Why public lost trust in the US media
There is no love lost between president Donald Trump and the US media, with Irish media conforming to leftwing and anti-Trump groupthink.
Trump, however, is ready to brawl with the media in a way not seen before in the US.
Canadian blogger Jonathon Van Maren notes that many conservatives, fed up with the media’s bias and brazen contempt for those who don't share their leftwing view, now "revel in Trump’s willingness to 'fight back'."
CNN bosses, for example, may find it bewildering that millions of Americans delight in the president referring to them as fake news and tweeting memes about them.
"They don’t realise that a sizeable percentage of the US population sees the media as the opposition... They don’t care that the media is attacked because most of them think the media has had it coming for a long time."
Van Maren listed examples of the media doing their best "to avoid covering stories that could potentially shed a negative light on secular sacred cows."
• Thus, an entire book, Uncovering Clinton, was needed to detail the array of stories on Bill Clinton that Newsweek bosses spiked, lest they lead to his impeachment.
• It took a massive Twitter-shaming campaign to get the media to give even brief coverage to the trial of abortionist Dr Kermit Gosnell, said to be America's worst serial killer.
A few journalists admitted they feared that covering the horrendous case and trial would damage the abortion racket.
• During the US race the media abandoned any pretence of neutrality and threw their weight behind Hillary Clinton, doing all in their power to ensure she won.
As a result, "virtually nobody who supports Trump actually believes anything the media has to say about him, even when the media has an ironclad case.
"They gave up their right to be believed when they publicly chose a team, and now they’re paying for it," said van Maren.
• The media has completely bought into the current gender ideology, and is pushing it for all they’re worth.
"To watch once solemn and respected news hosts stumbling over new genders and new gender pronouns is, quite simply, sad and depressing."
• They have also become cheerleaders for what they call “non-traditional families” and “emerging sexualities”.
The people who were once believed to hold ordinary views have discovered overnight that the media industry views their lack of enlightenment with contempt.
"Homophobes, transphobes, bigots, throwbacks — the derision with which the media treats those supporting institutions that held Western Civilisation together for centuries often leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of those on the receiving end of it.
• Only 7% of journalists are Republicans. "Perhaps only academia and Hollywood are so homogenous in their political views," and all dwell in a bubble.
• CNN’s battle with Trump is made worse by the fact that its journalists keep making stupid mistakes and having to issue retractions, lending credibility to the accusations that they are “fake news.”
• The media has become pornified. Stories that once only appeared in soft porn magazines now regularly appear in mainstream media (including RTE).
• The media won't admit even when they get it spectacularly wrong, as with Trump’s election.
This led to "a brief moment of painful self-reflection. Many even admitted that their elitist smugness might have contributed to the bubble that had Clinton and the rest of the progressives believing, right until the last moment, that Trump would go down in flames."
Soon "the media joined The Resistance, and self-reflection gave way to righteous indignation.
"They failed miserably in nearly every prediction they made, yet they man their shows and their columns as if such a catastrophic failure should not affect their credibility."
As a result of all this, Trump supporters and many on the political right no longer see the media as an essential part of a healthy democracy.
"They don’t expect the media to represent their interests, accurately tell their stories, or understand their motives."
So when a politican tears into the media they think it is hilarious, says van Maren. "And they certainly can’t conjure up the slightest inkling of sympathy for a group of smug elitists."
From Robespierre to O'Toole
The Righteous Liberals are on the march again, with Fintan O'Toole of the Irish Times leading the pack. The target this time is Newstalk presenter George Hook.
In July Kevin Myers was dropped by the Sunday Times just hours after it published an offending Jewish remark by him. Bosses sensed that a storm was blowing up and moved immediately to head it off.
That Myers had, in his day, said far worse about the Catholic Church was never a reason for his head to roll, as it did not excite the pack.
But here was an opportunity for a storm of Righteous Liberal indignation, so the Sunday Times moved fast.
Newstalk did not move with the same alacrity after Hook's remark so it got caught in the storm. Never mind that Hook had repented and apologised. RLs don't do forgiveness.
O'Toole pompously told his Irish Times readers: "from now on I won’t be appearing on any Newstalk programmes." What a loss to the nation!
He piously explained: "I can’t do it any more, for the simple reason that Newstalk has become the most flagrantly sexist public organisation in Ireland."
That his own paper campaigns relentlessly to have the killing of unborn children legalised, however, doesn't bother his befuddled sense of morality.
But other important concerns in this debate are being ignored by the Righteous Liberals.
Time was when we could have fair and open debate about issues in our media, and if someone overstepped the mark he apologised and the debate continued. Now those who don't share the groupthink must simply be silenced.
That big monied advertisers now decide what may or may not be said should also be a concern for both media and public.
O'Toole & Co. need to remember what happened to Robespierre. Having played a leading role in the Reign of Terror, silencing his opponents, his turn came to face the guillotine.
Trump, however, is ready to brawl with the media in a way not seen before in the US.
Canadian blogger Jonathon Van Maren notes that many conservatives, fed up with the media’s bias and brazen contempt for those who don't share their leftwing view, now "revel in Trump’s willingness to 'fight back'."
CNN bosses, for example, may find it bewildering that millions of Americans delight in the president referring to them as fake news and tweeting memes about them.
"They don’t realise that a sizeable percentage of the US population sees the media as the opposition... They don’t care that the media is attacked because most of them think the media has had it coming for a long time."
Van Maren listed examples of the media doing their best "to avoid covering stories that could potentially shed a negative light on secular sacred cows."
• Thus, an entire book, Uncovering Clinton, was needed to detail the array of stories on Bill Clinton that Newsweek bosses spiked, lest they lead to his impeachment.
• It took a massive Twitter-shaming campaign to get the media to give even brief coverage to the trial of abortionist Dr Kermit Gosnell, said to be America's worst serial killer.
A few journalists admitted they feared that covering the horrendous case and trial would damage the abortion racket.
• During the US race the media abandoned any pretence of neutrality and threw their weight behind Hillary Clinton, doing all in their power to ensure she won.
As a result, "virtually nobody who supports Trump actually believes anything the media has to say about him, even when the media has an ironclad case.
"They gave up their right to be believed when they publicly chose a team, and now they’re paying for it," said van Maren.
• The media has completely bought into the current gender ideology, and is pushing it for all they’re worth.
"To watch once solemn and respected news hosts stumbling over new genders and new gender pronouns is, quite simply, sad and depressing."
• They have also become cheerleaders for what they call “non-traditional families” and “emerging sexualities”.
The people who were once believed to hold ordinary views have discovered overnight that the media industry views their lack of enlightenment with contempt.
"Homophobes, transphobes, bigots, throwbacks — the derision with which the media treats those supporting institutions that held Western Civilisation together for centuries often leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of those on the receiving end of it.
• Only 7% of journalists are Republicans. "Perhaps only academia and Hollywood are so homogenous in their political views," and all dwell in a bubble.
• CNN’s battle with Trump is made worse by the fact that its journalists keep making stupid mistakes and having to issue retractions, lending credibility to the accusations that they are “fake news.”
• The media has become pornified. Stories that once only appeared in soft porn magazines now regularly appear in mainstream media (including RTE).
• The media won't admit even when they get it spectacularly wrong, as with Trump’s election.
This led to "a brief moment of painful self-reflection. Many even admitted that their elitist smugness might have contributed to the bubble that had Clinton and the rest of the progressives believing, right until the last moment, that Trump would go down in flames."
Soon "the media joined The Resistance, and self-reflection gave way to righteous indignation.
"They failed miserably in nearly every prediction they made, yet they man their shows and their columns as if such a catastrophic failure should not affect their credibility."
As a result of all this, Trump supporters and many on the political right no longer see the media as an essential part of a healthy democracy.
"They don’t expect the media to represent their interests, accurately tell their stories, or understand their motives."
So when a politican tears into the media they think it is hilarious, says van Maren. "And they certainly can’t conjure up the slightest inkling of sympathy for a group of smug elitists."
From Robespierre to O'Toole
The Righteous Liberals are on the march again, with Fintan O'Toole of the Irish Times leading the pack. The target this time is Newstalk presenter George Hook.
In July Kevin Myers was dropped by the Sunday Times just hours after it published an offending Jewish remark by him. Bosses sensed that a storm was blowing up and moved immediately to head it off.
That Myers had, in his day, said far worse about the Catholic Church was never a reason for his head to roll, as it did not excite the pack.
But here was an opportunity for a storm of Righteous Liberal indignation, so the Sunday Times moved fast.
Newstalk did not move with the same alacrity after Hook's remark so it got caught in the storm. Never mind that Hook had repented and apologised. RLs don't do forgiveness.
O'Toole pompously told his Irish Times readers: "from now on I won’t be appearing on any Newstalk programmes." What a loss to the nation!
He piously explained: "I can’t do it any more, for the simple reason that Newstalk has become the most flagrantly sexist public organisation in Ireland."
That his own paper campaigns relentlessly to have the killing of unborn children legalised, however, doesn't bother his befuddled sense of morality.
But other important concerns in this debate are being ignored by the Righteous Liberals.
Time was when we could have fair and open debate about issues in our media, and if someone overstepped the mark he apologised and the debate continued. Now those who don't share the groupthink must simply be silenced.
That big monied advertisers now decide what may or may not be said should also be a concern for both media and public.
O'Toole & Co. need to remember what happened to Robespierre. Having played a leading role in the Reign of Terror, silencing his opponents, his turn came to face the guillotine.
