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Today's Top News
'Political Reporting' Means 'Royal Court Gossip'
No event in recent memory has stimulated the excitment and interest of Washington political reporters like the release of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's new book, Game Change, and that reaction tells you all you need to know about our press corps. By all accounts (including a long, miserable excerpt they released), the book is filled with the type of petty, catty, gossipy, trashy sniping that is the staple of sleazy tabloids and reality TV shows, and it has been assembled through anonymous gossip, accountability-free attributions, and contrived melodramatic dialogue masquerading as "reporting." And yet -- or, really, therefore -- Washington's journalist class is poring over, studying, and analyzing its contents as though it is the Dead Sea Scrolls, lavishing praise on its authors as though they committed some profound act of journalism, and displaying a level of genuine fascination and giddiness that stands in stark contrast to the boredom and above-it-all indifference they project in those rare instances when forced to talk about anything that actually matters.
This reaction has nicely illuminated what our press corps is. The book is little more than royal court gossip, churned out by the leading practitioner of painfully sycophantic, Drudge-mimicking cattiness: Time's Mark Halperin. And all of the courtiers, courtesans, court spokespeople (i.e., "journalists") and hangers-on who populate our decadent little Versailles on the Potomac can barely contain their glee over the opportunity to revel in this self-absorbed sleaze. Virtually every "political news" TV show is hyping it. D.C. reporters are boasting that they obtained early previews and are excitedly touting how intensively they're studying its pages in order to identify the most crucial revelations. Just try to contemplate how things would be if even a fraction of this media energy and interest level were devoted to scrutinizing the non-trivial things political leaders do.
Revealingly, one of the sections receiving the most attention is the microscopic examination of the sexual proclivities of John Edwards, his marital conflicts with his wife, and their various personality flaws. That reaction is predictable and, obviously, predicted, which is why the lengthy excerpt they released focuses on those matters. Notably, the Edwards scandal was relentlessly pursued and first "broken" by The National Enquirer, and I defy anyone to read the book excerpt on Edwards (to the extent you can even get through it) and identify any differences between the book's tone, content and "reporting" methods and those found in the Enquirer. Meanwhile, Matt Drudge -- crowned by Halperin and the co-author for his prior book, Politico Editor-in-Chief John Harris, as The Ruler of The World of Political Journalists -- has been (in return) screamingly promoting the book non-stop for days, as has Drudge's cloned, adopted child, Politico.
This is the most revealing aspect of this episode. The National Enquirer, Matt Drudge and Politico aren't aberrational extremes in our press corps. As Halperin and Harris correctly noted in calling Washington journalism "The Freak Show," they are at its epicenter, leading the way. The reason there is such a complete merger of interest among low-life tabloids, Matt Drudge, reality shows and the Washington political press corps is precisely because they are indeed indistinguishable -- merged. Even for people who thought that John Edwards' sexual activities were relevant when he was running for President or vying for a high administration position, at this point he is a completely destroyed, discredited non-entity with no political future, and mucking around in the life of him and his wife is pure sleazy voyeurism. Subjecting the Edwards to this sort of vicious, judgmental scrutiny is a cost-free activity, which is why so many are so eager to engage in it.
The real value of a book like this lies in the opportunity it presents for Washington's elite class to distract themselves and everyone else from the oozing corruption, destruction, decaying and pillaging going on -- that these same Washington denizens have long enabled. With some important exceptions, that is the primary purpose of establishment journalism generally. Even better, the book lets our media and political elite -- and then the public generally -- feel good about themselves by morally condemning the trashy exploits of Rielle Hunter and the egoistic hypocrisies of the irrelevant John and Elizabeth Edwards. As The Nation's Chris Hayes so perfectly put it: "Just when you think the news cycle can't get any stupider, Mark Halperin publishes a book." All imperial courts -- especially collapsing ones -- love to occupy themselves with insular, snotty trivialities. As this book and the excitement it has produced demonstrates, providing that distraction is exactly what our press corps most loves to do and what it does best. The media sleazebags who turned Bill Clinton's penile spots, cigars and semen stains into headline news for two straight years haven't gone anywhere; they're actually stronger and more dominant than ever.
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27 Comments so far
Show All'Natch.
Just another roadside attraction along the road to terminal sycophancy, stupidity, and collapse.
As the days pass, Glenn Greenwald and Chris Hedges seem to find more and more common ground in their reporting and in their commentary!
Last week, on counterpunch, Paul Craig Roberts quoted both men, and agreed with both men.
I no longer watch the mass media news programs -- I find no substance in them, and except for one evening per week, and even that one evening is "iffy", I don't watch Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow.
"The real value of a book like this lies in the opportunity it presents for Washington's elite class to distract themselves and everyone else from the oozing corruption, destruction, decaying and pillaging going on -- that these same Washington denizens have long enabled." -- Glenn Greenwald
I agree with Mr. Greenwald's conclusion.
Kay Johnson, I agree on the overall worthlessness of what passes for "news" in the MSM. I don't know what "iffy" evening of decent news is on your TV viewing schedule, but 8:30-10:00 pm every Friday night (in Eastern time zone) is my evening and not even "iffy" as it contains segments of NOW and Bill Moyers Journal, and I nearly always come away more informed than I was before I viewed these shows.
And we'll soon lose Moyers. What will we do then?
Gary
Gary: It will be a very sad day! I have watched Bill Moyers for years, and I depend on him for my own sanity!
Each morning, Monday through Friday, I watch Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! on Manhattan Neighborhood Network.
On Friday evenings, I watch David Brancaccio and NOW, followed by Bill Moyers Journal.
That's it -- otherwise, I'm reading Chris Hedges, Glenn Greenwald, Nomi Prins, etc., whenever possible.
It's amazing to me - and perhaps it shouldn't be - that some of my most intelligent and highly-educated friends still get off on some of this trash, while never wanting to hear about the truth of the death and destruction wrought by our government and military around the world. The propaganda circus truly has woven it's feces-laced fingers throughout the system and grabbed ahold of some of the "best and brightest". Disgusting.
"Versailles on the Potomac." Love it! Gonna have to use that one myself.
Kudos again, Glenn.
"It's amazing to me - and perhaps it shouldn't be - that some of my most intelligent and highly-educated friends still get off on some of this trash."
This accounts for the success of the Huffington Post.
It's amazing to me that in not one of the glowing accounts of this trash-talk tome any member of the Big Media bothered to point out that Mark Halperin has in the past praised Karl Rove to the point of embarrassing the reader, and that they are, by some accounts, close friends. This has led to, from what I've heard so far, Halperin and his co-author sparing the skewer on Republicans and solely targeting Democrats. This obvious bias has also not been commented on by the various BM reviewers hashing over the cheesy gossip and naughty bits with adolescent glee. Whatever he wants to call himself, Halperin has never been an objective journalist by any stretch of the imagination.
I read about what Bill Clinton supposedly said and some of the other 'revelations' in this book and thought 'how could Halperin and his partner-in-crime ever verify in a journalistic sense what was actually said in a private conversation between Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton?' Clinton isn't talking and Kennedy's conveniently dead, so their sources would have to be second or third hand. In my brief waste of youth in journalism three decades ago, that kind of 'reporting' would get you fired. Instead Halperin is invited on TV shows to assure the public what a great journalist he is. It would seem this particular DC bonfire of the vanities is burning brightly and arsonists like Halperin are eagerly supplying the gasoline. But how long can it last?
BTW, Mordechai, whatever you may think about The Huffington Post, Dan Froomkin is working there now and he has a story up that is far more important than anything in the Halperin cornucopia of crapola. Seems that the New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller has decided to emulate her former Times colleague Judy Miller and write misleading news stories based on anonymous sources and secret reports, even after she was reprimanded for this practice by the Times' Public Editor Clark Hoyt and an op-ed column spanked her for her terrible reporting. Read Froomkin's piece here:
"Fool Me Over and Over and Over Again"
-- Dan Froomkin, Jan. 9, 2010.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/09/fool-me-over-and-over-and_n_417311.html
The book is a bathroom book.
I just leafed through the book at Barnes & Nobles and the book focuses on trivialities of this past presidential campaign and fails to address the democratic failings and corruption of the two parties or the two party system.
Who can we blame?
Blame Americans who crave gossip from the media?
Blame the media for failing at their job?
Blame the politicians who get elected by not talking nor acting on the real issues?
Blame the whole damn system?
What is to be done about it?
The window of opportunity to respond to the threats is closing and the big problem is the environment. Others in the world are realizing that the USA is awash in propaganda. These global problems require a new kind of politics and it looks like a major change in our politics will be forced on us from the outside.
In historical terms, empires fail over a period of years or decades or even centuries. When our failing empire is realized it will be too late for fixes that would be relatively easy now.
"These global problems require a new kind of politics and it looks like a major change in our politics will be forced on us from the outside."
It will not change even then. Any radical (go to the root) attempt to change things in this country will be met with a bullet in the head.
thank you mr. greenwald... for saving me the time to forage through this trash... and having the class... to link your sources... but leave the details out of the article...
as always... respectable journalism.. reporting on what's going on... even the trash... without jumping into the dumpster...
the lead-in paragraph is classic...!
"All imperial courts -- especially collapsing ones -- love to occupy themselves with insular, snotty trivialities. "
The snottier and more insular, the better. But hasn't commercial media brought us here?
"Political reporting" of the "Game Change" book sort is offensive, sleazy, and titillating for those who relish reading about the personal foibles of the rich and powerful. As Glenn aptly characterizes it, this substitute for substantive journalism simply creates a trivial, diversionary side show. My remedy is to avoid this "news source" altogether, just like I would never dream of leafing through the latest issue of National Inquirer while waiting in the cashier check out at my neighborhood grocery.
What disturbs me even more, and what I consider a deeper afront to the role of genuine journalism in contemporary American culture, is what has happened to the slicks.
Once upon a time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, and Time actually occupied a niche in the public discourse that had some social utility. Real news stories taken from current events that had been covered in the national press and on television during the previous week were sexed up with some photos and graphics, and sometimes actually expanded upon and analyzed in greater depth. The overall partisan slant of the three major newsmags was also pretty self-evident to would-be readers (Newsweek slightly to the left, Time in the broad, mushy middle, with US News & World Report targeting towards the traditional GOP base).
Last week's issue of Newsweek had the Detroit underwear bomber on its cover, and several major "news analysis" articles inside about the latest developments in the war on terror. In the run up to Obama's West Point address announcing escalation in Afghanistan, Newsweek treated us to a revisionist history issue, spinning how the United States nearly won the Vietnam War and could have won if we'd only stayed the course a while longer. Last week's Newsweek was dedicated to vomiting back Pentagon propaganda in favor of waging an endless global war on terror throughout the Muslim world, with expanding drone attacks and heightened bloodshed all a fait accompli.
If the DC beltway press corps is going to engage in courtier journalism, better they should gossip about sex rather than serve as a conduit to propagate anonymous insiders' lies about matters of life and death.
Hot tip from Newseek: if something goes bang in the night in Peoria during trial proceedings against Khalid Sheik Mohammed in New York, any such terrorist attack (whether successful or aborted) will be an Al Qaeda payback for giving KSM a day in federal criminal court. Obama and Eric Holder should have stayed the course with Bush/Cheney military tribunals, you see.
Remember, you read that cause-and-effect connection here first.
The next tragic or thwarted incident on American soil will have nothing to do with Israel, the Palestinians, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, torture, or even the latest jihadi franchise morphing up in Yemen or Somalia. No, the blowback will be entirely a response to giving that terrorist evil doeer Khalid Sheik Mohammed his day in court - at least according to Newsweek.
Do not forget. You read it here first.
Bill from Saginaw
and for those that follow CSPAN...scully;
the impresario (along with politico) of
"THE HORSE RACE" has started... Ignoring game
changing stories of all stripes, steve officiates
over the ubiquitous whos ahead, whos behind..
with much spitting and slobbering from employees of
politico ad nauseum
Apparently the mainstream corporate press corp is going to give a pulitzer to the national enquirer for reporting on Edward's affair, but they will completely ignore Matt Tabbi, and his reporting on the bailout. They are really dumb, and have dumb priorities and ignore truely important issues in favor of gossip. I don't give crap whether they go under and I don't want the government bailing them out.
It seems to me this book falls under the rubric of bread and circuses. Well, at least the circuses part.
This kind of thing will only get worse, and will only delay the day of reckoning. Neil Postman's book "Amusing Ourselves to Death" saw this coming, and like Aldous Huxley, Postman's only solution to avoid this fate was "education." Since the educational system in this country functions entirely to produce expendable/replaceable corporate cogs, it is completely expected and predictable that politics would trend in the direction of the inane.
Of much more importance is the bread part of bread and circuses. Take away the food stamps program and I'd give this country just one month before complete and total civil war. I'm really curious exactly who is going to buy the $2.5 trillion in US bonds that will be required to pay for all the entitlement programs, military budget, and off-the-top parasitic skimming of US taxpayers by Wall Street.
Don't worry - now that SPalin has been hired as a 'contributor' to FOX 'News', she will make sure 'the media' stops lying and focusing on trivial stuff and with all the rumors and the health care that will create jobs for the free economy.
You. Betch. 'A.
"...now that SPalin has been hired as a 'contributor' to FOX 'News'..."
Oh, lord! Things are actually worse than I thought!
You betcha--looks like it's President Mitt Romney.
It will be like Obama never even left.
Corruption, venality, institutional incest--they're rampant in both corporate media and the political system, as they are in finance and our rotten-ass corporate culture. "Versailles on the Potomac" is as accurate a description as it's possible to make. Greenwald has aptly and concisely revealed how worthless and debased these beltway assholes are. It's a horror what has happened to this country, and these MSM whores are more responsible than any other occupational group. They'd be right at home in the court of Louis XVI.
"The real value of a book like this lies in the opportunity it presents for Washington's elite class to distract themselves and everyone else from the oozing corruption, destruction, decaying and pillaging going on"
"the book lets our media and political elite -- and then the public generally -- feel good about themselves"
Those are the same thoughts I had after seeing the 3D movie "Avatar" last night. Whatever the director's intentions may have been, this kind of movie allows those Americans who feel some stirrings of compunction over our government's murderous pillaging of foreign countries a few hours of reprieve while they side with the oppressed natives of planet Pandora against the murderous, pillaging Earthlings. Then, when the next presidential elections roll around, they can comfortably vote for the next representative of our murderous, pillaging MIC (the Democratic or Republican version, as the case may be), confident that they are on the side of the good guys. It must be true, because that's how they feel when they're at the movies.
Well... that is one thing you could take out of Avatar. I took out a few other themes that are much more important and hopefully a few other took them out of seeing the movie as well.
1) nature > technology. What ever bombs we develop, machines we create, or weapons we employ they are nothing compared to the vastness or our planet, our galaxy, or our universe. Man may destroy itself, and the odds of that increase exponentially with each new decade, but life on Earth will go on in some form for a Billion years or so after we are gone. In the movie, it isn't the white hero that saves the day, contrary to what you hear in the media. It is the animals and life-forms of Pandora.
2) Capitalism is pure evil. In the movie, Earth is dying and it doesn't take a genius explicitly telling the movie-goer why that is. The character who portrays the corporate manager explicitly tells the scientist that it is irrelevant what is in the trees or who is living there. Why? The corporate elite he reports to in his power structure want to maximize profits. He says so. Every person in America needs to hear that. So they destroy the Earth attempting to constantly increase their profits, and then go destroy another planet.
3) You shouldn't feel good about yourself. Neither should I. We are a free people. Perhaps the free-est people on Earth, or Earth's history. As a collective we could stand up to the corporations, the gov't, and other power structures that are killing children in the Middle East and putting our planet in peril. We have choose not to do so.
I hope people took a few of those things out of seeing Avatar, instead of the themes of the White Man's burden , or that everything is going to be alright for - as Americans. It won't be unless we do something about it.
My point is that many people who share your opinions, and who think of themselves as siding with the "good guys" when they watch movies like this one, turn around and vote for politicians who represent the very things they claim to detest and oppose.
Even if the director's intention is to slap people awake politically, it seems to me that such movies actually have a politically soporific effect. They reassure viewers of their virtuousness and love of justice and distract them from contemplating the horrific consequences of the decisions they make in the voting booth.
Dare bring this indictment to the so-called media's doorstep and you'll be told that the media is simply providing its viewership with the type of material it craves.
They'll absolve themselves of all responsibility and then move on to discuss some more juicy (banal) details from the book.
it appears that most of today's journalists obtained their
degrees from the back of a matchbook cover at home study
courses. helen thomas forgot more then these bozo the
clowns will ever know about the profession if that's
even what its referred as today.