Reporters deserve all the scrutiny they get

 FPI / August 30, 2019

Analysis by Jeff Charles, LibertyNation.com

A recent report just revealed some troubling news for the press. Left-leaning journalists, who make their druthers by biasing their reporting against conservatives and Republicans, are currently experiencing a backlash from those who have grown weary of the unfair coverage.

After news came to light that a group of right-leaning individuals was striking back against journalists by digging up old tweets and statements that could be considered controversial, progressive news outlets protested. It appears they can dish it out, but they can’t take it.

In response to the media’s unfair treatment of the president and conservatives, pro-Trump activist Arthur Schwartz stated that he and a cabal of other activists have been unearthing embarrassing information on journalists who participate in unfairly biased reporting against the Donald. The outlets targeted include The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times, among others.

Reporters working with the media outlets indicated by Schwartz protested his efforts and wrote articles implying that journalists should not be subject to the same treatment as politicians. But people on both the left and the right disagreed, arguing that since reporters are also public figures with massive platforms, they should be subject to the same level of scrutiny as others.

A recent Rasmussen poll revealed that the American public agrees that journalists should not be immune to criticism. According to the survey, 61% of likely US voters believe that journalists are public figures who should be scrutinized. Only 19% disagreed.

It’s also worth noting that a slim majority (51%) of voters felt it was appropriate for politicians to criticize specific members of the Fourth Estate. However, 39% did state that they thought this type of criticism would constitute a threat to freedom of the press.

Interestingly enough, when Rasmussen conducted the same survey in February of 2017, the percentage of those who supported politicians criticizing the media was 48%, which means there has been a slight increase. From 2017, when Trump took office, up until now, the media’s skewed reporting has been on full display.

One of the easiest things for conservatives to do is to complain about the media’s blatant bias. It’s become rather cliché on the right. But while many journalists are genuine in their efforts to report the news, some are more concerned with pushing a political agenda. Either way, there is no reason members of the press should not be subjected to the same level of scrutiny as any other public officials. Indeed, some networks have engaged in behavior that deserves criticism.

In their mission to promote progressivism, some journalists have crossed lines – especially when it comes to how they treat everyday citizens. They have gone beyond merely reporting fake news stories about their political opponents and have targeted ordinary citizens.

The Daily Beast doxxed an individual who made a humorous video poking fun at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. CNN threatened to do the same to the person who doctored a video showing Trump beating up a man with the news organization’s logo superimposed over his face. These are only a couple examples of how left-leaning news organizations have used their platforms to threaten people with differing political beliefs. Behavior such as this and their deceptive reportage is worthy of criticism.

Just as the American public expects the media to hold our leaders accountable, the press pass should not shield reporters from accountability as well. It might be easy to downplay the power the Fourth Estate possesses, as they are not a branch of government. But the influence they have over American society grants them a level of dominance in the culture that rivals that of the state.

The media does not have the same checks and balances as the government – but people like Schwartz show that there are ways to hold them accountable. While digging up old tweets and embarrassing comments is not the most desirable option, it is clear that the press will not place any real restrictions on themselves, especially when it comes to attacking those who are right of center. For this reason, average citizens must be willing to call out a reporter as readily as they would a politician.

Free Press International