From Romenesko comes the news that a reporter for the Greensboro News & Record was attacked yesterday at a Sarah Palin rally in North Carolina. From Joe Killian’s account:
The man began to say something about how of course I was interviewing the Obama people when suddenly, from behind us, the sound of a pro-Obama rap song came blaring out of the windows of a dorm building. We all turned our heads to see Obama signs in the windows.
This was met with curses, screams and chants of "U.S.A" by McCain-Palin folks who crowded under the windows trying to drown it out and yell at the person playing the stereo.
It was a moment of levity in an otherwise very tense situation and so I let out a gentle chuckle and shook my head.
"Oh, you think that 's funny?! " the large bearded man said. His face was turning red. "Yeah, that 's real funny…" he said.
And then he kicked the back of leg, buckling my right knee and sending me sprawling onto the ground.
In describing the event, The News & Record’s Mark Binker wonders “whether Republicans aren't in some respect giving their supporters license for this sort of crap.” It is ludicrous to claim otherwise. The ugliness coming out of recent McCain rallies is directly attributable to the incendiary rhetoric being issued by his surrogates and advocates. One can’t create an atmosphere charged with anger and resentment and then feign bewilderment when some emotionally stunted mouthbreather acts on those sentiments. Governor Palin, during her time as a national figure, has especially demonstrated a disappointing readiness to stoke the us-versus-them mentality that undergirds much of the anti-intellectual, anti-press sentiment in America.
Like most prejudices, middle-class disdain for the press is rooted in reality. Most modern reporters come from highly educated backgrounds and tend to align with the moderate liberalism that is common among the urban privileged classes. There is a real disconnect these days between news reporters and many news consumers, and this problem must be addressed if the industry is to remain relevant.
But it is intellectually dishonest to extrapolate this disconnect into the claim that all news is therefore tainted by reporters’ personal political sympathies. Personal values are not supposed to matter in professions that conform to a set of universally observed standards, and there are few professions so fanatically obsessed with standards as is journalism. Highest among those standards is fairness. Most journalists have internalized the objectivity-and-balance mantra to the point where their reporting is sometimes crippled by it.
Attacking the press in this catch-all “dishonest left-wing media” formulation is dangerous in that, by its obvious falseness, it makes it easier to dismiss more legitimate criticisms of the press—like its pack mentality, or its perhaps subconscious classism. It also lets readers off the hook. Sometimes “they’re not telling the complete story” actually means “they’re not telling me what I want to hear.” The first of these complaints indicates poor performance on the part of the reporter. The second complaint indicates bias on the part of the reader.
“They’re not telling me what I want to hear” is by no means a strictly Republican complaint. Narrow-minded ideologues across the political spectrum resent reporting that doesn’t pander to their own prejudices and beliefs. But it is the Republican Party that has courted this resentment as a linchpin of its campaign strategy; has deliberately and cravenly confused populism with anti-intellectualism; has encouraged the notion that “the voice of the people” speaks only in simplistic, bullying tones. The McCain campaign, originally tuned as the moderate alternative to the Romneys and Huckabees of the world, has morphed into a campaign that has tied itself to a divide-and-conquer strategy, one that actively encourages its adherents to hate and distrust the national media because it represents the “other” America.
How, then, should reporters approach their jobs in such a hostile atmosphere? Some, like Jay Rosen, have suggested a strategy of disengagement, but I would contend that disengagement just ends up validating the huddled conspiracists’ us-versus-them framing. Instead, stay tough. Report well. Talk to as many people as possible. Record everything that happens at these rallies, and use that reporting as evidence with which to shame those people who insist on hijacking our national discourse with base, deceitful populism and intellectual thuggery.
Because it is hypocritical for the McCain campaign to disclaim responsibility when its followers violently act on the messages that they have been receiving. A man who incites a crowd to riot is just as liable for the ensuing destruction as the man who throws the first kick.
Report well. Talk to as many people as possible. Record everything that happens at these rallies, and use that reporting as evidence with which to shame those people who insist on hijacking our national discourse with base, deceitful populism and intellectual thuggery.
And if nothing incriminating can be found, McCain, Obama Poke Fun at Each Other, Themselves at Charity Dinner.. just make it up like this asshole reporter did.
You also forgot one thing more piece of advice, don’t let your snickers and laughs write checks that your bodies cant cash.
Good point. I do not advocate letting reporters' snickers and laughs write checks that their bodies can't cash.
"Narrow-minded ideologues across the political spectrum resent reporting that doesn’t pander to their own prejudices and beliefs."
Sounds to me like a spot-on analysis of CJR's hatred for Fox News.
Honestly Justin. Take a deep breath. Read what you just wrote, and try to justify your assertion that the media is impartial. "deceitful populism and intellectual thuggery" sounds like a perfectly impartial description of a political party, don't you think?
From Peggy Noonan's WSJ column today:
In the end the Palin candidacy is a symptom and expression of a new vulgarization in American politics. It's no good, not for conservatism and not for the country. And yes, it is a mark against John McCain, against his judgment and idealism.
I gather this week from conservative publications that those whose thoughts lead them to criticism in this area are to be shunned, and accused of the lowest motives. In one now-famous case, Christopher Buckley was shooed from the great magazine his father invented. In all this, the conservative intelligentsia are doing what they have done for five years. They bitterly attacked those who came to stand against the Bush administration. This was destructive. If they had stood for conservative principle and the full expression of views, instead of attempting to silence those who opposed mere party, their movement, and the party, would be in a better, and healthier, position.
Thanks for the link, Justin. Gosh, I had no idea some people don't like Palin. Imagine that!
And you've totally convinced me that you're approaching the campaign from a non-partisan point of view. I couldn't begin to guess who you might be voting for.
CJR fair and balanced? You betcha!
right wing television, failure of investigative reporting, observance of pieties and myths, in short lack of critical thinking in the corrupt fun society... one could go on and on couldn't one,
Carl, it might be more effective for you to just post "U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A".
Justin,
Glad to see you're reading Noonan.
By his own admission, Buckley offered to resign his back-page NR column, and the offer was accepted. I don't think it's some terribly unfair hurdle for a conservative magazine to insist on some conservatism from its writers. If you want to file a protest vote against the GOP, there's always Bob Barr. Voting Obama just smacks of trying to impress the right (as in the left) people.
JLD - One marvels at the fact that you read CJR and yet can place the words "Fox" and "News" in juxtaposition.
Now before you start attacking me, I am a former Marine and will defend forever the right of Fox to say what they like. AN\nd as a true conservative and libertarian I don't even buy the notion that the government can "own" the airwaves.
But you must be smoking something powerful if you can say with a straight face that Fox News is anything other than a shill for a failed administration and an an ideology that all true conservatives have condemned.
I don't know what you are but it's not a conservative.
Toke up.
Bill--
So what does a "true conservative" believe? Who qualifies for that title? And under what authority are you apostasizing JLD from the movement? He accurately ID's CJR's liberal slant; from my point of view anyone who can't see the liberal slant here isn't much of a conservative either.
I smell some BS Bill .... I know lots of Marines, but no "former" Marines.
Some anti-Obama nut breaks bad and its a national story.
But you don't hear anything from the MSM about the McCain supporter who was struck in the eye by an Obama supporter last month..
Go figure.
Whatever else happened, I bet this "journalist" has learned to keep his emotions under check in the future when he's on the job.
The intolerance and hate from the left are being covered up by "professional journalists" who are in love with Obama.who don't hesitate to fabricate or overblow such conduct on the right.
Did someone, in these comments, suggest that no one should express an opinion unless they can (physically) fight off anyone who disagrees?
I would be glad to meet, in any dark alley, any individual who espouses such a viewpoint.
I think Stephen Hawking better be able to back up his views on physics with his fists, eh?
And remember, folks, the reason America lost WWII was that FDR didn't go to Europe or the Pacific! And did Ike ever go to Korea before he was elected? Idiot James Knox Polk never went to visit the Texicans before he sent the Army.
The Constitution says we should consider the death penalty for traitors to America, but I am willing to be a bit lenient with Bush and Cheney, myself. Arguing for moderation at a time like this takes character and dignity. I am willing to negotiate, but I've always thought a lifetime exile to Iraq and/or Afghanistan would represent a great degree of justice, as long as they were barred from the oil or government sectors.
Did someone, in these comments, suggest that no one should express an opinion unless they can (physically) fight off anyone who disagrees?
You should read the comments a little more closely before sounding like a jackass.
I would be glad to meet, in any dark alley, any individual who espouses such a viewpoint.
Oohhh, I am shaking in my boots!
This would be hysterically funny, if it wasn't so obvious that the author actually believes what he is writing.
Joking about shaking in your boots surely suggests that you had espoused such a view when you wrote about people not writing checks their bodies can't cash.
After election 2000 many Democrats called Bush and Cheney fascists, allegedly serious intellectuals made side by side comparisons of aspects of Nazism, I remember "Who said this: Ashcroft or Goering?" quiz.
Perhaps you saw The Dead Zone, with Christopher Walken, where a pacifist Concentration Camp survivor (child of survivors?) says yes, he would have killed Hitler if he had had the chance.
What Republicans were demanding that Gore disavow all Democrats making Third Reich parallels?
After the 2000 election one party paid a mob of their own Congressional aides to invade a building and threaten with physical force in an attempt to stop a vote recount.
Why would anyone think that resembled fascism?
This is typical Columbia University support for left-wing censorship. Political speech is interfered with by Obama censor-thugs. This objective Columbia Free Speech advocate attacks the attempt to to silence the censor thugs. That is how free speech is defended at Columbia. Where did this Obama propagandist learn that, from Lee Bollinger?
Bullshit. The media should be so ashamed of their conduct for the past 16 years....in the tank for every RAT bastard, and knee-jerk smears and disrespect for anyone, politician or otherwise, with an R behind their names. When Civil War II starts, they'll be coming for you frst.
We wouldn't have these problems if dueling was brought back. It would really up the courtesy and suppress the serial bloviators. Not to mention thin out politicians and lawyers of all parties. Who could be opposed to that?
Frankly, considering their crass bias, I think journalists should be thankful they don't get their heads kicked in more often. I'm sick and tired of hearing disingenuous journalists puffing themselves up every time someone points out how unfair they are. They're part of the problem now. I have no idea why the McCain campaign hasn't treated them like enemies from the start.
Loons do loony things all the time; some guy beat a female McCain supporter with her sign in NYC a few weeks ago.
On the wider issue, perhaps Justin Peters should come back with a thinkpiece about the impact on specific reporters careers when it becomes widespread public knowledge just how willing they are to lie for BHO. If a reporter's name becomes synonymous with "BHO shill", are they going to be employable?
Here's just two very recent examples; there are even worse examples available:
http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/008182.html
http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/008185.html
I don't see what the reporter laughing has to do with what happened. You don't beat someone up just because they think differently than you do.
The attitudes reflected in some of these comments make me wonder how some of the commenters function in the real world where all kinds of people disagree with you.
And for the record I don't want to run into any of you; in a dark alley, a McCain-Palin rally or other wise.
Fortunately, the ongoing death of the main stream media is culling this herd of left wing fabulists quite well. Soon many, if not most, of these pseudo-intellectual thugs won't have jobs.
I guess they can all post on Kos between periods of siting on the sidewalk and shaking their tin cups for loose change.