The Delusion Continues: Chuck Todd Bemoans Trump's 'Concierge Media Friends'
These are Trump friends "that can help steer a conversation for him or get rid of."
1.3.2017
18
Every single theme, story, "news" report and analysis of 2016 mainstream media got wrong. Gravely, gravely wrong. One would think that, on Election Night, at least one member of the mainstream chattering class might -- just might -- have been clued in to that glaring fact and vowed to change course. To listen to the American people. To engage others outside their leftist echo-chambers. To think outside their limited box.
No. Not when arrogance and self-import reach critical mass.
Case in point. On NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, Chuck Todd decided to analyze President-elect Trump's relationship with the press, which Todd actually believes is favorable to Trump. The panel then worked energetically to avoid the notion that the media lost trust because they're seen as part of the Democratic National Machine.
Referring to the "concierge media friends" of Trump (Fox, Breitbart, and conservative talk radio), Todd had the temerity to question -- wait for it -- the "objectivity of media." Newsbusters provides a transcript of the exchange between Todd and his guests:
CHUCK TODD: How do you define objectivity in the age of Trump? And I say this because, you know, Trump's going to have his own version of it, who's fair and what's not. Trump has what I call sort of concierge, concierge media friends. I'm not going to name names here, but we all know who they are. Basically, people he knows that can help steer a conversation for him or get rid of. And it's in multiple networks, it's all over in multiple print publications. How does a mainstream press corps deal with that?
It's difficult to even know where to begin addressing that kind of detachment from reality. To his credit, former White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush tried, to no avail:
ARI FLEISCHER: I think there's a different trend going on. And it's two parts to it. The first is there's a double-barreled hostility. This press corps can't stand Donald Trump. And Donald Trump is happy to return the favor. And he uses it to his advantage. He can use it to his advantage, because as the Gallup poll recently indicated, confidence in the press to report the news accurately and fairly has never been lower. And so the press has made itself vulnerable, because it lost the trust of their readers and their viewers -- and Trump has widely taken advantage of it.
CHUCK TODD: But is this on the press? How much is --ARI FLEISCHER: Absolutely! A big part is on the press.TODD: No, I understand that. But why doesn't it -- why isn't there any responsibility on the partisans?!FLEISCHER: I didn't say there wasn't. I pointed out--
Another laughable moment occurred when another Bush-team member, former communications chief Nicole Wallace, chimed in to say that we "just elected a man who bullies female reporters at his rally as an applause line."
Actually, no. What Wallace calls "bullying" is in fact simply a person standing up for himself against a very dishonest press corps that has lied, manipulated and obfuscated the truth to damage him. It is the first time in history a Republican has ever challenged the mainstream media, which is why its members are so taken aback. It is not, however, bullying to defend oneself and call out lies. And, for the record, Trump seems to dole out the criticism of press members in equal measure -- regardless of what race or gender they hold.
Still, Wallace pressed on.
Beating the long-dead Megyn Kelly-debate horse, Wallace lamented, "we have just elected a man who started a hot war with a female anchor instead of attending a debate she moderated."
"And I don't think it's good. And I don't think it has any parallels to the past. And I don't think Trump needs the press. But I think he wants them like an addict craves their drugs."
The lack of self-awareness is breathtaking.
Fleischer did try to remind Todd that it's in fact the media's own self-created reputation that is to blame, but it was for naught. Nothing will penetrate the impenetrable when it comes to tone-deaf elitists. Thankfully, we have an incoming president who will know how to "bully" them.
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