This week’s Liberal Media Scream features the essence of the new media.
Once obsessed with the five “W’s” and “H” — who, what, where, when, why, and how — much of the media’s political coverage has turned into agenda-making and shaming.
But up against some politicians, notably President Trump, some reporters fret it doesn’t work.
On Sunday’s Meet The Press, moderator Chuck Todd said that Trump doesn’t “have shame” when the press call out his misstatements.
On the show, guest Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, rued how the media have not figured out how to counter Trump’s supposed deliberate policy of misstatements.
Todd then said: “The only way to understand this is to realize he doesn’t have shame about it. And when we lose our ability to shame a politician, we lose a lot of our power. That’s for sure.”
Media Research Center Vice President of Research Brent Baker explains our weekly pick:
“Todd revealed the reason behind the press corps’ underlying anger at President Trump. They are frustrated that he has figured out how to neuter their influence. They just can’t stand how so many in the public ignore them when they see themselves as the arbiter of truth.”
Rating: Three out of five screams.
On #MTP, @ChuckTodd frets how Trump has thwarted the media: “When we lose our ability to shame a politician, we lose a lot of our power. That’s for sure.” pic.twitter.com/UFJ2CPmhGU
— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) September 13, 2020
