The Broken U.S. Press Sits Down For Cocktails And Giggles With Fascists

from the pathetic dept

This Saturday is the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner (WHCA). And there’s been ample criticism of journalists that plan to have giggles and cocktails with overt fascists, given this helps normalize of one of the most racist, censorial, and corrupt administrations in U.S. history.

This year, because an actual comedian might get somewhere close to the truth about the country’s collapse, the whole thing is being hosted by a “mentalist.”

The WHCA organizers have been largely weak-kneed about the event, stating they are “happy” Mr. Trump accepted their invitation, and are looking “forward to hosting” a guy who has murdered whatever was left of U.S. public media, filed countless baseless lawsuits against press outlets for doing journalism, and consistently threatened network broadcast licenses just because comedians made jokes.

A coalition of more than 250 journalists wrote a letter to the WHCA and attendees, begging them to demonstrate something resembling a backbone. But even these calls for action from other journalists feel pathetic:

“We understand that some journalists plan to wear pocket handkerchiefs or lapel pins with the words of the First Amendment. And continuing in that spirit, we believe the White House Correspondents Association should take stronger action by issuing — from the podium — a forceful defense of freedom of the press and condemnation of those who threaten that freedom, followed by a standing toast to the First Amendment and a pledge to continue upholding such a critical cornerstone of our democracy.”

This would all be slightly more palatable if U.S. journalism hadn’t so catastrophically failed to meet the moment during our authoritarian era. As far as the eye can see, corporate journalism (with occasional and welcome exception) has been a pathetic mess; normalizing, validating, and often even encouraging our bumbling, violent, and extremely racist kakistocracy.

It’s a little late for jokes. And a toast to the First Amendment over smoked salmon-potato chip canapés doesn’t mean much at this point, if it ever did.

The coverage of the event has been almost as pathetic as the journalists planning to attend. New York Times columnist Michael Grynbaum, for example, actually put these words down in print:

“Mr. Trump, whose instinct for crowd work and note-perfect timing have drawn comparisons to the insult comic Don Rickles, will almost certainly take a few potshots. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said on social media that the evening “will be fun!”

Good times.

Brendan Carr will be in attendance. I’m sure there will be some good natured ribbing about his efforts to illegally censor critics of the administration, destroy legitimate journalism, and dismantle the First Amendment. Some real zingers about his total destruction of consumer protection and corporate oversight (just kidding, nobody in the U.S. media cares about any of that). Maybe some light guffaws at his most recent efforts to harass comedians for telling jokes.

After that, maybe some light quips about the fact this administration used a masked gestapo to murder American civilians in the street. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

Granted there are some that correctly argue that schmoozing with the wealthy and powerful you cover was never a good idea in the first place. Especially in a country where the press is so increasingly and clearly captured by the extraction class and corporate power:

“As elite journalists wring their hands over whether it is hypocritical to attend this year’s dinner or mount a quiet protest by wearing First Amendment lapel pins and pocket squares, I would rather they acknowledge that a red-carpet schmoozefest with the powerful sources they cover was never a good idea. The annual rationalizing that it’s just a show of civility to party with the people one covers doesn’t overcome the public’s skepticism about our independence. What was once (a fairly long time ago) a well-intended night of fundraising and camaraderie among professional adversaries is now simply a bad look.”

There will certainly be some spotty (and maybe even genuinely funny) useful criticism of Trump on Saturday. He’ll probably mostly love it, because it normalizes his vile corruption and makes for good television. But there’s very little attendees could do or say at this point that can make up for the broader industry’s abject failure to meet the moment. The cost has simply been too high and the failure too great.

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Filed Under: brendan carr, correspondents dinner, donald trump, first amendment, journalism, media

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