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Ed Webb

The media feel safest in the middle lane. Just ask Jeff Flake, John Kasich and Howard S... - 0 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...9-ad53-824486280311_story.html

journalism centrism opinion analysis journalists politics US USA

shared by Ed Webb on 31 Jan 19 - Cached
  • One of supposed golden rules of journalism goes like this: “If everybody’s mad at your coverage, you must be doing a good job.” That’s ridiculous, of course, though it seems comforting. If everybody’s mad, it may just mean you’re getting everything wrong.
  • the middle-lane approach to journalism — the smarmy centrism that often benefits nobody, but promises that you won’t offend anyone.
  • the supposedly daring, supposedly against-the-grain hires made by magazines and by newspaper op-ed pages. In their quest to run the full gamut from center-left to center-right, they are already well-equipped with anti-Trump conservatives.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Even the cable news panels that purport to express opposing views are part of the damaging both-sides syndrome. A view from the left, a view from the right, and repeat. But take the average, and you’re right back in the comfortable, unilluminating middle.
  • Impartiality is still a value worth defending in mainstream news coverage. But you don’t get there by walking down the center line with a blindfold on.
  • they want to appear fair without taking any chances
  • Mostly, we have the irresistible pull to the center: centripetal journalism. It’s safe. It will never cause a consumer boycott. It feels fair without really being fair. And it’s boringly predictable. In the end, the media’s center-lane fixation puts us all to sleep. And that’s no way to drive a democracy.
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