In the past, the WH press secretary was supposedly in the know and could speak for POTUS. And the WH secretary took questions. He usually tried to speak ambiguously and to say as little as he could, but that was par for the course.
Nowadays, POTUS tweets for himself. His remarks are there, are public, and are archived. What can his spokespeople add to that, besides getting the story contradicted, convoluted or softened? Thus adding to the ambiguity and chaos and dimishing Trumps accountability?
I think it is a good start to air Spicers comments only in a fact checked way. But even better would be to cut out the middle man alltogether.
It would make more sense to report on what FOX News says, then on what Spicer or Conway say.
The corporate media has their own individual and collective egos to beat the competition. Ad revenue and ratings take precedence over objective and accurate reporting. Plus, individual reporters don’t want to lose their personal perks hobnobbing with the newsmakers.
I maintain that all the crap coming out of the white house is a sideshow designed to distract the media, and us, from what the congress is doing to the country.
By all means, expose the lies coming out of the executive branch, but grow a pair and start reporting on the asshattery coming down off the hill!
What are we missing with respect to what’s congress up to? I don’t recall a time when the three branches of gov’t have been more open to public scrutiny. We’ve actually heard arguments presented to the 9th circuit court via live stream in prime time. That’s got to be the first time that’s happened, no?
Agreed. Every administration needs to be held accountable for its statements. This administration is lying like a rug and needs to be called on it. Granted, I don’t think that’s helping with the contingent of rubes who got Trump elected in the first place. Trump could issue a proclamation that shit tastes like pumpkin pie and I’m pretty sure a non-trivial fraction of his base would start trading recipes. But it still matters that the media stands up to Conway and Spicer.
Still, media outlets should change their tactics so as not to allow the liars to continue manipulating them. It looks like they’re slowly doing this, but I wish they’d do it more decisively. Sadly, I think the media is getting played like a fiddle at the moment, and I’m not confident they’ll change course in time.
Bolding mine. That’s part of the problem. The Trump Administration, just as the Trump Campaign before it, is riddling us with scandals, conflicts of interest, lies, and other drama. It makes it hard to concentrate on any single thing. The frightening thing is that they might get away with it.
They seek ratings because ratings equal dollars from their sponsors. Spicer and Conway are interesting spokespeople. Some tune in to hear their gospel and others enjoy listening to the King and Queen of Bullshit while many of us mutter WTF?