Jon Stewart has spent the last few months just like the rest of us: walking around unable to contain outbursts in the face of the absolute farce happening in our government right now. Unlike the rest of us, he still has access to a platform to turn those ravings into something useful through Stephen Colbert’s Late Show.
Stewart spent years critiquing the news media on The Daily Show, and even he’s not happy that they’re under attack from the White House, but his message basically boils down to Michelle Obama’s “when they go low, we go high” wisdom. Attacks on the first amendment and the free press deserve acknowledgment, but if the media is really going to protect our democracy, protecting itself from Donald Trump’s insults can’t be the main priority.
Much like Donald Trump saying “believe me” only makes him sound less genuine, the media simply saying his attacks are unfair won’t sway anyone, either. The only way to fight back is with good journalism and solid facts, rather than trying to prove who has more integrity by insistence alone. As for whether much of the news media is capable of going that route, Stewart is … understandably cynical.
(image via screengrab)
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