ABC’s George Stephanopoulos traveled over to Comedy Central’s The Daily Show for an interview with Trevor Noah to promote his new docu-series on young campaign reporters. Naturally, the conversation included the current state of the industry, during which Stephanopoulos declared part of the job is “sometimes you have to risk looking partisan” by telling the truth.
Noah curiously told the former Clinton advisor that he represents old school news, “So you're in an interesting position. For a long time, America had an agreed idea of what was happening on the news, for the most part… cable news came and it then became, you know, really partisan. You could have it this way and you could have it that way and your facts could almost a la carte now.”
Given that Stephanopoulos is allegedly a straight-shooting journalist, Noah wondered how he deals with today’s politicians, “you still occupying this position where most people think of it as “okay, this the middle. This is--” But the Overton Window of middle is shifting. How do you now respond? Do you try, do you have to cater to some of these politicians?”
Stephanopoulos responded by acknowledging, “there is a risk when you're talking to certain politicians if you're willing to say what you're saying is not true, and sometimes you have to risk looking partisan by doing that.”
However, this is no excuse for neutrality, “But I think we can't bow to that threat. I mean, as long as I'm confident when I am that we're arguing about facts, undisputable facts I have no problem saying, 'You're not telling the truth.' Even if that causes somebody to say, 'You're just being a political hack.' You have to do that. That's what we have to stand up for as journalists -- right and wrong, fact, not fiction.”
Earlier in the interview, Stephanopoulos told Noah that he will not have anyone on his show who denies the results of the 2020 election. It would be easier to take these later comments more seriously if he applied that standard to all elections, not just ones Democrats won, but since he doesn’t, that is why the media look like partisan hacks.
This segment was sponsored by Kia.
Here is a transcript for the September 15 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
9/15/2022
11:25 PM ET
TREVOR NOAH: So you're in an interesting position. For a long time, America had an agreed idea of what was happening on the news, for the most part.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Supposed to, yeah.
NOAH: Right, cable news came and it then became, you know, really partisan. You could have it this way and you could have it that way and your facts could almost a la carte now. You still occupying a position—
STEPHANOPOULOS: Trying to, yes.
NOAH: Yeah, but you still occupying this position where most people think of it as “okay, this the middle. This is--” But the Overton Window of middle is shifting. How do you now respond? Do you try, do you have to cater to some of these politicians?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Here's what you don't do. I mean, I think there is a risk when you're talking to certain politicians if you're willing to say what you're saying is not true, and sometimes you have to risk looking partisan by doing that. But I think we can't bow to that threat. I mean, as long as I'm confident when I am that we're arguing about facts, undisputable facts I have no problem saying, "You're not telling the truth." Even if that causes somebody to say, "You're just being a political hack." You have to do that. That's what we have to stand up for as journalists -- right and wrong, fact, not fiction.
