters were pissed about working a fast-paced story and/or they then were disappointed when they were denied the exciting and juicy idea of covering a Thunderdome trial.
Lots of issues with our country. How our "free press" operates is in the top 10 on that list. Journalism and media don't touch on the Venn Diagram. Just my opinion.
Get off my lawn and turn down that music.

 

[heyabbott]

Stepping on the third rail and hoping to survive.
Being retired and spending too much time on Twitter and observing the news, I've become much more attuned to the reporting that takes place.
My opinion is that too many journalists who cover the WH and Congress allow their egos to get in the way of their job. For four years, the WH press corps refused to push back, refused to aggressively ask follow up questions, refused to use the word "lie."
Watching today's coverage of the impeachment proceedings, it was notable that the House impeachment managers were grilled about why witnesses weren't called. The reporters asking those pointed questions were much more aggressive than any reporters were during the Trump administration. Raskin and others pointed out that even McConnell admitted the House made its case. Raskin also explained the game was rigged because the acquittal votes were based on the procedural idea that an ex-president can't be impeached. It was a classic Catch-22.
My take: Some reporters started another long day Saturday assuming they would cover the vote. Then the news broke of witnesses. Then the story reversed field (again). I think some reporters were pissed about working a fast-paced story and/or they then were disappointed when they were denied the exciting and juicy idea of covering a Thunderdome trial.
Lots of issues with our country. How our "free press" operates is in the top 10 on that list. Journalism and media don't touch on the Venn Diagram. Just my opinion.
Get off my lawn and turn down that music.

Republicans push back on the press, democrats don't. It's easy to be tough when you know the other side won't fight back.

 

[DanOregon]

The "mainstream media is liberal" thing is kind of a double-edged sword. I think the right finds it easy to dismiss bad press by calling it "fake news" or whatever. The Dems seem overly concerned with bad press, to the point of knee-capping themselves just worrying about it.

Sidenote - That story about the press aide starting a relationship with a Politico WH reporter is bad all the way around, - even before the horrendous exchange between Ducklo and the reporter asking about the relationship. One, Politico "reassigned" the reporter in the relations to cover Harris instead of the WH (ostensibly to avoid conflict of interest, but seriously isn't Harris part of the WH?). Two, the WH (even after learning about the relationship) gave Ducklo a job in the WH, when he could have easily been a spokesman for the Pentagon, State or whatever - or even just not offering him a gig in the administration.
And yes, there was rampant cross-polination between Fox News and the Trump WH - but that shouldn't be an example to follow.

And I do think this impacts how the press covers Ds and Rs in the WH. They tend to expect Ds to respect them and the Rs not to respect them - so they don't try as hard when Rs are in the WH, and get their knickers twisted when they feel the Ds let them down. They have higher standards for Ds.