The media’s hypocrisy and hyperventilating in the age of Trump.

[Theodarzna]

This past week, I met twice with President-elect Donald Trump attempting to secure an interview for inauguration week. Judging from the snide reaction of some in the press, you would have thought I offered to sketch the outline of his inaugural speech.

[...]

The dinner conversation was much like what I have heard the countless off-the-record discussions Obama hosted were like over his two terms in the White House — with media figures such as Thomas Friedman, Fareed Zakaria, David Ignatius, Jeffrey Goldberg, David Brooks, and even Mika Brzezinski and myself having a 90-minute Oval Office meeting. The main difference between Obama’s numerous off-the-record powwows with reporters and the one I had with Trump on Saturday night was that ours was not on deep background. On a more bizarre note, it was also different because I was introduced to Fabio while walking to dinner. I’m not sure who Fabio is or what he does, but I suspect we were at Mar-a-Lago for different reasons.

[...]

I do not know whether we will end up with an interview with the incoming president next month, but I do know that the reaction from some media reporters has been an equal dose of hyperventilation and hypocrisy that such a meeting ever took place. Never mind the inconvenient fact that a passel of reporters and media types has had more meetings with the current president than Mika and I have ever had with Trump. Also don’t bother yourself with boring details of history that show how Washington Post legend Ben Bradlee was extraordinarily close with JFK, or how New York Times legend Joseph Alsop practically kicked down John Kennedy’s door at the 1960 Democratic convention to demand that Lyndon Johnson be his vice-presidential pick. And forget the fact that Walter Lippmann constantly offered LBJ advice, or that Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham was close friends with Nancy Reagan and a regular dinner companion with Nancy and her powerful husband. Oh, and please don’t bother yourself with the fact that Edward R. Murrow quit CBS News to go work for the Kennedy administration just as Time’s Jay Carney jumped from the campaign trail to be communications director for Vice President Biden.

The long history of politicians and the press meeting outside of news conferences and editorial board rooms can be neatly summed up by NBC’s Douglas Kiker, who once said, “If a bomb had ever gone off at Hickory Hill on a summer weekend, three-fourths of the most powerful print and broadcast journalists in America would have had to be replaced.”

While that level of socializing cooled down after Watergate, it continues at a fairly frenzied pace today. And if you don’t believe that, just look at Politico’s daily calendar of events in Washington over the past few years to see how common the co-mingling of politicians and press members has been during the Age of Obama. Mika and I are usually no-shows at events such as the White House correspondents’ dinner but do not judge those who swim in that small ecosystem.

So why has there been such an avalanche of outrage on Twitter and sneering in some press rooms whenever Mika and I find ourselves in the same area code as Donald J. Trump? Is it because of media bias against Republican reporters such as myself?

(source)

I wonder how the media intends to report on Donald Trump? Since it apparently won't be interviewing him. The reaction Joe Scarborough got reminds me of when Jimmy Fallon(?) let Trump on his show and the Liberals in this country shit a brick.

[Wells]

Oh lets gather around and listen to Joe talk about media failures. That'll be fun.

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People aren't after him for this one event. They're after him because this is another example in a long history of him behaving inappropriately close with the Trump camp.

[KrazyK923]

Joe Scarborough has pretty famous close ties with Trump.

Its almost like people are against obvious conflicts of interest.

DANG LIBURLS

[klogaroth]

One could just as easily make an article entitled Trump's hypocrisy and hyperventilating in the age of the media.

It's just trolls trolling trolls trolling trolls at this point.

[Wells]

Could swear I recall some rather angsty posts about journalists too chummy with Democrats this cycle...

[s_bushido]

I'm sure the response he got for his meeting had absolutely nothing to do with Trump's disdain for the media and their annoying habit of repeating the stupid shit he says. Nope, nothing whatsoever.

[Wells]

Joey's defense seems to be "this isn't bad because lots of people do it".

[Zython]

(source)

I wonder how the media intends to report on Donald Trump? Since it apparently won't be interviewing him. The reaction Joe Scarborough got reminds me of when Jimmy Fallon(?) let Trump on his show and the Liberals in this country shit a brick.

Maybe because fascism isn't something to be coddled?

[Wells]

Man complains he's not held to standard norms while palling around with man who refuses to abide by norms.

[Zython]

Oh lets gather around and listen to Joe talk about media failures. That'll be fun.

- - - Updated - - -

People aren't after him for this one event. They're after him because this is another example in a long history of him behaving inappropriately close with the Trump camp.

Joe Scarborough is proof that if you're a mediocre white man, you can literally get away with murder.

[Theodarzna]

Joe Scarborough has pretty famous close ties with Trump.

Its almost like people are against obvious conflicts of interest.

DANG LIBURLS

I recall Jimmy Fallon also got shit for having him on as well.

[Wells]

Joe Scarborough is proof that if you're a mediocre white man, you can literally get away with murder.

A walking argument against the existence of a meritocracy.

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I recall Jimmy Fallon also got shit for having him on as well.

Why do you assume it was for the same reason?

[Elegiac]

I recall Jimmy Fallon also got shit for having him on as well.

Largely because Fallon was asking the most white-bread, sanitized questions possible rather than doing his job as a media personality and, you know, interviewing.

[Sky High]

Largely because Fallon was asking the most white-bread, sanitized questions possible rather than doing his job as a media personality and, you know, interviewing.

to be fair, that's all Id really expect out of a milquetoast talk show like that.

[Paranoid Android]

I watched Morning Joe today. Joe Sorborough was basically cheerleading that Trump just wants to hit the reset button with Russia.

[Theodarzna]

I watched Morning Joe today. Joe Sorborough was basically cheerleading that Trump just wants to hit the reset button with Russia.

I personally don't find that too objectionable. I am rather surprised that garden variety Democrats are so against deescalating conflict.

[Paranoid Android]

Largely because Fallon was asking the most white-bread, sanitized questions possible rather than doing his job as a media personality and, you know, interviewing.

Meh. That' Fallon though. Everything is great. Maybe he should stop inviting Presidential candidates and Presidents on his show.

[Damajin]

Yeah, they're more partisans than hypocrites for what it's worth. There's some that are going to take the nuanced approach of 'covering him fairly' which means using lots of innuendo and non committal, suggestive terms in their pieces. There'll be the MSNBC crew that are the firebrands who attack him outright of course but there'll also be the Andersen Coopers who shitsling with pretty words and a smug look on their face.

[Wells]

I personally don't find that too objectionable. I am rather surprised that garden variety Democrats are so against deescalating conflict.

Democrats are against unilaterally deescalating conflict. "Resetting" with Russia without changes in how, for instance, they're behaving in Syria and Ukraine is just acquiescing to illegal force.

If Russia pulled forces out of Ukraine and stopped abetting crimes against humanity in Assad's name I'd be entirely fine with resetting.

The author of the article works for MSNBC.

WOOOOOOOOSH

[Paranoid Android]

I personally don't find that too objectionable. I am rather surprised that garden variety Democrats are so against deescalating conflict.

Right back at you. I'm surprised conservatives want to be the Putin's bitch. A person who has no intention of having good relations with the U.S.