Tom Jones at the Florida-based Poynter Institute -- touted by Johnny Dollar as a "Stelter press agent" -- has penned a deeply disturbed piece headlined "CNN ‘hewing toward the center’ is not necessarily good for our democracy: Pushing for fairness and completeness in journalism is never a bad idea. But presenting 'both sides' sometimes can be."
Jones was attempting to shame the Chicago Tribune for an editorial touting this purported CNN move to the center -- which sorely lacks evidence so far, other than dismissing a few flagrantly opinionated staffers like Stelter and John Harwood. Jones sounds like a press agent upset at Stelter's firing.
At the end of 2020, Jones handed out his "best of media" kudos, suggesting the best media show was Reliable Sources and the best book on media was Stelter's profane, gossipy anti-Fox book Hoax. Sounds like a press agent, indeed. Oh, and Jones hates every word that flows from Greg Gutfeld.
The Tribune writers mysteriously suggest that "Perhaps it’s Pollyannaish to hope that CNN can retrofit itself in a country where each political side believes the other is living in a kind of dangerous alternate reality," but somehow the "innovation" of moving ranty Don Lemon to mornings with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins signals "refreshing changes that might just help with this country’s ever-expanding habit of spinning the facts before digesting them.” No-Spin Don Lemon???
Jones angrily replied:
The editorial got this right: It is Pollyannaish to think that way. I’ll add another word to at least consider: dangerous. Pushing for fairness and completeness in journalism as well as fewer “hot takes” is never a bad idea. But that’s not the same as making sure you present both sides. Sometimes, the other side shouldn’t be given a voice, particularly if that side’s argument is based on lies or pushes harmful agendas.
Jones does not specify what is "based on lies or pushes harmful agendas," but I think we could start with "climate change skepticism" and "anti-LGBTQ" and anti-CRT and probably "photo ID requirements at the polls."
You can be mad at Trump's refusal to concede for its disrespect toward democracy, but liberals never understand how stupid it sounds to say "I favor democracy, and that's why the other side shouldn't be given a voice."
