Major media outlets have largely come around—a day late and a dollar short—to calling out Trump’s extremism and lies, particularly the Big Lie that the election was stolen (FAIR.org, ). But this rejection of Trumpism and the Big Lie goes hand in hand with the elevation of a “reasonable” or “admirable” wing of the GOP, whose own extremism and undermining of democracy are thereby whitewashed.Exhibit A is Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who jumped on the Trump and was only kicked off it when he rebuffed Trump’s infamous to “find” 11,780 votes in order to overturn the...… Major media outlets have largely come around—a day late and a dollar short—to calling out Trump’s extremism and lies, particularly the Big Lie that the election was stolen (FAIR.org, ). But this rejection of Trumpism and the Big Lie goes hand in hand with the elevation of a “reasonable” or “admirable” wing of the GOP, whose own extremism and undermining of democracy are thereby whitewashed.Exhibit A is Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who jumped on the Trump and was only kicked off it when he rebuffed Trump’s infamous to “find” 11,780 votes in order to overturn the...WW…

 Condoleezza Rice (Washington Post, ) on George Shultz: “His integrity was unquestioned by friend and foe alike.”George Shultz, a prominent cabinet member of both the Nixon and Reagan administrations, holding posts at State, Treasury, Labor and the Office of Management and Budget, died over the weekend at age 100. His death prompted no fewer than three fawning tributes in the Washington Post, in addition to the paper’s official obituary.Former George W. Bush Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who considered Shultz both a mentor and friend, was given column space at the Post () to wax...… Condoleezza Rice (Washington Post, ) on George Shultz: “His integrity was unquestioned by friend and foe alike.”George Shultz, a prominent cabinet member of both the Nixon and Reagan administrations, holding posts at State, Treasury, Labor and the Office of Management and Budget, died over the weekend at age 100. His death prompted no fewer than three fawning tributes in the Washington Post, in addition to the paper’s official obituary.Former George W. Bush Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who considered Shultz both a mentor and friend, was given column space at the Post () to wax...WW…

 In the wake of the 2020 election, Columbia Journalism Review editor-in-chief Kyle Pope () lamented “how little we seem to have learned” since media underestimate Donald Trump’s chances of success in 2016. Pope noted that polls were again “overhyped and under-scrutinized,” and argued that while journalists pointed out Trump’s “infinite faults,” they spent too little effort “probing the country.”“Remember the post-2016 pledges to ‘go out into the country’?” Pope asked. “We seem to have forgotten.”CJR‘s Kyle Pope () writes repeatedly that “nearly half the country” voted for Trump, and...… In the wake of the 2020 election, Columbia Journalism Review editor-in-chief Kyle Pope () lamented “how little we seem to have learned” since media underestimate Donald Trump’s chances of success in 2016. Pope noted that polls were again “overhyped and under-scrutinized,” and argued that while journalists pointed out Trump’s “infinite faults,” they spent too little effort “probing the country.”“Remember the post-2016 pledges to ‘go out into the country’?” Pope asked. “We seem to have forgotten.”CJR‘s Kyle Pope () writes repeatedly that “nearly half the country” voted for Trump, and...WW…

 Joe Biden hadn’t even been declared the victor of the 2020 election before establishment Democrats, in the face of poorer-than-expected results in House and Senate races, began pointing fingers at the left—with corporate media giving them a major assist.Democrats had been hoping for big wins on election night, with the possibility of winning not only the presidency but also the Senate, and increasing their majority in the House. But while Biden has come out on top, the party’s most optimistic outcome in the Senate would be a 50/50 split (if they win both Georgia runoff seats), giving...… Joe Biden hadn’t even been declared the victor of the 2020 election before establishment Democrats, in the face of poorer-than-expected results in House and Senate races, began pointing fingers at the left—with corporate media giving them a major assist.Democrats had been hoping for big wins on election night, with the possibility of winning not only the presidency but also the Senate, and increasing their majority in the House. But while Biden has come out on top, the party’s most optimistic outcome in the Senate would be a 50/50 split (if they win both Georgia runoff seats), giving...WW…

 As presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s search for a running mate drags on, press coverage hasn’t failed to disappoint.Useful coverage would lay out each potential pick’s background and qualifications. While you certainly can find that if you look hard enough, many journalists seem quite content to avoid content. The Washington Post‘s () offered a nice helping of unedifying rankings in his “12 Most Logical Picks for Joe Biden’s Vice President, Ranked.” At number one, Blake put Kamala Harris:Kamala Harris is the “most logical pick,” writes the Washington Post‘s Aaron...… As presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s search for a running mate drags on, press coverage hasn’t failed to disappoint.Useful coverage would lay out each potential pick’s background and qualifications. While you certainly can find that if you look hard enough, many journalists seem quite content to avoid content. The Washington Post‘s () offered a nice helping of unedifying rankings in his “12 Most Logical Picks for Joe Biden’s Vice President, Ranked.” At number one, Blake put Kamala Harris:Kamala Harris is the “most logical pick,” writes the Washington Post‘s Aaron...WW…

With Super Tuesday around the corner, the Democratic presidential debates are coming to a close. The debates are ostensibly an exercise in democracy, a chance for voters to evaluate candidates’ positions in order to cast a better informed vote in the nominating contest. But a review of three of the most frequent topics of debate starkly demonstrates how media hosts use their platform less to inform voters in an evenhanded way than to define which positions—and candidates—are acceptable, and which are not. Both Bernie Sanders and other candidates were often asked how Sanders would pay for...…With Super Tuesday around the corner, the Democratic presidential debates are coming to a close. The debates are ostensibly an exercise in democracy, a chance for voters to evaluate candidates’ positions in order to cast a better informed vote in the nominating contest. But a review of three of the most frequent topics of debate starkly demonstrates how media hosts use their platform less to inform voters in an evenhanded way than to define which positions—and candidates—are acceptable, and which are not. Both Bernie Sanders and other candidates were often asked how Sanders would pay for...WW…