The Press Officially Abdicates Its Role
As sequestration D-Day approaches courtesy of President Barack Obama, nicknamed “President Armageddon” by the Wall Street Journal, to be followed in a month by the debt-ceiling deadline, it’s important to understand just how completely the nation’s establishment press has not only abandoned its obligations in ways our Founders never anticipated, but has also chosen to become a team of de facto presidential advisers.
The first clue I detected as to what’s really happening was Jim VandeHei’s and Mike Allen’s horrific exercise in deceptive self-pity (“Obama, the puppet master”) at Politico on February 18. I was hoping it was an aberration. I should have known better.
The pair consumed over 1,800 words crying a river of phony crocodile tears because, in their view, President Barack Obama, the White House, and its permanent campaign now housed at Organizing For Action (OFA) have become so awesome and overwhelming in their message discipline, information management, and direct social media motivational efforts that it’s now absolutely impossible for any group of human beings to appropriately scrutinize their actions, let alone today’s supposedly resource-lacking, hollowed-out legacy media. Therefore, from all appearances, they’re not even going to try to do their jobs. One wonders why VandeHei and Allen don’t just stay in bed every day. Oh, I forgot. They need to continue collecting their stenographers’ paychecks.
On Sunday, confirming that the Politico pair was not alone in choosing to conveniently go into give-up mode, Bill Plante at CBS News accused the administration of “undercutting the First Amendment … it’s state-run media.” Plante’s statement sounded promising, until he revealed his fallacious line of reasoning. Just like VandeHei and Allen, he claims to be perturbed that the White House is able to “put out their own material” without the Washington press corps. It’s literally as if Plante believes there is no freedom of the press if the legacy media can’t filter any and all information coming out of our nation’s capital. So, because he can’t, it would appear that he’s also packing it in.
Let’s be clear. If Obama and members of his administration wish to go around the press and communicate directly to the American people, they’re free to do just that. In fact, if they believe their message is being inappropriately distorted by the self-appointed gatekeepers, they have a duty to go around them, as long as they stay within legal and ethical limits — which, unfortunately, they are definitely not doing.
The press response to all of this should be to redouble their “speak truth to power” efforts, with or without its supposedly precious access. Instead, they’re using the administration’s alleged Web 2.0 mastery and management of access privileges as all too convenient excuses to abandon their posts.
That the Politico column appeared at about the same time the White House Correspondents Association was whining that its members didn’t have access to Obama’s weekend golf outing with Tiger Woods was especially rich. Of all the things over which to get outraged, being shut out of a presidential golf game would, or at least should, be way down the list. But apparently, it’s the only thing on it.
Among the many more important items: What about Benghazi? If it weren’t for Republicans demanding information and justifiably holding up the nominations of Chuck Hagel and John Brennan, we wouldn’t know that Obama “was not involved at all, during the seven-plus-hour attack that resulted in the deaths of four American government employees,” including U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens.
That was 60 days before the election. We rolled over to O's messaging judurnaut - Now Tom is awake!! After the fact.
No offense Tom, it is just that many of us think Benghazi was the last straw.
A few enlightened members of the media may see that as grounds/cover to breakaway from serving as mouthpieces for Obama and begin more objective reporting.
DePravda is the Charlie McCarthy to Obama's Edgar Bergen. Charlie doesn't like it if Bergen's lips move. It ruins the act. The difference is, Charlie gets off Edgar's lap once in a while.
I blame, and therefore loathe, the corrupt media for so much of the damage to our culture and our country. Just the media and this administration has raced to a new bottom, brazen and sickening. Scary that it is new media, but media nonetheless, that may be the only entity able to tear down that monolith and patch up the country.
The word I used was "anticipated," not "envisioned." The press received a First Amendment freedom because the Founders anticipated that it would be on the whole used responsibly, not abdicated based on who's in the White House.
There was also the broader point made by John Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Mr. Blumer - The "bill of Rights" extends to every "INDIVIDUAL" citizen. The First Amendment - freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief. It does NOT afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general.
The First amendment in regards to press extends NO further than stated above so I don't know how you have concluded that the
founders "anaticipated" anything separate and apart form the same rights of the individual.
"...John Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Not sure why you decided to go to this point but..... The founders had many opinions about many things! However, not all of their differing opinions made the final cut of the constitution. That said, every religion is protected from government infringement. Likewise, we 'adopted' common laws for moral social and civil contstraint. Beyond those common laws, 'morality' is left to the churches of the many religions and protected from government infringements -- Just as the founders intended! Everybody is FREE to join or not join any religion and follow any moral standards of any such religion or not follow them so long as they do not violate the common law standard(s). That in part, is whats called American exceptionalism! Our constitution is why we're not some religious theocracy or some other restricting and controlling form of dictatorship. What I seek to live up too in my relgious endeavors is between me and God, not you or some government dictate and I'm pretty sure thats the way God wants it to be since He's said He'll be the final judge of all his children.
I should have said "Those who choose to cover events or express their opinions using words," which of course includes individuals who are and aren't members of the press, and I didn't mean to imply that any given individual who happens to do that has superior rights in any way -- which is why the idea the "mere bloggers" have lesser rights that "credentialed members of the media" is pure BS.
The John Adams quote obviously applies to everyone. If you're choosing not to do your job and continuing to get paid, you're not being moral.
As for independent 'bloggers' who see themselves as a part of the 'press' that is really a joke! Most, simply 'chase' the socalled legitimate releases of the day and provide their own ideological commentary or they chase down literary piublications (books) and again provide their ideological commentary. For most bloggers its not a matterof any equality of press credentials, its simply they do nothing to generate legitimate press releases everyday or eeven attempt legitimate validation -- they're simply individual ideological self serving commentators.
"If you're choosing not to do your job and continuing to get paid, you're not being moral."
Now theres a classic subjective comment! Funny how laywers and consultants popped into my mind. Take a survey someday of how many lawyers on retainers in all the public school districts across the nation actually have training and experience in education law or how many municipalities have lawyers on retainer with training and experience in all the facets of public administration laws. How many consultants have actually not had their services provide any sustainable economic benefit but get paid nontheless. Theres a whole service sector out there whose services aren't worth a nickle much less the thousands or hundreds of thousands they get paid a year. And on down the pike of all the other areas of life responsibilities and occupations.