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Dispatches from
STEPHEN LENDMAN
C olumbia J School is a factory to turn out cookie cutter, unthinking cogs for the capitalist media machine, more concerned with jobs and careers than with the real-world principles and duties of journalists confronting entrenched power. —The Editor
C olumbia J School is a factory to turn out cookie cutter, unthinking cogs for the capitalist media machine, more concerned with jobs and careers than with the real-world principles and duties of journalists confronting entrenched power. —The Editor
MAIN IMAGE ABOVE: Kyle Pope, Editor & Publisher, Columbia Journalism Review.
by Stephen Lendman
With few exceptions, media scoundrels relentlessly bashed him throughout the political season. Vilification continues daily post-election, inventing reasons to denigrate him, an unprecedented example of political presstitution at its worst. An open letter to him from the US press corp, written by Columbia Journalism Review editor-in-chief and publisher Kyle Pope, warrants a reader response. Trump and his team can speak for themselves.
Pope: “You’ve banned news organizations from covering you.”
Fact: False! He leveled sharp criticism as justified, including blasting CNN as fake news. He should have applied that label to the entire scoundrel media establishment, suppressing hard truths, substituting managed news misinformation and Big Lies – about him and on virtually all other important issues. Any news organization and their members are free to cover him. He’s free to ignore any ones he wishes.
…
Pope: “(Y)our press secretary is considering pulling news media offices out of the White House…”
..
Fact: False! Incoming press secretary Sean Spicer said space is being sought to accommodate a larger number of journalists – not change the workspace for White House reporters. At the same time, Trump is entitled to challenge members of the press spreading malicious lies about him. No one should put up with abusive practices.
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Pope: “You’ve taken to Twitter to taunt and threaten individual reporters and encouraged your supporters to do the same.”
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Fact: Western media scoundrels are a national disgrace. Trump should respond when they blast him irresponsibly. Twitter is his favorite way of communicating. He’s able to reach millions, free from misquotes and distortions. Earlier I called him America’s tweeter-in-chief, encouraging him to keep tweeting.
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Pope: “You’ve avoided the press when you could and flouted the norms of pool reporting and regular press conferences.”
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Fact: Advice referees give prize fighters to protect themselves at all times especially applies to presidents and other heads of state. If he wishes, Trump is entitled to avoid press corps members denigrating him maliciously.
He’s yet to assume office, so it’s unknown how often he’ll hold press conferences. Franklin Roosevelt, serving nearly four terms, held far more than any other president. They were more informal affairs in pre-television days than how they’re held today.
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Pope: “You’ve ridiculed a reporter who wrote something you didn’t like because he has a disability.”
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Fact: Trump debunked the accusation as a malicious lie.
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Pope: Press “access is preferable, but not critical.” Lacking it is “a challenge we relish.”
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Fact: Trump has no problem with responsible reporting. Denigrating him without just cause is another matter entirely.
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Pope: “Ground rules are the prerogative of the press.”
Fact: That type attitude would antagonize anyone.
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Pope: “We decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates.”
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Fact: How much time isn’t the issue. Responsible truth-telling matters most – what’s sorely lacking in mainstream Western reporting, turning journalism into presstitution.
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Pope: “Facts are what we do…”
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Fact: Media scoundrels suppress them, substituting fake news. (Pope is clearly as bad as the presstitutes he sanctimoniously defends or delusional.—Editor)
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Pope: “(W)hile you may seek to control what comes out of the West Wing, we’ll have the upper hand in covering how your policies are carried out.”
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Fact: If reporting on Trump follows the pattern seen throughout the political season and post-election so far, expect endless rubbish substituting for responsible journalism.
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Pope: We’ll set higher standards for ourselves than ever before.”
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Fact: Presstitutes make street whores look good by example. Case closed!
NOTE: ALL IMAGE CAPTIONS, PULL QUOTES AND COMMENTARY BY THE EDITORS, NOT THE AUTHORS • CONTINUE THE DEBATE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. CLICK HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
STEPHEN LENDMAN lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." ( http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html ) Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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