Trump-Russia Probe: Criminal Investigation...

[Mountain Man]

say again, "Journalism" (and I specifically put it in quotes) has become a joke.

It hasn't become a joke, it has always been a joke. It's just most people didn't realize it before because of the mystique surrounding journalism going back to the days of Walter "The Most Trusted Man In America" Cronkite who was, in fact, astonishingly biased, but there was nobody to call him on it, and so most people simply accepted that if Walter said it, then it must be true. Dan Rather getting busted by internet bloggers for his "fake but accurate" memo story was pretty much the beginning of the end for modern journalism.

[JimL]

Anybody can be a "journalist" these days, Jim, and anybody can claim their news sources are not biased. Most people can't tell the difference between real journalism, editorial content, and commentary.

I say again, "Journalism" (and I specifically put it in quotes) has become a joke.

Right CP, thats why journalist, like Khashoggi, are being murdered all over the world. That journalism is a joke is what the right wing propagandist, and wannabe dictators of the world want you to believe, CP. Fall for it, and the joke is on you.

[JimL]

It hasn't become a joke, it has always been a joke. It's just most people didn't realize it before because of the mystique surrounding journalism going back to the days of Walter "The Most Trusted Man In America" Cronkite who was, in fact, astonishingly biased, but there was nobody to call him on it, and so most people simply accepted that if Walter said it, then it must be true. Dan Rather getting busted by internet bloggers for his "fake but accurate" memo story was pretty much the beginning of the end for modern journalism.

Well, at least we have Breitbart.

[Cow Poke]

Right CP, thats why journalist, like Khashoggi, are being murdered all over the world. That journalism is a joke is what the right wing propagandist, and wannabe dictators of the world want you to believe, CP. Fall for it, and the joke is on you.

I see you're back to your old ways, Jim.

[Mountain Man]

Well, at least we have Breitbart.

God works in mysterious ways.

[Tassman]

Says the guy who claims that Barr is chasing conspiracy theories.

Nah. Barr is just sucking up to the Dear Leader.

[One Bad Pig]

Nah. Barr is just sucking up to the Dear Leader.

Whatever narrative helps you sleep at night.

[JimL]

I see you're back to your old ways, Jim.

What do I have to do to make you happy, CP, agree with you? Journalism is not a joke and journalist are being murdered all the time. To call it a joke is exactly what dictators, and wannabe dictators like Trump, want you to believe. Here's Trump at one of his rallies. And I paraphrase: "Don't believe what you're reading or seeing." In other words what he is saying is don't believe journalists, just believe me and those who support me. Khashoggi is dead, cut up into little pieces, because he was a journalist. Calling it a joke is not only ignorant, it's an insult to all the journalists out there risking their lives because of people like Trump.

[oxmixmudd]

What do I have to do to make you happy, CP, agree with you? Journalism is not a joke and journalist are being murdered all the time. To call it a joke is exactly what dictators, and wannabe dictators like Trump, want you to believe. Here's Trump at one of his rallies. And I paraphrase: "Don't believe what you're reading or seeing." In other words what he is saying is don't believe journalists, just believe me and those who support me. Khashoggi is dead, cut up into little pieces, because he was a journalist. Calling it a joke is not only ignorant, it's an insult to all the journalists out there risking their lives because of people like Trump.

And judging by many here, that particular approach is effective. Most of the Trump supporters, even the 'only sometimes' Trump supporters, are so prejudiced against any sort of legitimate journalistic organization they believe nearly everything said by them about Trump is somehow a lie. When all common points of reference are undermined, when there is no truth only tribes from which a statement is sourced, there is no longer any means of arbitration or communication between people of different points of view. Make the masses eschew the press and listen only to your approved sources, and you own them, lock, stock, and barrel. Isolation from any conflicting view point is the bread and butter of cults, abusers, and dictators.

Jim

[JimL]

And judging by many here, that particular approach is effective. Most of the Trump supporters, even the 'only sometimes' Trump supporters, are so prejudiced against any sort of legitimate journalistic organization they believe nearly everything said by them about Trump is somehow a lie. When all common points of reference are undermined, when there is no truth only tribes from which a statement is sourced, there is no longer any means of arbitration or communication between people of different points of view. Make the masses eschew the press and listen only to your approved sources, and you own them, lock, stock, and barrel. Isolation from any conflicting view point is the bread and butter of cults, abusers, and dictators.

Jim

Apparently, other than Trump himself, none of his supporters have read George Orwells "1984". "the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears."

[Cow Poke]

What do I have to do to make you happy, CP, agree with you?

Be an adult.

I have been talking to you as an adult, Jim - perhaps you could reign in the insults, as well.

Yes, I can.

Journalism is not a joke and journalist are being murdered all the time.

Those two concepts are not connected, and they are not being murdered "all the time". That's a bit of an exaggeration, Jim.

[Mountain Man]

At least Trump is not using the full force of the US government to intimidate journalists and news organizations like his predecessor.

[JimL]

Whatever narrative helps you sleep at night.

Believe me, Knowing what Trump, Barr, and his band of unethical, unpatriotic, undemocratic thugs and lemmings are up to doesn't help us sleep at night. I'm sure you sleep like a baby though.

[oxmixmudd]

At least Trump is not using the full force of the US government to intimidate journalists and news organizations like his predecessor.

On the whole, Trump is much worse than Obama in terms of undermining the critical institutions on which our government and way of life depend. The specific attack you reference WRT Obama may have been, as a single instance, as bad or possibly worse than any single instance attack by Trump, but the number of attacks, and the persistence of them is off the charts with Trump. And instead of raising the IRE of everyone - including his supporters - by stepping a bit out of bounds, Trump enjoys the full support of his base with every attack on the press - because his base for the most part is ignorant of the importance of the free press, and ignorant of the historical use of this sort of tactic to diminish the power of the press to hold government and governmental leaders accountable to the people that elect them.

[oxmixmudd]

Apparently, other than Trump himself, none of his supporters have read George Orwells "1984". "the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears."

yep - that is kind of what boggles. For most of us older generation folks where 1984 was still in our future in junior high/high school, Orwell's book was required reading. Yet you'd think most of the folks here supporting Trump's every move had never read the thing (not that there are not similar parallels to be drawn with the left's speech controls). Maybe the entire country needs to take a day off and re-read Orwell's "1984". Far too many in politics, and far too much of the population - on both sides - seem ignorant of its warnings.