Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2020 18:53:25 GMT
Liberal Newsrooms Fail the True Black Lives Matter Test - Real Clear Politics - July 10,2020
<SNIP>
This particular issue highlights how the liberal monoculture in newsrooms makes it hard to address this problem clearly. Many big newsrooms are also unionized, and their coverage is reflexively pro-union – and as such, police reform opens a can of worms for liberal reporters. If we have to confront the fact that police unions are keeping bad cops on the streets, well, imagine the outrage from some corners once we start seeing honest reporting about who teacher unions are protecting.
In spite of being conflicted, the national media have still done some good reporting and soul searching on police reform, but such journalism has been few and far between. Now it seems as if the media are suddenly trying to make up for their lack of effort by embracing radical – and radically inchoate – left-wing solutions such as “Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police.” It’s an open question whether outlets such as The New York Times are responsibly weighing the police’s necessary role in fighting crime against the need for reform.
The reticence of left-leaning media to highlight the widespread law-and-order failures of the Democratic politicians who dominate urban areas is also palpable, even though that reluctance is endangering black lives. Secoriea Turner died after the car she was in went past an illegal roadblock set up by protesters who have essentially been given free rein by the mayor of Atlanta. After Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered police to abandon their precinct in Seattle so protesters could set up an “autonomous zone,” the lawlessness resulted in the killing of two black teenagers and the wounding of two other men.
It’s not just that many in the media are unconcerned about this crime – they’re in denial. Tuesday night, CNN prime-time anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo blamed right-wing media for concern about rising crime. “Whenever Trump’s poll numbers go south, they kick in with … ‘Democratic cities in chaos!’” Lemon said. Cuomo interjected with mock concern, “Crime is rising as they defund police.” However, after billions of dollars in riot damage and a frightful increase in homicides, denying that Democratic cities are in chaos is, well, fake news.
If the media really wanted to hold Trump accountable, they would note that in his acceptance speech at the 2016 GOP convention he promised “the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean very soon, come to an end.” Unfortunately, the media have also been so busy running interference for urban Democrats they don’t have much standing to criticize Trump, who has at least emphasized the importance of law and order, even if he’s failed to achieve it. When Durkan compared armed warlords patrolling her city’s streets to the “summer of love,” the media eagerly leapt to her defense. Looking back at his Twitter spats with the Seattle mayor and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee last month, Trump was clearly the more prescient and responsible politician, as hard as that may be to admit.
<SNIP>
Queshank
<SNIP>
This particular issue highlights how the liberal monoculture in newsrooms makes it hard to address this problem clearly. Many big newsrooms are also unionized, and their coverage is reflexively pro-union – and as such, police reform opens a can of worms for liberal reporters. If we have to confront the fact that police unions are keeping bad cops on the streets, well, imagine the outrage from some corners once we start seeing honest reporting about who teacher unions are protecting.
In spite of being conflicted, the national media have still done some good reporting and soul searching on police reform, but such journalism has been few and far between. Now it seems as if the media are suddenly trying to make up for their lack of effort by embracing radical – and radically inchoate – left-wing solutions such as “Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police.” It’s an open question whether outlets such as The New York Times are responsibly weighing the police’s necessary role in fighting crime against the need for reform.
The reticence of left-leaning media to highlight the widespread law-and-order failures of the Democratic politicians who dominate urban areas is also palpable, even though that reluctance is endangering black lives. Secoriea Turner died after the car she was in went past an illegal roadblock set up by protesters who have essentially been given free rein by the mayor of Atlanta. After Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered police to abandon their precinct in Seattle so protesters could set up an “autonomous zone,” the lawlessness resulted in the killing of two black teenagers and the wounding of two other men.
It’s not just that many in the media are unconcerned about this crime – they’re in denial. Tuesday night, CNN prime-time anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo blamed right-wing media for concern about rising crime. “Whenever Trump’s poll numbers go south, they kick in with … ‘Democratic cities in chaos!’” Lemon said. Cuomo interjected with mock concern, “Crime is rising as they defund police.” However, after billions of dollars in riot damage and a frightful increase in homicides, denying that Democratic cities are in chaos is, well, fake news.
If the media really wanted to hold Trump accountable, they would note that in his acceptance speech at the 2016 GOP convention he promised “the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean very soon, come to an end.” Unfortunately, the media have also been so busy running interference for urban Democrats they don’t have much standing to criticize Trump, who has at least emphasized the importance of law and order, even if he’s failed to achieve it. When Durkan compared armed warlords patrolling her city’s streets to the “summer of love,” the media eagerly leapt to her defense. Looking back at his Twitter spats with the Seattle mayor and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee last month, Trump was clearly the more prescient and responsible politician, as hard as that may be to admit.
<SNIP>
Queshank
