The media is its worst enemy as Howard Kurtz becomes Fox News paid hit man
Howard Kurtz should be ashamed of himself for his comments about Jorge Ramos doing his journalistic duty. Bad media have created lousy politicians and have allowed the corporatocracy to program the middle-class and poor into voting against their own interests because of willfully biased media.
Kurtz took exception to Jorge Ramos grilling Donald Trump about his irresponsible and divisive immigration stance. Unfortunately he used an exchange between the master of pomposity, the journalistically irresponsible and intellectually deficient and dishonest Bill O’Reilly to make his point.
“You are an anchorman. How can you possibly cover illegal immigration fairly when you are an activist,” Bill O’Reilly said. “You are a proponent of allowing them amnesty. How can you possibly cover the story? You should excuse yourself from it or recuse yourself from it. Or become like me, a commentator.”
Jorge Ramos fired back that he was just a reporter asking questions. He also admonished Bill O’Reilly. “I don’t think you are the right person to lecture me on advocacy,” Ramos said. “When you spend most of your program giving opinions.”
Ramos is absolutely correct. When did asking a candidate to justify his position become advocacy or commentary? Most in the media have been fearful to confront Donald Trump. Because a Latino confronts Donald Trump on an issue pressing to the Latino community should not diminish its journalistic framing. This is the classic silencing technique used to quiet many who would ask probing questions that the powers do not want asked.
For years the justifiable complaint has been that the media has failed America. They have allowed themselves to be snowed by politicians and corporations. They have allowed the plutocracy to dictate the prevailing narrative on just about every issue. They have lacked the spine and intestinal fortitude to ask the right questions. Meet the Press’ Chuck Todd made it clear that this was deliberate as he stated as much in this clip where he said the following.
“We all sit there because we all know the first time we bark is the last time we do the show,” Chuck Todd said. “… All of a sudden, no one will come on your show.”
Howard Kurtz, Fox News hit man must not be allowed to use his feeble critique to force real journalists from doing their jobs. They are already in failure mode. The current failure does not need to be made fatal. Journalistic cure is still possible.