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Donald Fires FBI Director who's investigating Russian Election Hacking

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Some older musings on the role of the press as society's "watchdogs".

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/newswar/tags/watchdog.html

https://www.ee.columbia.edu/~shane/words/watchdog.htm

And examples of notable investigative journalism in American history:

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/broo...rthy-moments-in-u-s-investigative-journalism/

I guess I would argue, as I have elsewhere in this thread, that good investigative journalism is what organs like the Times and Post are doing. But I fully understand that point of view that sees this investigative journalism as fanning a type of feeding frenzy with the aim of removing Trump from office. But, it will come down, for many, to whether one believes what is being reported is nothing but "much ado about nothing"(certainly that is Trump's view and his base does see the liberal press as having the aim of destroying the Trump Presidency), or whether one believes these revelations should be forthcoming and the public should know these things. We live in one of the most polarizing eras in our nation's history, so that polarization will be reflected in the manner people respond to this investigative journalism.
 
Good grief.

Stoked is already blaming this as a media "witch hunt." Sigh

I just wish he shared the same skeptism when he was posting thread after thread about Clinton and Benghazi. Funny how in some people's views democrats and liberals can do no right while the other side can do no wrong.
 
Red said:
Well, whether approaching things and interpreting things from a left leaning perspective, or a right leaning perspective, the press and media are going to reflect a bias. But, and somebody please correct me if I am wrong, but did not the founding generation view the press, the so-called Fourth Estate, as the "watchdogs" of American society? Was it not expected that a free press would keep the public informed and educated if that free press discovered information that that free press felt the public, the citizenry, the electorate, should know? Should be brought to the attention of the electorate? Even acknowledging an underlying bias, are not organs like the Post and Times publishing info in their role as "watchdogs"? It's not as if, at least as I see it, that the info they are revealing, and which has led directly to a Special Prosecutor, is simply so much BS. Although Trump is claiming it is. But is it not in fact still justifiable in seeing the press as in fact "doing their job" as the founding generation envisioned?
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Good post but this is not how I view the press (that applies across the board). I do not think they are in it to be a watchdog. They are in it to whip up emotion and direct the people where they want them to go. I do not see the media faithfully carrying out their role as watchdogs.

Good investigative journalism is fantastic. I hope it continues forever. The problem I have is with how they present what that journalism found.

I also agree with your earlier post about the President bringing a lot of this on himself. I am very interested in what they find. I think they will find something but I am not sure what.
 
Stoked said:
Good post but this is not how I view the press (that applies across the board). I do not think they are in it to be a watchdog. They are in it to whip up emotion and direct the people where they want them to go. I do not see the media faithfully carrying out their role as watchdogs.

Good investigative journalism is fantastic. I hope it continues forever. The problem I have is with how they present what that journalism found.

I also agree with your earlier post about the President bringing a lot of this on himself. I am very interested in what they find. I think they will find something but I am not sure what.
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Well in that respect, I do find some degree of difference between print journalism, which I personally depend on for 95% of the news I read, and broadcast journalism, particularly of the cable venue, where the left and right echo chambers are seldom disguised very well at all, as far as promoting their respective narratives/agendas. Since the Comey firing, I have been watching the MSNBC echo chamber nightly. While I like the first hour, because I respect the sharp and quick thinking mind of Chris Matthews, and while I like the depth of investigation that Rachel Maddow has been undertaking, particularly in following the Manafort money trail, overall, I do not like, and have never liked, the tone of almost, well not almost, rather literal level of outright glee and "too cutesy" deliveries of Maddow and the others in that 7-11 pm Eastern time zone nightly presentation of talking heads. I really get turned off by that as I like Joe Friday's "just the facts, ma'am" approach. But, although print journalism can convey the presence of agendas by the type of headlines they use, I just find good journalism is more prevalent in the venue of print journalism. I think there are some very good such journalists out there, but I do admit editorial staffs may direct agendas and influence what is or is not reported.
 
DutchJazzer said:
well but nobody trusted comey a few weeks ago. not the left not the right

but suddnely when trump fires him the left loves him!


nobody had confidence in comey now they do?

hahahahaa
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These are blatantly not true. Upset with him? Yeah. Feel like something was dirty? Yes.

Did they trust him? Yes.
 
DutchJazzer said:
well but nobody trusted comey a few weeks ago. not the left not the right

but suddnely when trump fires him the left loves him!


nobody had confidence in comey now they do?

hahahahaa
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People have not been criticizing this move because of how much they "love" Comey. I don't think he's anybody's favorite. Can you please try to understand that instead of trying to score additional jackass points.?
 
Bulletproof said:
People have not been criticizing this move because of how much they "love" Comey. I don't think he's anybody's favorite. Can you please try to understand that instead of trying to score additional jackass points.?
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it isn't about favorites. media pundits, politician on both left and right saw him as untrustworthy and incompetent. suddenly a note he writes might be irrefutable evidence in the eye of the left
 
DutchJazzer said:
it isn't about favorites. media pundits, politician on both left and right saw him as untrustworthy and incompetent. suddenly a note he writes might be irrefutable evidence in the eye of the left
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In the eyes of a court. Huge difference
 
DutchJazzer said:
it isn't about favorites. media pundits, politician on both left and right saw him as untrustworthy and incompetent. suddenly a note he writes might be irrefutable evidence in the eye of the left
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Quite a few memos involved, not just that particular one. And it will be Mueller, not media pundits, not Republicans, not Democrats, who will decide the credibility of Comey's contemporaneous memos. And yes, if Trump cannot produce evidence(tapes??) that contradict Comey's memos, then those memos may very well carry considerable weight, regardless of what partisans from either direction may feel. And because testimony will not be public, and Mueller is known to be extremely demanding where not leaking info is concerned, we are all likely in for a long wait. At any rate, your opinion is beside the point at this stage. If Trump had not fired Comey, we would not even have a Special Prosecutor now. As recently as a week ago, the Ast. Attorney General had no intention of appointing a Special Council. The revelation of the Comey memo stating that Trump asked Comey to drop the investigation of Flynn led to where we are. So I guess that Ast. Attorney General thought somewhat better of Comey then you do. And it now turns out that Ast. Attorney General knew before he wrote his opinion of Comey that Trump intended to fire Comey. Now, is this Comey's revenge? Well, he enjoys his reputation for integrity, which you cannot strip from him, BTW. But, bottom line, Trump uses his head for once, and all this is not even happening........
 
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