Claire JamesonMay 22, 2023
Dan Gillmor

It seems more and more clear that the Republican extremists in control of the House don't want to prevent default on the debt they helped to create.

They WANT a default. They want the economy to crash, and then take total control of Washington (and beyond) next year.

They need help from Big Journalism to do this. And they're getting it, as the political press treats this extortion/sabotage as just another horse race story with two roughly equivalent sides.

May 22, 2023 at 5:25pmWeb
Show threadDan GillmorMay 23, 2023
What kind of "journalism" are we seeing? A beyond-wretched both-sides treatment in the New York Times this weekend is a classic, and I mean that in the least flattering way. Here's Jonathan Chait's well-deserved evisceration of how bad the Times' willfully incompetent Washington bureau can be: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/05/debt-ceiling-congress-blame-republicans-democrats-default-new-york-times.html
Show threadGregory HaysMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor "Even as highly opinionated left-leaning reporting overtakes other forms of news and analysis" in what fucking universe?
Show threadComrade Lion-OMay 23, 2023
@aristofontes @dangillmor Yes, indeed. It was a great article overall, but his dismissal of the "both sides cliché" was ridiculous. It's not true, but it somehow regularly predicts NYT coverage with remarkable accuracy.
Show threadKeith IveyMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor Wow, if even Jonathan Chait thinks the both-sides reporting is out of control, it must be truly extreme.
Show threadTed DunningMay 23, 2023

To be fair, you have to look at both sides of the issue of whether or not both-sides-ism is bad.

Some people seem to feel that it is a useful form of journalism. You can't reasonably dismiss that opinion out of hand.

(s)

@kcivey @dangillmor

Show threadHudsonMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor #mmt #learnmmt
Show thread[empty]May 23, 2023
@dangillmor Great article!
Show threadJohn BreenMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor Even Captain Kangaroo made fun of the NYT. It was formative in my life, back in the day.
"All the news that's fit to print. And fresh fish daily".
The message was "read it, or wrap dead (but fresh) fish in it" - you get your money's worth, either way.
Show threadJeremy KahnMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor honestly better than I'd expect from JC, who's usually the one doing the both-sidesing in the first place
Show threadUncle 6 🌁May 23, 2023
@dangillmor @briankrebs there is no kinder way of putting this: the NYT ain’t shit
Show threadBodhipaksaMay 23, 2023

@dangillmor There was another stunning example of both-sidesing from the NYT in their newsletter, which I wrote about yesterday. The topic there was the Supreme Court.

https://mastodon.scot/@bodhipaksa/110412854979670156

Bodhipaksa (@[email protected])

The NYT's newsletter today is insane. "Democrats are denouncing the court in ways that would have been shocking not so long ago." The real problem with the Supreme Court, you see, is not that it's corrupt or has been packed with MAGA justices who have no respect for precedent, but that liberals criticize those things. The NYT is claiming that liberals are being too harsh, not squaring that with the fact that 75% of Americans no longer trust the court. https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/template/oakv2?productCode=NN&abVariantId=0&te=1&nl=the-morning&emc=edit_nn_20230522&uri=nyt://newsletter/ef0d8330-d19f-578f-a86a-692b32c242e6

mastodon.scot
Show threadRichardMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor This is a great description of why this coverage was bad, but his ridiculous straw man opening bit was a mini "both sides" attack of his own.
Show threadantipode77May 23, 2023
@dangillmor
Show threadGATEKEEPERMay 24, 2023
@dangillmor
We think politics is bad. Journalism is at the worst its ever been. It's slanted ,overly political and out right beholden to the papers owners or board.
Show threadWarner CrockerMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor Bingo.
Show threadkrakalak  May 22, 2023
@dangillmor And let's not forget that the far right extremists have McCarthy on a string.
Show threadBrooke BinkowskiMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor @krakalak He's a far right extremist.
Show threadFogBelterMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor maybe that’s because the oligarchs who own the media will benefit from what the extremists in the House are attempting to do, and are aiding them? Really no reason to trust anything at face value now.
Show threadFan of Shared Truth & EmpathyMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor It’s plainly obvious - to both sides - though only one admits that reality exists. Nothing will stop the collapse of Democracy because Capitalism demands fascism to support suicidal exponential growth of profits for the wealthy at the expense of whole societies and a planetary biosphere as sacrifice for its needs.
Show threadideaPDishMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor
Big journalism…. Hrrm..
what’s the difference between Journalism and news?
Is it similar to replacing Doctors with less well trained RNs?
Show threadluckysitsinbackMay 22, 2023

@dangillmor

young kids ALWAYS love make-believe ... especially when the guns are just toys ... until the cops come ...

please, just treat all these intentional extremists like destructive disruptive children and make them all cower.

Show threadShoq 🌿May 22, 2023

@dangillmor GMTA. I’m just sick of the tacit complicity. And they all feel blameless, even as the evidence is all around them that they are not.

https://twitter.com/Shoq/status/1660667204440846338

Shoq on Twitter

“@jayrosen_nyu @kylepope @CJR Maybe I'm just weary of it all, but it feels like some are covering how they cover the horseraces like it was just another horserace. I think you've framed it perfectly. It's not about the odds, nor even who wins or loses. It's about the stakes.”

Twitter
Show threadStanley Black-DeckerMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor They've said as much: these are not good faith negotiations
Show threadAlex WildMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor True, but given that there are a couple dozen Republicans in swing districts whose political fortunes could come crashing down with a default, I expect we'll see enough quiet last-minute defections to forestall a disaster.
Show threadJiSeMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor There is a reason why their friends have bought most media outlets...
Show threadKevin RussellMay 22, 2023

@dangillmor

A Full Throated Speech President Biden Calling Republican Hostage Taking Of Economy A Continuation of Jan6th Insurrection, a Continuation of Voter Supression, An ATTACK on America.

Invoke the 14th and begin investigations.

Show threadMxhradMay 22, 2023

@dangillmor

Yeah, they will blame any consequences on Biden and the media will both sides it and more than half of idiot America will think Biden screwed them over.

Show threadjustsusanholdingonMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor I completely agree, hope that White House administration finds away around and just does what we need to do. #PayTheDamnBills #GOPRant #DoBetter
Show threadOld Man MikeMay 22, 2023
@dangillmor Big journalism loves it because Trump is better for car crash TV and clicks, they’ve sold out the nation for ratings.
Show threadBronMason For Kamala 2024May 22, 2023

@dangillmor

How dare you call what the media are doing “Journalism” — it’s a dire insult to the few journalists left!!!

#mediafail #media

Show threadCentury1956May 23, 2023
@dangillmor They want a recession and crash on Biden's watch. It traditionally wins the election for the other side. Yes at great cost to Americans.
Show threadBecovichMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor
Totally agree.....Fascism seems 2 B their aim
Show threadArtBearMay 23, 2023
@dangillmor
Extremist wreckers backed by tax dodging super rich looters see chaos & destruction as an opportunity to steal power & taxes/assets/wealth.

See #Brexit #Trump #GOP #Conservatives for symptoms of the same disease, a failure of media & politics to resist traitors in rightwing clothing. #USPol #UKPol #Politics
Show threadDavid MankinsMay 23, 2023

@dangillmor @jamiemccarthy

Imagine yourself bitter about the damage the 2008 financial crisis did to your community.

Then think about how the threat of US default is talked about in terms of its effect on the financial markets.

That might make it actually sound attractive, in a "Jump, you fuckers!" sort of way.