The real news is responsible for the fake news - and Trump's ability to lie with impunity.

[Abu Pepe]

As journalists freak out over fake news these days, they largely ignore their own role in aiding and abetting it. In the mid 1990s the GOP, led by Newt Gingrich, began just making shit up out of whole cloth. Sure politicians had lied before and they have always spun facts to their benefit. But about 20 years ago they just started creating their own reality: the media never abandoned their he said/she said equivalency narrative. They never adjusted. The Iraq War buildup and the equal footing given climate change deniers are the most tragic (so far) examples of how this failure to evolve by the press has hurt the Republic. By the time they started somewhat calling BS on Trump's lies it was too late.

There is a direct line from "there are Democratic facts and there are Republican facts" to "opinions and facts are the same thing." Just saying.

[ymetca]

1. I actually think it started a lot further back

Perhaps as far back as WWI. Poor old Smedley Butler never got any airtime...

[Abu Pepe]

2. Well it has always been self sensored. And protective of the elite class generally.

But nobody ever doubted Smedley existed or claim that, or if he did exist he was never in the Marines. That is where we are today.

[wishstar]

3. Mainstream media should have shut down the Obama birther lies immediately, not letting it take hold

Media allowed Trump and right wingers to persist with lying for years when it could have been denounced at the start, not allowed to simmer until we such a large number of Americans still believe those lies about Pres. Obama

[Abu Pepe]

4. Another perfect example. nt

[world wide wally]

5. We don't have even one newsperson who is held in high regard by everyone like Cronite or E R Morrow or

Huntley or Brinkley or anyone I can think of.
The best we can do today is Chris Matthews?
Pulllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeassssssssssse

[Abu Pepe]

6. Nor was Tim Russert. Although I hate to speak ill of the dead

He was eulogized as a modern day Cronkite. I thought he asked soft ball questions with no follow up. Ted Koppel was probably the last who came closest to that breed of real intervewers.