The Fourth Estate Stands Up On Its Hind Legs
One gratifying shift we’ve seen in the chaos since January 20th is the rejuvenation of the Fourth Estate – the press. In the last 20 years we’ve seen the press devolve into the 24 hour news cycle, infotainment, and simply blatant partisanship which willfully misinforms the electorate. At the same time, that same electorate has become less and less engaged, seemingly divorced from reality and facts. American Idol and The Voice get higher participation than elections that actually matter. The election of the worst candidate for the presidency in US history has changed that. His withering attacks on facts, truth, decency, compassion, AND the press have finally awoken a sleeping giant. Major news outlets have geared up and are actually digging for the facts, digging for the dirt, going after lies and the liars who speak them, and aggressively fact checking.
My response to this? It’s about goddam time (sorry Momma). Where the hell have you all been (besides working on your SEO and re-marketing strategy)? To demonstrate this awakening, The Washington Post recently altered their longstanding logo, to wit:
During the Oscars broadcast, The New York Times aired its The Truth is Hard ad, which is powerful:
Even Fox Noise has backed off of at least some of its perpetual GOP cheerleading.
The result of the press waking up is that our system of government has begun to actually function again. Cheeto Jesus stupidly accuses President Obama of wiretapping him (on Twitter), and the press relentless pursues the story until even HE admitted he got that BS story from Brett Baier of Fox Noise. He claims that busloads of fraudulent Massachusetts voters went to New Hampshire to commit voter fraud, and the press runs down the facts exposing that as false. Now, I’m not naive; even an army of reporters would be hard pressed to run down every one of CJ’s lies since he spews a bushel basket full on a daily basis, but with a functioning press, his big lies are quickly debunked, or at least vigorously challenged. So, instead of spewing more lies and misinformation at the daily press brief, all of Sean Spicer’s time is spent answering a barrage of questions about his boss’s most recent incendiary lie.
As ugly as this is, our republic is still hanging together. And it’s critical to our survival. With the rise of the alt-right propaganda machine, the actual Fourth Estate must continue to beat back lies with truth.
Disagree.
While the press is chasing down tweets, meals on wheels is dead. NPR is dead. The state department is eviscerated (guess those extra guards for Benghazi embassy ween’t needed), and the military is getting a bajillion bucks for equipment which would’ve worked great in WWII. You and I know there’s much more.
But hey, the idiot in chief lied about something. Let’s talk about THAT.
The network news is a bunch of dogs, and Trump keeps yelling “Look, a squirrel!!” It works.
1Had Orange Foolius stopped with ‘merely’ calling the press names, he might have traveled on in peace creating his Moscow on the Potomac. But no, as with any fool deserving of the label fool, he made the press fear for their lives at his rallies. Then, adding insult to injury, he’s threatening their livelihoods. Atta Boy, Donnie! Kick a hornets nest then stand there bewildered when multiple stings come your way.
Schadenfreude is the sight of Donnie taking down his own brand and 666 Jared in the process. Extra points if Donnie’s ‘help’ wakes up Wisconsin and voters there give Lyin’ Ryan the boot in 2018.
Give us the House and Senate in 2018! We’ll think of something to do with Mikey Pence before he can warm the chair in the Oval Awful, after Donnie is impeached. Regaining the House is a must; third in line is the Speaker of the House. Rep. Cummings would make a delightful President.
2Interesting note. This morning I was researching municipal utilities in eastern Pennsylvania and ran across a link advertising Trumpcare and how much better it is than the Obamacare–cheaper and covers everyone, sign up today. Trump scares me. Sorry. and yes, we need more and better newspapers. Remember when all this mess started: Koch brothers and their determined move toward taking over the country and possibly the world. Shamelessly annoyed in Texas
3@Marge Wood … I saw that same ad here in S. CO either yesterday or this morning … I couldn’t believe it!!
4@Bernie Not sure why you disagree. The press has a full court press. Because of the press, Congress was forced to start a Russian investigation. Because of the press, the budget got hammered within an hour of announcement, and Congress is backtracking. Because of the press, Congress has backtracked on repeal of the ACA. You’ve got to remember that Cheeto Jesus is not king. He can’t take a dump without Congress and Congress is worried about one thing and one thing only – reelection. The press putting relentless heat on them making them look like idiots keeps CJ in check.
5El Jefe, I have no clue as to why Josh Marshall would title this piece “Not Good.” http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/not-good–5
To my way of thinking every time Orange Foolius pees on his own shoes and creates a sink hole under Lyin’ Ryan, that’s a good thing. Seems Ryan had a miserable afternoon doing damage control on cable TV.
Wisconsin Democrats, talk to us, please. If you want friends and dollars, we’re here for you to send Lyin’ Ryan into early retirement.
6The WaPo can kiss my butt. As long as they give people like George Will and Hugh Hewitt space to blow their hot air, they have a ways to go about a free press. Today, Georgie opined that the National Endowment for the Arts should be axed! That $148M in funding is taking us all to the budgetary endtimes. The fact that their funding is a fraction of 1% of the DoD increase CJ wants is immaterial I suppose.
And I hear that PBS funding is up for cutting, too. The dollars it takes to fund PBS for a whole year runs the DoD for just SIX HOURS! But, it’s programs like that which are putting us in deficits?!!
And another right-wing nazi today suggested that programs to feed hungry children should be cut because where are the results? Results? Like what? Gold bullion coming out of their butts?
I hate these people. God help me, I HATE them.
7I applaud the press tracking down every lie– okay, every big lie– and outrage– ditto– that our new one-party government commits. But keep in mind that at least 35-40% of Americans think that Trump walks on water and feeds the 5000 with a few fish. They accept every word and every dangerous and stupid thing he puts forth, and they think anything opposing him, including the truth, is liberal leftwing bias. Even a free and energetic press isn’t going to reach that big bloc of voters.
8I’d just like to see the Fourth Estate just lift their hind legs and pee voluminously on that orange fire hydrant located at 1600 PA Ave (and Lyin’ Ryan, Maggot McTurdle too).
As far as slashing “Meals on Wheels”, ‘DeathCare’, and all the rest, here’s something y’all might like:
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/16/1644344/–Domestic-Blitzkrieg-You-re-in-it-Some-of-you-will-die-from-it
.
9I second JAKvirginia x100: “I hate these people. (Dawg) help me, I HATE them.”
The Fourth Estate has been standing up on its hind legs for a long time now.
Begging for a treat.
10Perhaps the media is growing a ball or two back after neutering itself.
11El Jefe, I have noticed a number of good new things about the Post since Bezos took over. Also, accidentally watched a portion of Morning Joe this AM. Joe wasn’t there but Mika was and she did a damn good job on the Trump lie about the wire tapping. then turned to Chris Cuomo and they were all fired up and going gung ho on the same subject. Terms such as “malicious lies” kept cropping up. One of the talking heads wanted to know why if 7th grade kids can get expelled for this sort of stuff, why can’t a President? I call that a damn good question!
12If the press and the rest of the main-stream media hadn’t been asleep at the wheel all though the campaign, we wouldn’t be burdened with this ludicrous, destructive new regime, now. I won’t be happy until the whole bunch of them is cleaned out.
13The Fourth estate makes me want a Fifth. Had they done their job over the last year, we would not be in this crisis of confusion and despotic despair. When Les Moonves at Viacom gives a speech the day after the election saying “this may be bad for the country, but it is going to be good for us” the Wizard behind the curtain was exposed. While they are rolling in the dough, Hanging on every tweet and fart coming out of 45’s orifices, our government is being dismantled and turned over to the oligarchs. And please, please tell me why not a one of them had the nerve to ask that idiot talking about Meals on wheels and school lunches to define “results?” make them say it on the record…..”No Profit, no result…” should be plastered on every paper so that every Trump supporter knows that if their life is not benefiting the financial goals of this country, they should be dead…,
14SMDH
I agree with Bernie Spencer. The press still chases after every shiny penny trump farts out. While they we’re all a twitter over CJ’s wiretap tweet they weren’t going after the Russian connection, his conflicts of interest, his dismanteling of the EPA, defunding the arts, Trumpcare etc, etc, etc.
15It must be remembered, the truth will ALWAYS come out.
We must remember there really are damn few reporters who have, or can muster the insiders for information. Remember the Nixon YEARS? I say that advisedly, because took two or three years to correct that, and this present search has been three or four months in the pursuit.
I have a ebsite I frequent that provides access to literally hundreds of newspapers, domestic and foreign. refdesk.com
16Read some of your favorites and some in the red states. THAT IS GRAPHIC evidence of what we face.