I'm hardly the person from whom to seek advice on journalism. I'm a bottom-feeding blogger who gets stories (and sometimes dinner, too!) by dumpster diving. But you might be surprised to learn that I apparently have higher standards than Jeffrey Goldberg, Atlantic's widely-respected editor-in-chief. On September 3, exactly two months before the election, he published a highly inflammatory report about Donald Trump's 2018 refusal to visit the cemetery of 1,800 Marines who died in Belleau Wood. The soldiers who died there were supposedly "suckers" and "losers." Goldberg relies on four anonymous sources. His story is unfair.
I get contacted all the time by people who wish to remain anonymous. I am often provided good tips. But before I go ahead, I want to know two things: (1) How damaging is this story to the target? and (2) How reliable is my source?
If the story reveals some kind of malfeasance, I will sometimes write a story. If it is highly inflammatory, I will refuse to write a story even if I believe the anonymous accusation.
This just happened to me last week. I was provided highly damaging information about a public official. It came from an anonymous email. The target strongly denied the charge. I decided against writing a story.
Four people could contact me and accuse a public official of all sorts of abhorrent behavior that is subsequently denied. Am I supposed to write, "Public Official A denies beating wife despite four anonymous accusers?"
I think that would be irresponsible.
The Goldberg story strikes me as unfair for the following reasons: (1) It is highly inflammatory; (2) It is about an incident that supposedly occurred two years ago, but is being published two months before an election; (3) The sources involved refuse to identify themselves; and (4) the accusation appears to be refuted by Trump's seeming desire to build up the military.
This accusation could very well be true, but all this story does is give Trump more ammo with which to argue he is being treated unfairly. This is sensationalism, not journalism.
History will judge, but I consider and have said Trump is the worst President this nation has ever seen. Here's a thought. Why not report on what he all know he has actually said and done? Just yesterday, in a rambling speech from the White House, Trump's demagoguery consisted of statements like "Biden is a stupid person."
In the meantime, 189,000 Americans have been killed by the Covid-19 pandemic that Trump minimized, while unemployment is at 8.4%.
Write what you can prove. That's bad enough.
33 comments:
Seriously What bullshit. You attack and harm people on daily basis. You sure ere no journalist. You will defend your loves and attack anyone else. In government you do it all the time. You love McClure and his cronies so you either ignore the information you receive or attack other instead. You have even attacked the council people for doing their jobs if they even question Lord McClure. He runs over employees but your eyes are closed.
Why not just call some other council people names or attack another old girlfriend, if you had any.
You are right, you are no one to criticize any legitimate reporter. You are a self praising Ahole!
The unemployment figure isn't Trump's doing. I would place that at the feet of the governors (mostly Democrats) who shut down their states.
You are in no position to criticize anyone you hack!
What I'm struck by, and have posted about, is the "sacred mission" to unseat Trump. Former bastions of journalism, such as the NYT and Washington Post, feel so compelled to see him defeated that separations between news and opinion have been suspended. If Trump wins in November, does that formula stay in place for four more years?
Interesting about this “worst President the nation has ever seen.” His approval ratings continue to rise, his live crowds are massive, and his work ethics haven’t decreased since he was elected. He’s remained steady and determined under daily attacks from those promoting false narratives, and who hide his achievements to strengthen this nation and protect the families of its citizens.
What is wrong with people? (SMH)
Goldberg said his sources wished to remain anonymous, not he didn't know who they were. There's a big difference between knowing your source and keeping them anonymous by request, and being fed information by someone who doesn't identify who they are to a reporter.
Watergate was highly inflammatory and originally provided by one anonymous source - "Deep Throat." His information was eventually confirmed by two more anonymous sources to the reporters, who knew all three they were talking to.
Trump's proof of innocence can't be found in his desire to be powerful (building up the military). The story is about his lack of empathy, of moral character, and his inability to understand why men and women are willing to give their lives for a country they love.
Need you be reminded that Goldberg is no longer alone? Even Fox News found sources that confirm much of it.
Mag is owned by late Steve Jobs' wife. She's donated $500k to Biden campaign. 10 named sources plus Trump hater Bolton say the story is false. This is going to be a long eight weeks.
Read the first two paragraphs. No need to read more. Fake news was coined by Trump for a reason. Russian collusion......... You keep voting dem Bernie. (No, Trump is not perfect, but I bet he doesn't give the World's #1 hit song singer an interview either. And for good reason.)
So on one hand you have multiple reporters from various networks saying it happened vs a immoral serial liar who has zero empathy for anyone but himself.
guess we will never know what the truth is.
well
" (1) It is highly inflammatory"-yes and trump is known for saying crass and cruel things without thought
"published two months before an election"--unfair yet trench warfare is often that way.
sauce for the goose
" sources involved refuse to identify themselves"--remember what happened to one Army officer and his brother?
"Trump's seeming desire to build up the military."-he is making defense contractors rich.
trump took earmarked funds for a school and service members housing to build his stupid wall.
This has been going on for 4 years, it has ruined the medias credibility and inoculated Trump from possibly fair criticism. The media has become a propaganda machine for the DNC. Not only the unnamed and anonymous sources, but what they refuse to cover even if documented and real live warm body accusers.
As for the Corona virus, It is evident that the death rate per million is pretty constant in the western world, except for Germany which seems to have done much better.
In reality if state governors and health people would have done more to protect nursing home people, the rate likely would have been near half.
In fact they are still not protecting those people adequately.
Trump administration worked hard to provide everything anyone needed to address this pandemic, but he refused to shut the whole country down, which even you Bernie was opposed to. It seems that shut downs dont really make a difference.
all that can be done is to protect the vulnerable, the best you can.
Pennsylvania has the highest unemployment rate in the country and it is Trump's fault?? Bernie, you are smarter than that. The Wolf administration has mandated the closure of businesses. That means unemployment goes up. And BTW, Trump was ahead of the curve on covid. Which certain democrat governors jumped on in their eugenics program (or is it pogrom) to get rid of elderly voters. Between Bill Clinton and Tom Wolf there is no room to speak ill of the President.
The Russian hoax that lasted almost four years is comming back in Nov when he wins again 2020.
Careful.
You’re going to get yourself canceled.
Trump’s opposition does not realize that this type of journalism only supports Trump as victim of a press that is out of control. Trump has complained since 2015 that the press has employed fake news and unsourced big lies to get rid of him. A previous writer wrote that since most of the story has been substantiated , all of it must be true. Logic that a jury will never convict on. But, that is sign of the times. Trump haters relish in the thought that this must be true. No doubt, Trump referred to Nazi soldiers as losers and suckers. And, with no intention of dis respect even labeled Vietnam volunteers as suckers. If you cannot see that, read the Pentagon Papers. We were all suckers. We honor our war dead, but there is that little voice in the back of my head, “Why did he have to die?” Trump has angered all the hawks who want endless wars. We don’t need to be in Afghanistan. We don’t need troops forever on the Korean border. I am tired of war. Once we all become too tired of it, those people who died for country will have little or no meaning. We need to wise up!
Wow I agree with you on this. Liberal Left is nothing more than anonymous sources. If the Media want to report, have the anonymous sources come out of the woodwork. If not, than take everything they say with a bag of salt.
God bless AmeriKKKa. Trump 2020!
"You love McClure and his cronies so you either ignore the information you receive or attack other instead. You have even attacked the council people"
I have been critical of McClure when I consider it appropriate. I have been critical of Council when I consider it appropriate. Members like Heckman are very thin-skinned and unable to accept it. Too bad.
Trump is a con man and is bankrupting our country. How many times has he done that with his own businesses?
Trump is a con man and is bankrupting our country. How many times has he done that with his own businesses?
Media lies are found all over the place. TV, radio, and print. If you are relying on the same 1 or 2 news sources you’ve always turned to every day you are most likely being being given untruths and half-truths about anything concerning Trump. Just because some source or person claims something doesn’t make it true. But, how many in today’s culture take the time to verify, or even know how to cut through, all the crap out there?
Certainly not those who think winning an election at any cost, no matter what the harm to their family’s futures, is worth it.
Trump has burned too many bridges with Pentagon brass and former staff (Generals Kelly, Mattis and McMaster for starters). There are far too many people with sharp knives out there for him to keep track of. We know what he said about John McCain, so the comments attributed to him this weekend seem to ring true to his character. I'm positive there will be more.
I know its hard for the delusional MAGA types to not view Trump in a sympathetic light due to the way he always whines and then literally promotes and amplifies anything that is said unfavorably about him. It just continuously reinforces the message that he's an outsider that the establishment wants to remove and that narrative seemingly washes away his sins in their eyes regardless of the validity and consequences of those sins. He manipulates people, plain and simple.
The Right Wing Media machine is also equally involved, in either ignoring most problem areas, or worse over-hyping obvious distraction issues.
Long story short - Trump has done nothing to expand his base since 2016 - he has lost most independent and moderate voters who chose him over Hillary. It will cost him this November against a candidate that has a much lower negative rating. The hat wearing and flag flying crowd need to start wrapping their heads around this reality now.
Deny, distract and deny some more. There is more than enough smoke around Russia to know that they had influence on 2016, calling it fake news or a hoax is just deluding yourself and/or wishful thinking. Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia all have the money, influence and power to sway perceptions in our country, you are beyond naive if you don't believe it.
There are ways to reform and rehabilitate our elections, but far too many people currently in power from both parties wish to stay there and have no motivation to make the needed changes.
But keep on waving your pom poms and cheering for your squad... Rah, Rah! GOOOooo TEAM!
Bernie, you are either confused about what an anonymous source is in this context, or are being deliberately misleading. Jeffrey Goldberg knows who the sources are. They don't wish to be named publicly because of fear of damage to their safety or livelihoods. This is not the same as you getting an anonymous email, where you cannot verify either the veracity of the claim or the identity of the person making it. Drawing any equivalence between these two scenarios is extremely irresponsible.
The Goldberg story has since been independently confirmed by Jennifer Griffin of FoxNews, who cited two former high-ranking administration officials. To reinforce the point about anonymity of sources sometimes being necessary, Trump has since called for Griffin to be fired.
You having higher journalistic standards than Jeffrey Goldberg would actually require you to know something about how journalism is practiced.
12:23, I am neither confused nor I am I deliberately misleading anyone. The four anonymous sources are known to Goldberg, but are not known to me or you. That is what makes them anonymous. The fact that’s Fox reporter can attest that she heard the same thing anonymously does not change the fact that highly inflammatory accusations are being tossed around two years after the fact in sn obvious attempt to influence an election. It is unfair. I detest Trump but prefer seeing hm taken to task on what I know is true, not horseshit
But you compared them to instances of you receiving emails from people who were anonymous TO YOU. These are wildly different scenarios.
Asking for the elimination of anonymous sourcing from journalism is essentially asking for the abolition of investigative journalism that doesn't rely on documents that are created by the people being investigated.
You are also assuming intention to harm Trump's election prospects on the part of the reporters, which you have no way of knowing (and is EXTREMELY dubious in Griffin's case, considering her employer). You are making an inference that isn't substantiated. If you fancy yourself a reporter, then hold yourself to your own standards and prove there is intent there.
The anonymous sources have been confirmed by other reporters. People can decide from there what to believe.
"But you compared them to instances of you receiving emails from people who were anonymous TO YOU. These are wildly different scenarios."
I have experienced both. If someone feeds me highly inflammatory information two years after the fact, and right before an election, red flags should be going up everywhere. Were the four anonymous sources together? Was the info obtained independently? Why the delay? Does the source have an underlying motive? As low as my standards are, this story is below my own.
With Trump you get the total package: HItler, Stalin and former governor George Wallace. And Trump has the full support of the Republican party, the Tea Party, the NRA and the Chamber Of Commerce but locally and nationally.
try
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/13-reasons-why-we-know-the-losers
just two
'2/ In the piece, Goldberg says four sources confirmed the “suckers and losers” part of the story. Four. Other parts of the story cite three sources. One anonymous source he quotes is “a retired four-star general.” That’s about as solid as sourcing gets.
3/ John Kelly, a key figure in the story, has yet to publicly address the claims. In the story, it says he “declined to comment,” which means that he was asked about the incident involving Trump saying, “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” while standing over the grave of Kelly’s son Robert, who died in Afghanistan. If the piece were materially wrong, Kelly had plenty of opportunity to say so. While we would welcome him speaking on the record, his silence is a tacit confirmation."
"As low as my standards are, this story is below my own."
Don't sell yourself short. Your standards are much lower than this. Isn't there another young woman you can attack?
7:47, the fact that you think everyone just does whatever their boss says irrespective of their own principles says more about you than it does about anyone else.
I stopped reading your blog because 3 years ago because your #TDS was annoying and distracting to the rest of your content. This article gives me some hope. You are a smart man, I just dont get how someone does not understand all the good 45 does and will continue to do to keep America, America. Not owned by China. You are right history will judge him. Its going to be a crazy fall. Hold on. I may pop in now and then because your blog does keep me current with all the crazy local politics and makes me laugh now and then, See ya around town.
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