I actually like Morning Joe which has regular, accurate, informative reports on the economy done by Steve Rattner and which does not hesitate to regularly excoriate Trump’s reckless, anti-democracy actions.
I particularly appreciated that Rattner’s economic reports were done regularly during the run up to the election. That made MJ one of the few media outlets which reported objectively about the accomplishments and strong economy of the Biden administration instead of burying that news in back pages while obsessing over inflation which was not under Biden’s control as the NYT. As the economist Dean Baker put it:
“Yes, the Media Lied About the Pre-Election Economy”
Let’s call CBS what it is at this point- “ Fox-lite”. Its owners will be disappointed that the people who will watch this want the full Fox version and it will lose both audiences. They purposely confuse patriotism for jingoism. On the question- in “more normal” times in the past, I would have reluctantly agreed to hold the story - but not with this regime. This regime notified (it has been reported) oil executives before Congress. If oil executives can be told ahead of time, then so can the American people. By the way, at least one person, possibly more, on Polymarket turned inside information on the invasion into a windfall. Clearly there are no ethical guidelines any more with these individuals.
If you are interested in the news, you've already picked a team. If you let the news come to you on your phone, as so many do, none of this matters as much as Trump's machinations re TikTok's ownership and the endpoints of the YouTube algorithms. A ~30 yo person I'm close to told me recently about some of the videos that "opened my eyes," and I was horrified. Just pure dreck. Not a dumb person, just not looking into the motivations and biases of their content creators.
There is so much to unpack here. I honestly feel that we are in George Orwell’s world, ala “1984.” CBS, the Washington Post, and countless other so-called “news” organizations have caved to the administration’s whims, desires, and outright threats. America is failing from within. Combine that with the administration’s and its cronies’ literal “rewriting” of history, and not only are they attempting to gaslight the populace, but they are also brainwashing future generations. The larger question is whether, after 250 years, time has run out for this “grand experiment” we call democracy. And what does that mean for the world going forward?
A saving grace is the existence of fact reporting and intelligent commentary like yours here on Substack. The real question is how long it will be before the administration completely drops pretense and brazenly throws the First Amendment out the window while telling America and the world that it's actually protecting Americans from “misinformation”?
Your definition of patriotism for journalists is outstanding and should be taught in every journalism school. Journalism is the unofficial fourth branch of American democracy -- a watchdog of and not a cheerleader for government. For those who no longer or never did serve that purpose -- CBS and Fox included -- it's time we stop calling them members of "the news media." They were designed to be or have retreated into hybrid propaganda/entertainment organizations. As to your question on Venezuela, the newspapers did the right thing. As you note, it was too close to the operation to risk revealing it. Several weeks out, yes, run the story.
While I hate the thought of protecting Trump from the accountability of his own actions, I think the papers did the right thing. Had they published, the kidnapping would have likely happened anyway, except even more people would have gotten killed. At least, that’s what would have gone through my mind had I been sitting at the editor’s desk. If I thought that by publishing we would have stopped the invasion I’d publish. But I don’t think that would’ve stopped Trump.
I hate everything Trump has done and agree with most of this article. However, if you’ve never served in the military or have family members who did, it’s easy to say the newspapers should have exposed the attack ahead of time, thus getting more American soldiers wounded and possibly killed. Please rethink! Teri Reid , Retired Army Nurse
Perhaps more US kidnappers should have been justifiably killed in the process to highlight the criminality of these actions. Trump and his minions certainly don’t care. Maybe the news of dead Americans may have juiced the public’s conscience to rise up against the brazen illegal actions from DC. The failures of the NYT and WaPo further erode trust they have lost and make the MSM no longer trustworthy.
Hard to believe the media orgs that published the pentagon papers and watergate investigation have allowed themselves to be neutered and to become irrelevant.
I understand where you are coming from, but as the daughter, wife and now grandmother of men who serve(d) this country honorably, I cannot agree that maybe more American soldiers should have died for the sake of shock value. Having also buried a son, I understand the devastation and grief that never leaves. I don't know what you think public outrage over these proposed deaths would accomplish, in light of the many atrocities we've already watched (up to an including loss of lives). It would change nothing, except the lives of the deceased soldier's families, forever.
Upon reflection, I agree with you. I shouldn’t lose site of basic humanity. My disgust with the administration should not carry over to those being used by it and who have no control.
I share your disgust and I struggle with wishing ill on humanity myself some days. Hopefully we the people will find a way to set this ship right again.
“‘My country, right or wrong,’ is a thing that no patriot would think of saying. It is like saying, ‘My mother, drunk or sober.'” — G.K. Chesterton.
Patriotism is indeed the last refuge of scoundrels.
This moment is deeply troubling with the parallels to 1938 and the popular media’s ecstasy over the easy victory and the crowing over the technological prowess of the military in defeating a weak and inferior force. The leader’s pronouncements that Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico (and Greenland) are also needed for our breathing space and security are also disturbingly reminiscent of 1939, even if the parallel is not exact.
After 30 years as a diplomat standing up for the U.S. overseas, it is soul crushing to me to realize we are the bad guys now, and the post-WWII order we created with our allies to live peacefully and prosperously is well and truly gone.
I really appreciated this article, Margaret. From Europe, we are watching with growing concern what the Trump administration is doing, and the American journalism we have long admired cannot afford to fall back into a post-9/11 moment, where patriotism and flags are used to conceal the abuses and failures of those in power.
Your work matters enormously at this point. Independent, rigorous journalism is essential not only to explain what is happening, but also to challenge and protest bad journalistic practices when they appear.
Please keep going — your voice is more important than ever.
If you want it slightly shorter, more formal, or more activist in tone, I can adjust it.
As a former journalist, I am livid about the lack of news judgement and lackluster headlines demonstrated by legacy media in particular.
Why waste the hard work of experienced, hardhitting professional journalists by soft shoeing around law breaking in the head?
I don’t care who is in power, fizzling out like a deflating ballon on fouth estate issues of holding power to account is not acceptable and never will be.
I realize I am merely reiterating your excellent take Ms. Sullivan, but I am rarely this enraged about anything.
Thank you for this critical insight, needed as ever from your posts. I read you, Krugman, Richardson and get most news from the CBC, Globe & Mail, the Guardian. Less and less often from the NY Times. I do recognize it is the hard work of real reporters there and elsewhere that is still the engine driving the information economy. More focus is needed on ownership and the oligarchy and how it acquiesces in advance.
Ann Telnaes, the cartoonist who quit WaPo in the face of heavy handed editorial obviously shielding Billionaires and Trump, is also fantastic on Substack.
I get my news (and opinion) from the NYT, WaPo, the Guardian, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, newsletters from Heather Cox Richardson, USA Today, Democracy Docket, the Contrarian, Joyce Vance and BlueSky. I check in on Facebook and have noticed that the algorythm is feeding me lots of posts from Republican office holders supporting Trump since Saturday.
I worked in journalism, print then broadcast, before going to law school. I would have held the information about the invasion until it started, since the notice came so shortly before the action. I would not want to endanger the lives of Americans. That said, I have seen insufficient reporting on Venezuelan casualties and the damage from our bombing.
The most troubling aspect for me is the complicity of the U.S. military in illegal actiivty. The bombing of purported drug traffickers is blatantly illegal. I prosecuted drug traffickers before my retirement. No drug courier would receive a death sentence in any federal court, but Hegseth's orders to kill without due process are executed apparently without question.
I live in South Texas, so I posed the following on the Facebook pages of John Cornyn, Ted Cruz and our pathetic Rep. Michael Cloud:
In addition to Trump, are we going to hold members of the military accountable for agreeing to carry out illegal orders? And if they are willing to do so, what other illegal acts will they be willing to do?
Response: crickets.
Some have posited that ultimately the military will determine the fate of our democracy.
The military determining the fate of our democracy is so antithetical to our democracy that the Founders are spinning in their graves. Yet I am beginning to have that fear. We have always been able to trust that our military will be apolitical. We are not Myanmar. However, in the hands of this administration, the military could target and vanquish the civilian population before the courts or congress could lift a finger. I don't doubt that Trump, Miller and minions would try it. I hope I'm just being paranoid.
Retired journalist here, too. Now we know why the fascists are mad (double entendre) about that video. I guess Kelly is the only one they can attack directly for now.
What I'm unclear about, and I follow the news diligently, is how the WaPo and NYT got the information about the raid and when. Was it a straight-up message from the administration or was it triggered by these papers discovering the plans and then asking for confirmation?
I think I take a different view on the embargo. This administration is so heinous that I wouldn't respect or trust anything it says or puts out. As such, I'd pull the trigger on the story as soon as I could. If that costs American lives undertaking this operation, that's the price they pay for following illegal orders. Harsh? 'Fraid so. But as much of the media with any backbone needs to realize the administration is now our enemy and it's time to play the same level of hardball as these fascists are playing.
Robert Pohl here in Buffalo recently posted that all our news outlets are now compromised and suggested going to BBC News for accuracy. Your thoughts? Also, I think illegal military moves should be reported instanter.
In response to your questions: I don’t disagree with newsrooms complying with a request to hold reporting on an impending military operation, particularly so close to the event itself. I also feel that the news media would be in a much better position if they concentrated more on reporting on what has happened, rather than what they believe will happen. While it may be true that reporting on the fact that an operation is being planned could meet that criteria, I agree with you that being so close to the actual event risks the story becoming part of the event.
I get my news and opinions about this from the NY Times, the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and several Substacks like this one, The Bulwark, “Notes from and American”, “Notes From the Middle Ground” and many others. I rely on NYT and WAPO for *reporting* the news and not their opinions. I wish I could subscribe ala carte for that reason.
I also read a lot of History and doing that helps to temper my great alarm over events like today. It wasn’t all that long ago that things what we’ve done in Venezuela were pretty normal. As a matter of fact, one way that Trump is different than even recent Presidents is that he spends very little time attempting to rationalize his actions with niceties within the guardrails. We’ve learned that we were never really protected from a President like this and that, when we get through this, we will need to address that fact.
Bravo, Margaret Sullivan. The cowardice is astounding.
“Do remember that dishonesty and cowardice always have to be paid for. Don’t imagine that for years on end you can make yourself the boot-licking propagandist of the Soviet régime, or any other régime, and then suddenly return to mental decency. Once a whore, always a whore.” - George Orwell
I am a retired journalist—forty-six years in television news. You make so much sense. I wish everyone followed you. I consume so much news I fear for my sanity, but I think it is important. I am told by too many people that they have “shut off news”—quit reading and watching—to protect themselves from all the negativity. The “off button” seems to be one of the biggest threats to democracy. Keep up the good fight!
I get my news from PBS and MS NOW, commentary from the Post, Times, and Guardian. I’m finding that the Comments section of the Post is often better than the articles.
In the WaPo I never read the articles. I go straight to the comments section. That and Carolyn Hax are the only reasons I keep my subscription. Apparently the publication loses money for Jeff Bezos, so I'm not worred about enriching him.
Shoutout to PBS News here. They’ve been really meeting the moment lately.
Yes, PBS has become my most favored news source.
Yes!
I actually like Morning Joe which has regular, accurate, informative reports on the economy done by Steve Rattner and which does not hesitate to regularly excoriate Trump’s reckless, anti-democracy actions.
I particularly appreciated that Rattner’s economic reports were done regularly during the run up to the election. That made MJ one of the few media outlets which reported objectively about the accomplishments and strong economy of the Biden administration instead of burying that news in back pages while obsessing over inflation which was not under Biden’s control as the NYT. As the economist Dean Baker put it:
“Yes, the Media Lied About the Pre-Election Economy”
https://deanbaker22.substack.com/p/yes-the-media-lied-about-the-pre?utm_source=publication-search
Morning Joe was not guilty of spreading those lies.
I saw headlines this morning that they just shut down their corporation.
Let’s call CBS what it is at this point- “ Fox-lite”. Its owners will be disappointed that the people who will watch this want the full Fox version and it will lose both audiences. They purposely confuse patriotism for jingoism. On the question- in “more normal” times in the past, I would have reluctantly agreed to hold the story - but not with this regime. This regime notified (it has been reported) oil executives before Congress. If oil executives can be told ahead of time, then so can the American people. By the way, at least one person, possibly more, on Polymarket turned inside information on the invasion into a windfall. Clearly there are no ethical guidelines any more with these individuals.
If you are interested in the news, you've already picked a team. If you let the news come to you on your phone, as so many do, none of this matters as much as Trump's machinations re TikTok's ownership and the endpoints of the YouTube algorithms. A ~30 yo person I'm close to told me recently about some of the videos that "opened my eyes," and I was horrified. Just pure dreck. Not a dumb person, just not looking into the motivations and biases of their content creators.
There is so much to unpack here. I honestly feel that we are in George Orwell’s world, ala “1984.” CBS, the Washington Post, and countless other so-called “news” organizations have caved to the administration’s whims, desires, and outright threats. America is failing from within. Combine that with the administration’s and its cronies’ literal “rewriting” of history, and not only are they attempting to gaslight the populace, but they are also brainwashing future generations. The larger question is whether, after 250 years, time has run out for this “grand experiment” we call democracy. And what does that mean for the world going forward?
A saving grace is the existence of fact reporting and intelligent commentary like yours here on Substack. The real question is how long it will be before the administration completely drops pretense and brazenly throws the First Amendment out the window while telling America and the world that it's actually protecting Americans from “misinformation”?
Your definition of patriotism for journalists is outstanding and should be taught in every journalism school. Journalism is the unofficial fourth branch of American democracy -- a watchdog of and not a cheerleader for government. For those who no longer or never did serve that purpose -- CBS and Fox included -- it's time we stop calling them members of "the news media." They were designed to be or have retreated into hybrid propaganda/entertainment organizations. As to your question on Venezuela, the newspapers did the right thing. As you note, it was too close to the operation to risk revealing it. Several weeks out, yes, run the story.
New Post slogan: "Democracy dies in broad daylight."
"Democracy Dies in Darkness" was apparently not a warning, it was a threat. A threat that the owner is helping to carry out.
While I hate the thought of protecting Trump from the accountability of his own actions, I think the papers did the right thing. Had they published, the kidnapping would have likely happened anyway, except even more people would have gotten killed. At least, that’s what would have gone through my mind had I been sitting at the editor’s desk. If I thought that by publishing we would have stopped the invasion I’d publish. But I don’t think that would’ve stopped Trump.
I hate everything Trump has done and agree with most of this article. However, if you’ve never served in the military or have family members who did, it’s easy to say the newspapers should have exposed the attack ahead of time, thus getting more American soldiers wounded and possibly killed. Please rethink! Teri Reid , Retired Army Nurse
Perhaps more US kidnappers should have been justifiably killed in the process to highlight the criminality of these actions. Trump and his minions certainly don’t care. Maybe the news of dead Americans may have juiced the public’s conscience to rise up against the brazen illegal actions from DC. The failures of the NYT and WaPo further erode trust they have lost and make the MSM no longer trustworthy.
Hard to believe the media orgs that published the pentagon papers and watergate investigation have allowed themselves to be neutered and to become irrelevant.
I understand where you are coming from, but as the daughter, wife and now grandmother of men who serve(d) this country honorably, I cannot agree that maybe more American soldiers should have died for the sake of shock value. Having also buried a son, I understand the devastation and grief that never leaves. I don't know what you think public outrage over these proposed deaths would accomplish, in light of the many atrocities we've already watched (up to an including loss of lives). It would change nothing, except the lives of the deceased soldier's families, forever.
Upon reflection, I agree with you. I shouldn’t lose site of basic humanity. My disgust with the administration should not carry over to those being used by it and who have no control.
I share your disgust and I struggle with wishing ill on humanity myself some days. Hopefully we the people will find a way to set this ship right again.
“‘My country, right or wrong,’ is a thing that no patriot would think of saying. It is like saying, ‘My mother, drunk or sober.'” — G.K. Chesterton.
Patriotism is indeed the last refuge of scoundrels.
This moment is deeply troubling with the parallels to 1938 and the popular media’s ecstasy over the easy victory and the crowing over the technological prowess of the military in defeating a weak and inferior force. The leader’s pronouncements that Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico (and Greenland) are also needed for our breathing space and security are also disturbingly reminiscent of 1939, even if the parallel is not exact.
After 30 years as a diplomat standing up for the U.S. overseas, it is soul crushing to me to realize we are the bad guys now, and the post-WWII order we created with our allies to live peacefully and prosperously is well and truly gone.
I really appreciated this article, Margaret. From Europe, we are watching with growing concern what the Trump administration is doing, and the American journalism we have long admired cannot afford to fall back into a post-9/11 moment, where patriotism and flags are used to conceal the abuses and failures of those in power.
Your work matters enormously at this point. Independent, rigorous journalism is essential not only to explain what is happening, but also to challenge and protest bad journalistic practices when they appear.
Please keep going — your voice is more important than ever.
If you want it slightly shorter, more formal, or more activist in tone, I can adjust it.
Much appreciated. Merci
As a former journalist, I am livid about the lack of news judgement and lackluster headlines demonstrated by legacy media in particular.
Why waste the hard work of experienced, hardhitting professional journalists by soft shoeing around law breaking in the head?
I don’t care who is in power, fizzling out like a deflating ballon on fouth estate issues of holding power to account is not acceptable and never will be.
I realize I am merely reiterating your excellent take Ms. Sullivan, but I am rarely this enraged about anything.
Thank you for this critical insight, needed as ever from your posts. I read you, Krugman, Richardson and get most news from the CBC, Globe & Mail, the Guardian. Less and less often from the NY Times. I do recognize it is the hard work of real reporters there and elsewhere that is still the engine driving the information economy. More focus is needed on ownership and the oligarchy and how it acquiesces in advance.
Ann Telnaes, the cartoonist who quit WaPo in the face of heavy handed editorial obviously shielding Billionaires and Trump, is also fantastic on Substack.
I get my news (and opinion) from the NYT, WaPo, the Guardian, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, newsletters from Heather Cox Richardson, USA Today, Democracy Docket, the Contrarian, Joyce Vance and BlueSky. I check in on Facebook and have noticed that the algorythm is feeding me lots of posts from Republican office holders supporting Trump since Saturday.
I worked in journalism, print then broadcast, before going to law school. I would have held the information about the invasion until it started, since the notice came so shortly before the action. I would not want to endanger the lives of Americans. That said, I have seen insufficient reporting on Venezuelan casualties and the damage from our bombing.
The most troubling aspect for me is the complicity of the U.S. military in illegal actiivty. The bombing of purported drug traffickers is blatantly illegal. I prosecuted drug traffickers before my retirement. No drug courier would receive a death sentence in any federal court, but Hegseth's orders to kill without due process are executed apparently without question.
I live in South Texas, so I posed the following on the Facebook pages of John Cornyn, Ted Cruz and our pathetic Rep. Michael Cloud:
In addition to Trump, are we going to hold members of the military accountable for agreeing to carry out illegal orders? And if they are willing to do so, what other illegal acts will they be willing to do?
Response: crickets.
Some have posited that ultimately the military will determine the fate of our democracy.
The military determining the fate of our democracy is so antithetical to our democracy that the Founders are spinning in their graves. Yet I am beginning to have that fear. We have always been able to trust that our military will be apolitical. We are not Myanmar. However, in the hands of this administration, the military could target and vanquish the civilian population before the courts or congress could lift a finger. I don't doubt that Trump, Miller and minions would try it. I hope I'm just being paranoid.
Retired journalist here, too. Now we know why the fascists are mad (double entendre) about that video. I guess Kelly is the only one they can attack directly for now.
What I'm unclear about, and I follow the news diligently, is how the WaPo and NYT got the information about the raid and when. Was it a straight-up message from the administration or was it triggered by these papers discovering the plans and then asking for confirmation?
I think I take a different view on the embargo. This administration is so heinous that I wouldn't respect or trust anything it says or puts out. As such, I'd pull the trigger on the story as soon as I could. If that costs American lives undertaking this operation, that's the price they pay for following illegal orders. Harsh? 'Fraid so. But as much of the media with any backbone needs to realize the administration is now our enemy and it's time to play the same level of hardball as these fascists are playing.
Keep the faith.
Robert Pohl here in Buffalo recently posted that all our news outlets are now compromised and suggested going to BBC News for accuracy. Your thoughts? Also, I think illegal military moves should be reported instanter.
The BBC is a good news source, absolutely.
Are you sure? I keep reading they suppress honest reportage on Gaza.
In response to your questions: I don’t disagree with newsrooms complying with a request to hold reporting on an impending military operation, particularly so close to the event itself. I also feel that the news media would be in a much better position if they concentrated more on reporting on what has happened, rather than what they believe will happen. While it may be true that reporting on the fact that an operation is being planned could meet that criteria, I agree with you that being so close to the actual event risks the story becoming part of the event.
I get my news and opinions about this from the NY Times, the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and several Substacks like this one, The Bulwark, “Notes from and American”, “Notes From the Middle Ground” and many others. I rely on NYT and WAPO for *reporting* the news and not their opinions. I wish I could subscribe ala carte for that reason.
I also read a lot of History and doing that helps to temper my great alarm over events like today. It wasn’t all that long ago that things what we’ve done in Venezuela were pretty normal. As a matter of fact, one way that Trump is different than even recent Presidents is that he spends very little time attempting to rationalize his actions with niceties within the guardrails. We’ve learned that we were never really protected from a President like this and that, when we get through this, we will need to address that fact.
Bravo, Margaret Sullivan. The cowardice is astounding.
“Do remember that dishonesty and cowardice always have to be paid for. Don’t imagine that for years on end you can make yourself the boot-licking propagandist of the Soviet régime, or any other régime, and then suddenly return to mental decency. Once a whore, always a whore.” - George Orwell
I am a retired journalist—forty-six years in television news. You make so much sense. I wish everyone followed you. I consume so much news I fear for my sanity, but I think it is important. I am told by too many people that they have “shut off news”—quit reading and watching—to protect themselves from all the negativity. The “off button” seems to be one of the biggest threats to democracy. Keep up the good fight!
I follow the news, but every once in a while, I have to ignore it. It's too overwhelming. If I didn't occasionally turn it off, I'd go insane.
You are very wise. I worry about the people who have completely tuned out.
It's understandable. The news these days is consistently devastating (at least in my view).
I get my news from PBS and MS NOW, commentary from the Post, Times, and Guardian. I’m finding that the Comments section of the Post is often better than the articles.
WaPo Commentariat was one of reasons I kept my subscription last year but given their new editorial direction, even that won’t do it.
In the WaPo I never read the articles. I go straight to the comments section. That and Carolyn Hax are the only reasons I keep my subscription. Apparently the publication loses money for Jeff Bezos, so I'm not worred about enriching him.