Holding The Press Accountable. One Year Later, Has Anything Changed?

Last night, I attended a sold-out forum held by The Municipal Art Society of New York, entitled “New Media, New Politics? Jane Jacobs and an Activist Press”. The evening, hosted in Soho’s Housing Works Used Book Cafe, was part of a three month program, Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York, designed to explore and honor Jane Jacob’s legacy. The speakers, all members of new media or “old,” included Norman Oder (atlanticyardsreport.com), Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush (El Diario), Gay Talese, and Jane Hamsher (firedoglake.com).

One year ago, almost to the day, I had the honor of hearing Helen Thomas (Hearst Publications), Adam Moss, (New York Magazine), Richard Stengel, (Time), Jeff Jarvis (Buzzmachine.com), and Randall Pinkston (CBS News) speak at a symposium held by the New York Society for Ethical Culture (NYSEC). The topic was “Ethics & Journalism: Can We Trust the Media?”

Both events were exciting and informative. Both panels were obviously top-notch. I could disagree with little from either event. Although the premise of each of the discussions was seemingly different, they were actually closely related. But there’s one issue that’s been gnawing at me: What, exactly, one year later, has changed?

The framers of our Constitution were very careful and very specific in creating the office of the president to ensure no branch of the government had more power than any other. And to ensure our system of checks and balances remained accurate and transparent, they, essentially, appointed the press as watchdog over all three branches. On September 12, 2001, the press abdicated their “office,” and silently began taking their cues from the White House.

Last year, at the NYSEC symposium, Helen Thomas called the state of journalism “terrible.” In what is perhaps one of my favorite quotes of all time, Ms. Thomas said, “Truth took a holiday during this administration,” and added that “reporters let this country down.” She also called the search for truth “the holy grail.” Later, she continued, stating, “The press rolled over and played dead. It was so clear from the moment Bush stepped into the White House, we were going to war.” Last night, Mr. Talese proclaimed, “This is an era of lazy journalism.” Ms. Hamsher added, “It’s not going to get any better, and it’s pretty bad.” So, has anything changed? No.

Last night, Ms. Hamsher, whose blog has a daily reach of 80,000, decried the lack of skepticism among today’s main stream media. Last year, Ms. Thomas bemoaned the “lack of outrage” she sees in the press. Mr. Talese complained there is too much leaking by the government, directly to news outlets, and said, point -blank, “Don’t trust any newspaper.” Last year, Mr. Moss stated, “We’re timid and nowhere nearly aggressive enough.” He continued, “The government has gotten extremely good at preventing journalists from doing their jobs.” Mr. Talese, last night, said, “Not believing government should be a cardinal rule of journalism.” So, has anything changed? No.

Mr. Jarvis talked about “the tyranny of the majority against the minority.” Mr. Vourvoulias-Bush talked about the need to hold traditional media accountable for addressing minority stories. So, has anything changed? No.

In the press’ defense, can we say that this administration, especially when Alberto Gonzales headed the Department of Justice, has rabidly gone after the fourth estate? Yes. More so than even under John Ashcroft? Yes. But the press has ignored far too many important stories, even the one I wrote about this past Sunday:

Last month, on September 11th, no-less, during a visit to the Pentagon by six British Members of Parliament, Debra Cagan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Coalition and Multinational Operations to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and a close advisor to president Bush, said to the group of visitors, “I hate all Iranians.”

We’re still being held hostage by an administration that, as if by wizardry, has managed to defeat the congressional majority at almost every turn. We’re still being held hostage by a congress that is more concerned with making strategic political statements and wasting time with non-binding resolutions. A congress that refuses to act when the iron is hot – just look at last week’s veto of the SCHIP bill. Congress is “playing politics” by waiting two weeks before they vote to override the veto. We’re still being held hostage by a Supreme Court that is more contentious, conservative and divided, than any other in generations – seven of the nine were appointed by Republican presidents. And we’re still being held hostage by a networked, increasingly consolidated media that, like the Democrats, is too afraid and too beholden to the president and to Wall Street to have any significant effect on a runaway government, or even a memory of the term “investigative journalism.”

As Gay Talese said last night, “We were outsiders back then. But after Woodward and Bernstein, fame has corrupted journalism.” So, one year later, has anything changed?

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Visit:
The Municipal Art Society of New York
The New York Society for Ethical Culture
Housing Works Used Book Cafe

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I welcome your comments, or, feel free to email me.

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