Writes Margaret Sullivan, in "Bari Weiss is a weird and worrisome choice as top editor for CBS News/When Weiss was named editor-in-chief, it was the latest turn in the network’s confounding departure from its roots" (The Guardian).
Here's my post from yesterday reprinting Weiss's note with 10 principles of journalism. My only comment was "I particularly like #6."
#6 was "Journalism that holds both American political parties to equal scrutiny."
So what if "the two parties are far from equal these days"? When you hold unequal entities to equal scrutiny what you see is their inequality!
I think Margaret Sullivan has lost track of the meaning of equality. It doesn't mean reaching equal outcomes. It means applying the same standard.
Posts
82 comments:
"Bari Weiss is a weird and worrisome choice..."
Translation:
"What's happening to our grip on the news?!"
Maggie S. accepts at face value Oliver Darcy's (mis)characterization of the "central thesis" of Weiss' The Free Press. But go on and tell us how weird and worrisome this is, Maggie. I'm not feeling too worried yet about the weirdness.
Margaret thinks equity is the same as equality. Bari calls for equality. Equity means entertaining every issue of both sides, regardless the level of dingbattiness.
At least the "liberals" as they call themselves, have figured out hat "our democracy" was a bit of a tell, you know, like La Cosa Nostra. Now they are turning into Milo Minderbender and pretending "everybody has a share!" with this "threat to American democracy" gambit.
"Democracy is so precious, that we can't let the voters decide these things!" - Liberals
so not just stories with by-lines but also 'bi'-auteurs
Equality means applying the same standard. Agreed.
Neutrality, cruel or otherwise, also means applying the same standard, doesn't it?
Time to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk, Professor Althouse. Specifically, hold the parties--and their elected officials--to the same standard on your big three: (a) free speech, (b) federalism; (c) respect for the rule of law.
Leftist Democratic Cultist writes:
"Trump’s existential threats to American democracy...."
"
Oh do fuck off.
Only Leftist cultist loyalists can be in change of our Media Democracy!
The corrupt democratic party and their corrupt media are an existential threat to our Democracy.
Democrats were big mad when Republicans took away their slaves, too.
"…the meaning of equality. It doesn't mean reaching equal outcomes. It means applying the same standard. "
Democrats explicitly reject that. It's a big reason why I reject the democrats. Imposed equal outcomes (as opposed to equal opportunity), besides being unfair to the individual, is detrimental to the human condition.
They just can’t do it. They are incapable of even trying to report facts without injecting their narrative into it. Trump is very much in the mainstream of American politics and culture and not extraordinary in policies compared to the other 45 or so presidents. Wilson was an absolute racist. LBJ vulgar and contemptuous of the media. Truman harangued so many he had the nickname “Give ‘em hell Harry.”
But Trump the Mythological Leftist Nightmare is so routine. I’ve already lived through a dozen hitlers in my life. Yet somehow they always magically transform into kindly elder statesmen after terming out. There will be a new object of their hatred after Trump. The myth will be modified to read that democrat heroes “stopped him” and saved the Republic.
" . . . a bigger problem than Trump’s existential threats to American democracy."
Nothing like turning down the rhetorical temperature to avoid violence.
And that was *nothing* like turning down the rhetorical temperature to avoid violence.
’I think Margaret Sullivan has lost track of the meaning of equality. It doesn't mean reaching equal outcomes. It means applying the same standard.’
Of course this is true, but the leftists in media can’t risk normalizing Trump. The act of fairly evaluating his positions and policies is a non-starter.
"When you hold unequal entities to equal scrutiny what you see is their inequality!"
“Have you ever wondered, perhaps, why opinions which the majority of people quite naturally hold are, if anyone dares express them publicly, denounced as 'controversial, 'extremist', 'explosive', 'disgraceful', and overwhelmed with a violence and venom quite unknown to debate on mere political issues? It is because the whole power of the aggressor depends upon preventing people from seeing what is happening and from saying what they see.”
― Enoch Powell
That's why they'll fight to the death, tooth and claw, to ensure it never happens. Truth means extinction for them. They shall never rest keeping people from knowing Jay Jones threatened children's lives, Mikie Sherrill is a dishonorable cheat, and Tyler Robinson killed a man for speaking the truth about "his love".
They have no power without the power to lie. It's a death sentence and they know it.
"I’ve already lived through a dozen hitlers in my life."
Yep. I am so tired of the "existential threat" bullshit.
“I think Margaret Sullivan has lost track of the meaning of equality. It doesn't mean reaching equal outcomes. It means applying the same standard.”
Does it though, in the specific case of Bari Weiss? Maybe. She did say that she believed the sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh and that Kavanaugh’s rage-filled behavior before the Senate Judiciary Committee should have disqualified him.
https://www.newsbusters.org/people-and-organizations/margaret-sullivan
Time to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk, Professor Althouse.
If that is some dig at this blog, your aim is off. You won't find any sites more balanced as this one. The commenters lean right, but the Hostess does not.
LOL, the Guardian. One of the few Pravda media outlets to outpace the Times in publishing the most slavish DNC talking points.
Glenn Greenwald is concerned that Bari Weiss and Larry Ellison will turn CBS into a mouthpiece for Benjamin Netanyahoo
It's amazing, it really is. My local newspaper has a grand total of one (1) columnist that lives in DC that has a somewhat right of center column. That's it. Everyone else is a leftist.
And yet the absolute rage and spittle that flies from the leftist commentators about how DARE the paper let this person publish their column and share stories or a take that is not approved by the left.... it's truly mazing. The left genuinely seems to think they are owed total, unquestioning control of the news and narrative and how dare anyone disagree with them on anything.
And this is a free country... imagine what it is like in Europe!
Best wishes to Bari Weiss!
it was the latest turn in the network’s confounding departure from its roots
Yes, the network departed from its roots well before Weiss' arrival. Perhaps this is the turn which will return it to its foundation.
Howtard said, "Glenn Greenwald is concerned that Bari Weiss and Larry Ellison will turn CBS into a mouthpiece for Benjamin Netanyahoo."
Nah. They're too wealthy. $7000 per piece isn't incentivizing enough. Besides, why pay when they'll do that for free.
I don't really care, Margaret!
Competiting interests to mitigate progress and collateral damage. Hopefully, approaching a knowledge fitness function that is compatible with demos-cracy and reconcilable with nature.
They’re saying the roots of the thing what brought us Rathergate et al, probably all the way back to framing Nixon.
I’ve watched Disgrace the Nation when visiting my parents. Every Republican has every point challenged and the tone is always confrontational. The Democrat that follows gets to have a friendly conversation and the only challenges are softballs designed to provide an opportunity for the Dem to say their talking points.
…since we’re recycling stuff from yesterday’s post I will too- Actual compliance with this manifesto will mean loss of DC privileges amongst their MSM peers, relegation to Tucker Carlson level status. They won’t be doing that. Today the pressure starts. Already CBS News can’t take it…
You won't find any sites more balanced as this one. The commenters lean right, but the Hostess does not.
…so the Blogger lans left and the comment section leans right- should that be the standard of balanced?
With respect to the broader media that’s a big part of the problem. Propagandists get to choose the topics, what to highlight, what to smother with a pillow. BariMs manifesto doesn’t address that. Not even the equal scrutiny provision number 6…
Broadcast TV and cable are going the way of newspapers. That is why CBS was for sale. The people buying these networks want a return on their investment. To accomplish that they need to attract viewers. The people currently working for CBS news have no idea how to do that or interest in doing so. They are obvious propagandists who owe their positions to being politically reliable and well connected.
Glenn Greenwald is back in MSNBC territory. He is rabidly anti-Israel.
Glenn Greenwald is concerned that Bari Weiss and Larry Ellison will turn CBS into a mouthpiece for Benjamin Netanyahoo
Glenn is just mad Sen Kennedy exposed the tens of millions in Treasury money going to Hamas’ DC PR firm…
Leftists are terrified that at some point in the future the news media will stop carrying their water. Both Parties being held to equal scrutiny would likely be an extinction level event for Democrats, and they know it.
Stephen said...
Equality means applying the same standard. Agreed.
Neutrality, cruel or otherwise, also means applying the same standard, doesn't it?
Time to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk, Professor Althouse. Specifically, hold the parties--and their elected officials--to the same standard on your big three: (a) free speech, (b) federalism; (c) respect for the rule of law.
Free speech: Obama and Biden and all of the regime officials who were involved in crossfire hurricane and the collusion with social media platforms to ban Trump and his supporters are the enemies of free speech.
Federalism: every state is free to treat everyone in their state equally and abide by the constitution and federal laws.
rule of law: Obama told people to lie to the FISA court in order to spy on his political opponents.
Unless you call for Obama to go to jail you don’t believe a single word you posted.
Left Bank wrote:
"She did say that she believed the sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh and that Kavanaugh’s rage-filled behavior before the Senate Judiciary Committee should have disqualified him."
Does she still believe that today? I am curious, though- do you still believe the allegations against Kavanaugh, Left Bank? I ask because of the curious way you reraised this issue.
Howard said...
Glenn Greenwald is concerned that Bari Weiss and Larry Ellison will turn CBS into a mouthpiece for Benjamin Netanyahoo
This is the default setting.
But much like the other walls have been broken down X has made it possible for people to discuss the pervasive and overwhelming influence Israel has on Washington DC and on public discourse.
Netanyahu doesn’t have long in power. It is clear to many now that Hamas was propped up by Israel. It is also clear that Israel owns both sides of the aisle in DC.
Israel isn’t necessarily good or bad but like any other country they need to be judged on their actions and Israel has been acting badly just like our government has been acting badly.
"Time to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk, Professor Althouse."
Stephen, this is really hilarious coming from someone who was silent on the exact same issues from January 2021 until January 2025
...."the latest turn in the network’s confounding departure from its roots" (The Guardian)...."
When the Progressive rot sets in, it's time to root prune if you want to save the tree.
"is a bigger problem than Trump’s existential threats to American democracy."
The real problem is that the Left thinks that Trump is an existential threat to democracy." He was elected fair and square and he is doing what he promised to do.
The Left's response is to lie and resort to violence.
It almost sounds like Bari Weiss wants to create a news outlet that people from any political affiliation can consume and say, "Wow, they are really digging into that issue in a nuanced way I don't hear from any other source." - and gain customers through a differentiated approach compared to today's "me-tooism" of media consumption.
Also, I love the casual bias in the assertion that one party is not the same as the other and therefore should be treated to a journalistic differential.
As more than a few have observed, if the Progressives and the MSM didn't have double standards, they wouldn't have any standards at all.
"Leftists are terrified that at some point in the future the news media will stop carrying their water."
I'm sure when that happens they'll be only too happy to shoot the journalists they so adamantly screech about protecting.
rehajm: …so the Blogger lans left and the comment section leans right- should that be the standard of balanced?
Other commenters don't really need me to defend them, but the person you quoted didn't say that Althouse leans left, just that she doesn't lean right.
The republican party is the one that put their denial of the Presidential election result into action, not just rhetoric.
Do any of you remember the lag times in late 2020, early 2021 as republicans were confronted with new "normals", culminating in Jan 6 and the impeachment. If the senate had considered the articles of impeachment on Jan 7, trump would have been convicted. But they (nearly) all put their persuaders on and he squirmed out of it.
That's the difference.
"Weird" again. Remember when they were trying to convince America that J.D. Vance was "weird" (as opposed to the paragon of normalcy Tim Walz)?
but the person you quoted didn't say that Althouse leans left, just that she doesn't lean right.
I don’t like the labels either but that was the implication of balance…
"The republican party is the one that put their denial of the Presidential election result into action, not just rhetoric."
Speaking of...why hasn't ANYONE been arrested for stealing the 2020 election? What the living fuck? The crime of the century and Trump, Bondi, Patel have done JACK SHIT to bring the perpetrators to justice. Why is he focused on a golden ballroom and not on finding out who was responsible for the stolen election? Has he even mention any ongoing investigation? For four years he wouldn't shut up about it. What happened? I want to see criminal trials.
Really makes you wonder what is actually going on.
"... Kavanaugh’s rage-filled behavior before the Senate Judiciary Committee..."
What, specifically, the hell are you talking about?
"equality . . . doesn't mean reaching equal outcomes. It means applying the same standard." Well, yes, of course . . . but I think instead of "equality" the Democrats are wanting to go for what they call "equity," which as near as I can tell means they get the outcomes they want . . . or else.
Trump can enforce immigration laws by virtue of being Pres. This frustrates the left, fascism etc. Trump has done little or nothing to restrict anyone's speech, whereas the Biden administration waged a constant attack on any kind of conservative speech on many media. The left occupies the high points of culture, and this means they can normally dictate the debate, what is good and what is evil. Bari has a record of correcting the record, as it were, a bit. She is totally pro-Israel, which I think gives her a feeling for the underdog. In a way Jews are never surprised by anti-Semitism of the left or right. All the countries occupied by the Nazis cooperated quite enthusiastically with the Holocaust. All of them.
All the countries occupied by the Nazis cooperated quite enthusiastically with the Holocaust.
The Danes behaved pretty well, they are the only country I would give high marks to.
There's an interview with Katie Porter who is running in the Democratic primary for Governor of California, in which you can see the reporter, Julie Watts, asking follow-ip questions and Katie Porter becoming hostile at having to respond instead of having answers simply accepted. This is a a CBS News interview and it may represent the new normal there.
The significance of Katie Porter's response is that she simply blows off all Republican voters in California - she doesn't need them to win. That's 40% of the electorate which is being disenfranchised by the redistricting plan and that's a candidate who completely dismisses them. They will not be represented in the Governor's office if she wins. She hasn't thouht for a moment about how to represent them - they're Republicans, no need to think about that.
The complete video is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4SRUWANjI
start at 13:10 and you can hear the reporter following up with another candidate and then Katie Porter begins and you can see how she objects to follow-up questions which others have accepted. There's another example at 19:09.
You know you're doing something right when you get criticised by the Grauniad.
The nerve of him being called a rapist by at least two frauds ford and suzy whatshername with out a shred of evidence
Yeah when they protected the communists (murrow) the viet cong (cronkite) and of course rather
https://americasvoice.news/
The communist leading paper there is an official party paper but it does double duty
@Wa St Blogger
If the hostess is in fact neutral, why do nearly twice as many (38%) of its overwhelmingly Trump supporting readers think she favors the right rather than the left (20%)? How do you imagine a less self selected and inclusive cross section of Americans would evaluate her neutrality?
My personal belief, based on long reading of this blog, is that Professor Althouse is either no longer committed to neutrality as a value, or has sacrificed that value because adhering to it would cost her too many readers. Examples: much heavier and more critical coverage of non-state restrictions on academic speech than of Trump executive branch actions retaliating for protected political speech, much heavier and more critical coverage of Hunter Biden's corruption than of the multi-billion dollar pay for play and soft bribery schemes practiced by Trump and his family, much more skeptical criticism of Jack Smith's and the House Committee's exceptionally well documented indictments and reports than of the outrageous indictment of James Comey over the objection of line prosecutors and senior justice department officials; etc.
"Equality" is one thing, and "equity" is another. Equity implies a thumb on the scale to get an adjusted, pleasing outcome. Pleasing to whom, you might ask. Well, that is the real question, isn't it?
Ron Winkleheimer said, "Broadcast TV and cable are going the way of newspapers. That is why CBS was for sale. The people buying these networks want a return on their investment."
I'm not so sure. Long ago I stopped looking at the MSM as a corporate/capitalist monolith and start looking at it as a 5th column of federal power primarily tasked with producing propaganda but - like so many things - in a way that obfuscates its true motivations and subjectivity. And it all makes sense because almost all of them are actually profit negative.
They aren’t in this for the money. It has nothing to do with profit at all.
Never Forget, this has nothing to do with money whatsoever.
Actual existential threats to American democracy:
Defund the Police
Governors telling police to stand down in the face of anarchy and deadly violence.
Leftists on REDDIT grooming young leftists to be assassins and killers.
Crime is off the charts.
Crime is worse that we think - because corrupt pols do not allow proper reporting
FBI-CIA - damaged and untrustworthy.
Soviet-style media that support one party, in loyalist fashion.
just to name a few threats to our democracy.
“You have owners. they own you. they own everything. they own all the important land. they own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the senate, the congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear.”
– George Carlin
The Joker was right. It's not about the money...it's about sending a message.
Cbs has carried water for the left in every decade connie chung against gingrich in the 90s for designated 'whistleblowers' like richard clarke
Always what they leave out of the story is more important than what they chose to present
From her free press selections however it seems to me she is still too willing to give the left the final word jmho
Has Bari ever apologized for her Tulsi Gabbard smear. Her being a real journalist and all?
Shorter Stephen: She doesn't trumpet my outlandish left-wing bullshit. Therefore, she's not neutral.
RideSpaceMountain said...
“You have owners. they own you. they own everything. they own all the important land. they own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the senate, the congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear.”
– George Carlin
10/8/25, 4:00 PM
It's a cynical sentiment, but it hasn't been true for at least a decade. Nick Fuentes isn't as popular as the effort to prop him up might indicate, but then he's tied to the repulsive RKD meme. Ben Shapiro has similar problems. Joe Rogan and Theo Von could tell you all about the new media landscape. And no one person has enjoyed it quite as much as President Trump.
"Bari Weiss is a weird and worrisome choice..." Has any prog MSM choice ever been described that way by any non-righty commentator? None was "weird and worrisome"? Of course, the very fact that progs bitch even about a slightly heterodox fellow lib indicates how much progs took their dominance for granted. But the key player here is not Weiss but the Elison clan. Not sure they can make CBS/FP pay off as a business, but as counteroffensive their move is already bearing fruit. Bezos doing some positive things as well, plus Musk of course. Making the culture war, and the propaganda wars, a little less one-sided.
Achilles said, "But much like the other walls have been broken down X has made it possible for people to discuss the pervasive and overwhelming influence Israel has on Washington DC and on public discourse."
They're literally doing the meme, but nobody puts Bari in the corner lol.
Great job there, Katie Porker!
When she’s not dumping scalding hot mashed potatoes on her soon (at the time) to be ex-husband’s head, she’s showing the arrogance and political skills she became known for.
@ Stephen
If the hostess is in fact neutral, why do nearly twice as many (38%) of its overwhelmingly Trump supporting readers think she favors the right rather than the left (20%)? How do you imagine a less self selected and inclusive cross section of Americans would evaluate her neutrality?
Not sure where you got your poll data, so I can't comment on it directly. However, like you, I think many people misunderstand Althouse. I've also been reading for years (15ish?), and her ideology fits very much left of "true" center. By this I mean, I think she feels the far left had pulled so far TO the left that she appears center now. Althouse appears right because she is not rabidly left, but she is probably chuckling now at the thought of being right. She is much more a classic liberal, which often puts her in the camp with the right, but her social values are decidedly left. That is my read, but since she plays it close to the vest as much as possible, I could very much be calling it incorrectly, but the clues are out there for anyone who really wants to know.
Bari got a cool $150million for the Free Press. That's 21,000 pro Bibi posts
@ Stephen (two parter to keep the comments manageable,
My personal belief, based on long reading of this blog, is that Professor Althouse is either no longer committed to neutrality as a value, or has sacrificed that value because adhering to it would cost her too many readers.
I really have to laugh at that one. This is a labor of love for her, not ego or remuneration. This is not ad based and she probably make a pittance on Amazon links. There is nothing for her to "maintain". What she highlights are issues that reflect the behavior of institutions. The left abused their power, she called them on it. Trump blusters and she calls him on it. The rest of your statement is a reflection of political bias on your part, not hers.
"Trump’s existential threats to American democracy..." THIS disqualifies democrats from holding office. It is flat out extinction, murder, revolution talk.
Even shorter waa
Having to deal with William Randolph Hearst, Henry Luce, or 'Colonel' Robt. McCormick as their boss would give these snowflowers strokes.
doctrev said, "It's a cynical sentiment, but it hasn't been true for at least a decade."
Unfortunately I think it won't truly be true until the grantifa demo is worm food. The MSM still has them by the short and flabbies, and they represent a sizeable and militant - if ever diminishing - demographic steadfastly screwing every attempt to unscrew what they've done to this country.
I can't wait till they're pushing up daisies. That's flower-power!
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