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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDavid Corn: Sleepwalking Toward the Election
https://link.motherjones.com/public/35024105My fearat least, one of themis that were sleepwalking toward a crisis with the 2024 election. Actually, make that plural, crises. We saw what Donald Trump did last time, falsely declaring victory, spreading the lie that the election was stolen from him, then trying to steal it through assorted (and indictment-worthy) schemes, and, inciting an insurrectionist riot. There could be reruns of any or all of that. And Republicans and conservatives are certainly cooking up plans to suppress votes and to skew the election by other means. But what I have in mind harkens back to the original plot that helped Trump reach the White House: information warfare mounted by an overseas adversary.
My spidey-sense was especially triggered this past week when I read an article by Uri Berliner, a senior business editor at NPR, slamming his employer for allegedly pushing liberal groupthink and driving away a chunk of its audience. The piece spurred a kerfuffle within the media world, and, in my view, misdiagnosed what ails public radio. But putting that aside, what surprised me was his complete misunderstanding of the Trump-Russia scandal of 2016. In citing examples of NPRs supposed transgressions, Berliner presented its coverage of this issue as Exhibit A, claiming the outlets reporting on this front was shown to be a flop when special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of criminal collusion between Trump and Russia. This, Berliner says, shattered trust in NPR.
Whats alarming is that Berliner, who I dont know but who I assume is a well-read and reasonably informed person, has so faulty an understanding of whats often derided as Russiagate and has bought into Trumps it-was-all-a-hoax line. Though there was often an overemphasis on the question of direct collusion, the heart of the matter was that Moscow attacked the electionwith a covert hack-and-leak operation and a clandestine social media campaignto undermine Hillary Clinton and boost Donald Trump. And that Trump and his campaign aided and abetted Vladimir Putins assault by falsely claiming it wasnt happening. (I know, I know. Ive explained this many times before.)
Russia did attack, and Trump did engage in a foul act of betrayal. But he and his henchmen have hid behind the collusion issue (and the controversy over the Steele dossier) to duck accountability for this unprecedented treachery. And they have created such a smokescreen that the Russian assaulta significant factor in Trumps victoryis a barely remembered footnote to the 2016 election. By the way, the matter of collusion, as I noted recently, is not a dead horse. An exhaustive 2020 Senate intelligence committee report on the Russian intervention disclosed that during the election Paul Manafort, a top Trump campaign aide, had indeed colluded with a Russian intelligence officer who might have been involved in the Russian hack-and-leak scheme.
*snip*
Kid Berwyn
(15,120 posts)It seems to me that Uri Berliner, though, isn't underinformed. He's intentionally disinforming and adding to the chaotic information environment. For that, Putin can thank NPR and the rest of Corporate McPravda.
Irish_Dem
(48,218 posts)And a deliberate march to US fascism.
Silent3
(15,458 posts)and isnt. I dont mean media deliberately colluding with Russian propaganda, like Fox, but news people either stupid enough to fall for Russiagate et al, or too worried about appearing biased or alarmist.
Irish_Dem
(48,218 posts)They are smart, educated and savvy.
They full well know what is going on.
They are on the billionaire/fascist payroll too.
Sky Jewels
(7,206 posts)to amplify or at least not debunk Russian propaganda, and they make that clear.
what's OUR government doing about it?????
maxrandb
(15,413 posts)Suddenly, actual journalism took a back seat to the potential to be a "star".
It's not longer about truth and accuracy, it's about who will get to be the next TV Star.
Ponietz
(3,086 posts)🤮
Sky Jewels
(7,206 posts)that Trump isnt doing everything he can to carry out Vlads orders to destroy independent Ukraine?! Its just mind-boggling that some people buy that, or pretend to buy that.
ShazzieB
(16,681 posts)It's obvious to me that Trump hates Zelensky's guts and would not just allow but cheer on Putin's takeover of Ukraine. u]IF Trump managed to get reelected (which absolutely must NOT be allowed to happen), I have no doubt he would openly celebrate Putin's wiping Ukraine off the map.
It's SO obvious how he feels about Ukraine, I don't know how anyone can miss it. TSF is a grudge holder of epic proportions, and he has never forgiven Zelensky (and never will) for not playing along with his pathetic blackmail scheme. He would regard anything bad that happens to Ukraine and its leader as fitting retribution, because that's the kind of evil, vindictive pos he is.
bucolic_frolic
(43,578 posts)Elite leadership were really public sector oligarchs. Viewed from another perspective, the State was privatized to oligarchs.
DownriverDem
(6,240 posts)and the Biden/Harris Team have a war room for the next election. Lawyers & groups are going to be all over the country ready for the fight.
Warpy
(111,489 posts)The problem is a supine press obsessed with the next gotcha moment and determined to turn this into some sort of a horse race, losing the politics and what is at stake for this country and the world completely while Republicans play their stupid games so they can continue to please that fat mobster in Florida. Those boys want suckers for their sponsors and clicks on their websites and reporting factual news is an antique concept.
They're the ones sleepwalking to an election, the same way they've done it for years, waiting forr press releases to drop into their laps or combing video for sound bites and gaffes.
Broadcast journalism's performance during an election is why I turned the buggers off 20 years ago. They've don'e nothing to entice mbe back.
progressoid
(50,034 posts)while the US has been trying to influence other countries for decades with clandestine media operations.
The Russians beat us at our own game. Well, they beat the susceptible Americans.
Skittles
(153,328 posts)he is so correct