It’s no secret that the disinformation swirling around our new president and how he got elected have been a boon for the troubled media business. Americans have taken a new interest in good journalism and are looking more carefully at where they get their information.
Subscriptions are up at places like the New York Times and New Yorker and we’ve been seeing record activity here at SmartNews. People want the truth.
Hollywood is getting in on the boom. Today, Steven Spielberg announced that he will direct The Post, a film about the Washington Post’s role in the release of the Pentagon Papers in 1971. Tom Hanks will play Ben Bradlee, the paper’s editor and Meryl Streep will play Kay Graham, the publisher.
In an age in which a sitting president loudly and routinely attacks the media and dubs credible outlets the “enemy of the people,” it’s more vital than ever to remember the lessons that history has already taught us. – Vanity Fair
To get a sense of the epic battle that is brewing, check out this conversation between Walt Mossberg, Kara Swisher and Marty Baron, the current editor of the Washington Post (Baron played a central role in the reporting that led to the film Spotlight). The entire 45-minute talk is worth listening but I’ve called out some memorable quotes.
When asked, to respond to Trump’s criticism that he has a “running war” with the media, Marty replies,
The way I view it is, we’re not at war with the administration, we’re at work. We’re doing our jobs.
Replying to the comment that the media is an, “opposition party,”
We don’t act like a party, the press doesn’t coordinate with each other, we compete. We like a party but we’re not a party. We’re not the opposition, we’re independent.
And about “alternative facts”
We have to understand that the alternative to facts is not alternative facts. It’s fiction…I think this is a really concerning development, that we seem to say there is no such thing as an objective fact. It’s all just a matter of personal opinion.
Times like these will produce great journalists.
Leave a comment