NYU’s Jay Rosen: The Media Need to Stop Treating Republicans Like a Legitimate Party

RUSH TRANSCRIPT The American ░░░░░░░░ media knows how to ░░░░░░░░ two parties who are ░░░░░░░░ equal fighting for power ░░░░░░░░ when one property propagates ░░░░░░░░ perpetuates ignorance and calls ░░░░░░░░ question basic facts and ░░░░░░░░ what is the press ░░░░░░░░ to do with that ░░░░░░░░ the GOP goes further ░░░░░░░░ the path that President ░░░░░░░░ blazed and continues to ░░░░░░░░ the seeds of conspiracy ░░░░░░░░ do news outlets change ░░░░░░░░ norms and practices while ░░░░░░░░ true to the mandates ░░░░░░░░ the job which is ░░░░░░░░ get to the truth ░░░░░░░░ talked about that with ░░░░░░░░ Rosen the New York ░░░░░░░░ journalism professor and author ░░░░░░░░ the pressthink blog And ░░░░░░░░ had a lot of ░░░░░░░░ Jay thank you so ░░░░░░░░ for joining me Pleasure ░░░░░░░░ be with you Brian ░░░░░░░░ I ask the questions ░░░░░░░░ but I was hoping ░░░░░░░░ could present us with ░░░░░░░░ question If you could ░░░░░░░░ the table with a ░░░░░░░░ about the press and ░░░░░░░░ role in covering politics ░░░░░░░░ now What would the ░░░░░░░░ be you would want ░░░░░░░░ present Well the way ░░░░░░░░ press traditionally covers politics ░░░░░░░░ by presuming the existence ░░░░░░░░ two political parties who ░░░░░░░░ each other but different ░░░░░░░░ What happens when you ░░░░░░░░ two parties that increasingly ░░░░░░░░ t very manible each ░░░░░░░░ and one of them ░░░░░░░░ going off in a ░░░░░░░░ democratic direction I think ░░░░░░░░ lot of the routines ░░░░░░░░ assumptions of political journalism ░░░░░░░░ collapse at that point ░░░░░░░░ you have two rakiticly ░░░░░░░░ parties and that to ░░░░░░░░ is probably the biggest ░░░░░░░░ as well as practical ░░░░░░░░ in political journalism today ░░░░░░░░ s not beat around ░░░░░░░░ bush You re talking ░░░░░░░░ Republican extremism former president ░░░░░░░░ lies potential of him ░░░░░░░░ for office again that ░░░░░░░░ really at the heart ░░░░░░░░ the matter We ve ░░░░░░░░ to call it what ░░░░░░░░ is Yes And the ░░░░░░░░ of common sense by ░░░░░░░░ like Trump and others ░░░░░░░░ so much of good ░░░░░░░░ is based on the ░░░░░░░░ that a world of ░░░░░░░░ fact exists where at ░░░░░░░░ present moment we have ░░░░░░░░ political party political movement ░░░░░░░░ to erase that from ░░░░░░░░ politics And that is ░░░░░░░░ the playbook of political ░░░░░░░░ has no chapter for ░░░░░░░░ let s write it ░░░░░░░░ should that new chapter ░░░░░░░░ to say Well I ░░░░░░░░ the first thing is ░░░░░░░░ organizations have to come ░░░░░░░░ and say we are ░░░░░░░░ democracy pro truth pro ░░░░░░░░ pro evidence pro voting ░░░░░░░░ they have to figure ░░░░░░░░ for each of those ░░░░░░░░ pros what practices are ░░░░░░░░ going to retire because ░░░░░░░░ don t meet that ░░░░░░░░ and what are we ░░░░░░░░ to start to do ░░░░░░░░ that we didn t ░░░░░░░░ before I think there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of work ░░░░░░░░ be done of course ░░░░░░░░ those two lists Then ░░░░░░░░ think you have to ░░░░░░░░ public with these changes ░░░░░░░░ explain what you re ░░░░░░░░ Dial down the insider ░░░░░░░░ horse race coverage at ░░░░░░░░ same time Find a ░░░░░░░░ to keep bad actors ░░░░░░░░ the air even while ░░░░░░░░ report on what they ░░░░░░░░ be doing in the ░░░░░░░░ sphere that s important ░░░░░░░░ maybe people to know ░░░░░░░░ close the gap through ░░░░░░░░ with some sort of ░░░░░░░░ citizens approach which I ░░░░░░░░ about before you start ░░░░░░░░ election coverage with not ░░░░░░░░ the candidates are doing ░░░░░░░░ who the likely winner ░░░░░░░░ but a simple question ░░░░░░░░ do you want the ░░░░░░░░ to be talking about ░░░░░░░░ they compete for votes ░░░░░░░░ the reason why you ░░░░░░░░ to understand that first ░░░░░░░░ you need some sort ░░░░░░░░ agenda that can combat ░░░░░░░░ disinformation or propaganda agenda ░░░░░░░░ having a very good ░░░░░░░░ on what voters want ░░░░░░░░ campaign to be about ░░░░░░░░ using that priority list ░░░░░░░░ order your coverage and ░░░░░░░░ what you re doing ░░░░░░░░ your news production would ░░░░░░░░ really important Final thing ░░░░░░░░ would recommend is some ░░░░░░░░ of urgency index by ░░░░░░░░ I mean we have ░░░░░░░░ know how far away ░░░░░░░░ the disaster of a ░░░░░░░░ democracy are we Are ░░░░░░░░ making progress towards that ░░░░░░░░ Or are things getting ░░░░░░░░ better We need some ░░░░░░░░ of locating where we ░░░░░░░░ in political space as ░░░░░░░░ s called democratic backsliding ░░░░░░░░ And here it might ░░░░░░░░ smart for journalists to ░░░░░░░░ on the wisdom and ░░░░░░░░ of political scientists who ░░░░░░░░ studied the collapse of ░░░░░░░░ and the erosion of ░░░░░░░░ in different context so ░░░░░░░░ can know how far ░░░░░░░░ are we in the ░░░░░░░░ of American democracy I ░░░░░░░░ that s an important ░░░░░░░░ too You put all ░░░░░░░░ those things together and ░░░░░░░░ s not exactly a ░░░░░░░░ of instructions for reform ░░░░░░░░ it puts you on ░░░░░░░░ right road Gives newsrooms ░░░░░░░░ to stay on that ░░░░░░░░ Yes So it s ░░░░░░░░ matter of changing some ░░░░░░░░ and then thinking about ░░░░░░░░ practices But what does ░░░░░░░░ mean to have journalism ░░░░░░░░ pro democracy It means ░░░░░░░░ re constantly on the ░░░░░░░░ for the unbuilding of ░░░░░░░░ through changes in practice ░░░░░░░░ politics It means that ░░░░░░░░ call out bad actors ░░░░░░░░ are trying to undermine ░░░░░░░░ It means you no ░░░░░░░░ equate the two political ░░░░░░░░ If one is emerging ░░░░░░░░ an anti democratic force ░░░░░░░░ the other is playing ░░░░░░░░ the rules of the ░░░░░░░░ you have to differentiate ░░░░░░░░ that But I m ░░░░░░░░ that people of goodwill ░░░░░░░░ journalism can figure this ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ are as helpless as ░░░░░░░░ sometimes present themselves when ░░░░░░░░ kinds of changes are ░░░░░░░░ It s up to ░░░░░░░░ to figure out what ░░░░░░░░ more pro democracy coverage ░░░░░░░░ look like But I ░░░░░░░░ confident they can do ░░░░░░░░ if they take it ░░░░░░░░ What s the difference ░░░░░░░░ pro democracy coverage and ░░░░░░░░ more liberally biased journalism ░░░░░░░░ think there s a ░░░░░░░░ between the protecting the ░░░░░░░░ by which we have ░░░░░░░░ and fair elections and ░░░░░░░░ for a candidate within ░░░░░░░░ system And essentially you ░░░░░░░░ to keep making that ░░░░░░░░ again and again You ░░░░░░░░ on this program a ░░░░░░░░ years ago that Trump ░░░░░░░░ set up an authoritarian ░░░░░░░░ system which is a ░░░░░░░░ that always lived in ░░░░░░░░ head ever since You ░░░░░░░░ referring to the foxes ░░░░░░░░ the world as these ░░░░░░░░ Trump megaphones that are ░░░░░░░░ What I meant more ░░░░░░░░ Brian was there s ░░░░░░░░ percentage of Americans now ░░░░░░░░ don t know exactly ░░░░░░░░ large it is and ░░░░░░░░ think it s probably ░░░░░░░░ 20 who get their ░░░░░░░░ about Trump and the ░░░░░░░░ Party from Trump and ░░░░░░░░ Republican Party And they ░░░░░░░░ reject what the mainstream ░░░░░░░░ media is saying because ░░░░░░░░ ve been sort of ░░░░░░░░ or conditioned to do ░░░░░░░░ and because they don ░░░░░░░░ believe it And that ░░░░░░░░ what I meant by ░░░░░░░░ news system is that ░░░░░░░░ the country known as ░░░░░░░░ strongest free press in ░░░░░░░░ world you have people ░░░░░░░░ are getting their information ░░░░░░░░ Trump from Trump That ░░░░░░░░ an authoritarian news system ░░░░░░░░ does any of what ░░░░░░░░ talk about matter Does ░░░░░░░░ matter what ABC CNN ░░░░░░░░ New York Times the ░░░░░░░░ Post do if we ░░░░░░░░ our practices and democracies ░░░░░░░░ any of it matter ░░░░░░░░ there s a new ░░░░░░░░ system standing side by ░░░░░░░░ It doesn t matter ░░░░░░░░ you can close the ░░░░░░░░ with voters somehow Maybe ░░░░░░░░ 20 isn t reachable ░░░░░░░░ the moment at all ░░░░░░░░ there are others who ░░░░░░░░ For the journalists listening ░░░░░░░░ now your question or ░░░░░░░░ challenge to them is ░░░░░░░░ Don t ask me ░░░░░░░░ to do What are ░░░░░░░░ going to do Jay ░░░░░░░░ thanks so much.