In the latest chapter of CNN stoking hatred against Republicans and further dividing Americans, Sunday’s so-called “Reliable Sources” featured host Brian Stelter chatting it up with Yale Professor Timothy Snyder about what the mission of the liberal media should be as we approached the next presidential election. According to Snyder, and with Stelter’s agreement, the “assignment” was to suggest the GOP was preparing to seize power by “undemocratic” means and they needed to “prepare” the public to “prevent” it.
Hmm, sounds violent.
As they were nearing the end of the interview, Stelter prefaced how Snyder was fearmongering about the fall of American democracy in 2024 and wondered: “What do the folks in the reality-based media do in the weeks? What’s your advice of the press corps?”
Snyder’s “advice” was to “to drop the ‘fair and balanced’ about the one party and the other party. Who cares about the parties? Right?” As Stelter giggled along like a schoolgirl, Snyder elaborated. “The parties aren’t really the story. The story is whether we have a Democracy or not. And the behavior of the parties is the actual story,” he said.
CNN’s @brianstelter: How should the “reality-based media” like CNN cover Republicans?
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 26, 2021
Yale Prof. Timothy Snyder: "My advice for the press corps is to drop the 'fair and balanced'” approach pic.twitter.com/QAzI9soONg
As Stelter gave Snyder an affirmative “mmm,” Snyder commended his host and CNN for their diligent work in tearing down America so far:
I think the main thing he have to do – and you guys have done a lot in this direction – is to drop the pretense of American exceptionalism, drop the idea that democracy is just out there like the air we breathe, and make democracy the story itself.
“We had minimal excuse to be surprised by 2016. We had no excuse to be surprised by the coup attempt in 2020,” Snyder declared overselling the Capitol Riot. “And if we’re not prepared for an attempt for people to take power undemocratically in 2024, then we are just at this point pathetically naïve.”
Or, dangerously paranoid and attempting to whip up delusional leftists into a frenzy.
According to Snyder, the mission of the press corps was to get the public ready for the GOP’s supposedly inevitable takeover of the country. “Preparing for that, and getting the facts out so that people can prepare for that and prevent it is, you know, what colleagues and journalism should be doing,” he proclaimed.
Prepare for what exactly? Prevent it how? These were important questions with possibly dangerous implications and answers but Stelter just sat there and didn’t ask him to clarify. In fact, he seemed to agree, saying: “Yeah. That is the assignment.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Reliable Sources
September 26, 2021
11:09 a.m. Eastern(…)
BRIAN STELTER: [Inaudible] he lays out – one of these, you know, exactly what you’re describing. How it could all happen in 2024. It is quite unnerving and you say there are some cowards out there who don’t want to talk about it. What do the folks in the reality-based media do in the weeks? What’s your advice of the press corps?
TIMOTHY SNYDER (Yale professor): I mean, my advice for the press corps is to drop the “fair and balanced” about the one party and the other party. Who cares about the parties? Right?
STELTER: [Giggles]
SNYDER: The parties aren’t really the story. The story is whether we have a Democracy or not. And the behavior of the parties is the actual story.
STELTER: Mmm.
SNYDER: I mean, I think the main thing he have to do – and you guys have done a lot in this direction – is to drop the pretense of American exceptionalism, drop the idea that democracy is just out there like the air we breathe, and make democracy the story itself.
We had minimal excuse to be surprised by 2016. We had no excuse to be surprised by the coup attempt in 2020. And if we’re not prepared for an attempt for people to take power undemocratically in 2024, then we are just at this point pathetically naïve. Preparing for that, and getting the facts out so that people can prepare for that and prevent it is, you know, what colleagues and journalism should be doing.
STELTER: Yeah. That is the assignment.
Timothy Snyder, thank you very much for being here.
SNYDER: My pleasure.
