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In attempting to trump the president, media elite write their own obituary

Ruben Navarrette Jr. on

SAN DIEGO -- It used to be the media would factcheck a story. Now, many people feel they need to factcheck the media.

That's not a bad idea. In the Trump era, much of the media -- a vast landscape of newspapers, broadcast networks, talk radio, news sites, social media and more -- didn't just lose the public's trust. They threw it out the window. In their zeal to humiliate and run out of office someone who they think should never have been elected, they seem to have decided the end justifies the means.

Even some members of the media admit the profession has lost its way, although they blame external factors beyond their control.

But the media are not victims. Sure, President Trump declared us the "enemy of the people." Yet, other presidents also hated the media, and the media kept its credibility. Not this time. Because much of the media hates this president right back.

This seems especially true of the so-called elite media on the East coast. There are plenty of good reporters and producers at newspapers and television stations around the country who are not plotting to nullify the results of the last election.

Then there are the folks in New York and Washington, some of whom seem to think it is their sacred duty to save the country. When journalists lose sight of their true mission, and take on new responsibilities, bad things happen.

 

We developed this trust deficit with the public because we climbed into the arena not as referees but as players, ignored the rules we learned as cub reporters, wore our biases on our sleeves, blurred the line between reporting and commentary, and took attacks personally while responding in kind.

Recent events have not showered the media in glory. Whether we're talking about CNN, NBC or The New York Times, the judgment of news agencies is in doubt. Too often, those who are supposed to cover the story have become the story.

When the criticism starts flying, intra-media rivalries take hold. The newspaper people I talk to point to cable television as the problem, while the television folks I know will often single out talk radio. Talk radio blames newspapers. Truth is, we've all made mistakes.

Pundits need to stop talking about whether the country could face a constitutional crisis and accept the fact that we're already living through a communications crisis.

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