Trump and the Press

A sure sign that a campaign is failing is when the candidate blames the press for his problems.   The latest example is Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.   

Trump took to Twitter Sunday to attack the press for his sinking campaign.  "It is not 'freedom of the press' when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false," Trump wrote.  In the words of Khizr Khan, directed at Trump during last month's Democratic Convention, "Have you even read the Constitution?"   Apparently he hasn’t.    

The U.S. Constitution is clear: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  The First Amendment was adopted in 1791 by the Founding Fathers to protect the rights of individuals to express themselves through publication without interference from the government.  

This is a founding principle of the United States, and it has withstood many challenges since its enactment more than 200 years ago.  Trump's assault on the Constitution is just another in his tirades against the press.  "I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met," he told a press conference last May.  

Trump has regularly called the press "slime," "scum," "dishonest," "sleazy," and the "worst human beings" at his campaign rallies.  His supporters greeted his attacks with boos and hisses directed at the members of the press assigned to his events.  NBC News correspondent Katy Tur has covered Trump since the beginning of his campaign.  In an article this month in Marie Claire, Tur recounted how Trump singled her out harshly at a rally last December.  "It's unlikely, however, that any of Trump's future attacks will be as scary as what happened in Mount Pleasant (South Carolina), where the crowd, feeding off Trump, seemed to turn on me like a large animal, angry and unchained," she wrote.  "It wasn't until hours later, when the Secret Service took the extraordinary step of walking me to my car, that the incident sank in." 

Trump is the candidate of fear and anger.  He has sought to divide the country into winners, those who support him, and losers--all those who are against him.  He has insulted war heroes, the disabled, Muslims, Mexicans and women.  Rather than offering specific solutions he relies on schoolyard taunts to describe his opponents, like "crooked Hillary Clinton," "lying Ted Cruz," "little Marco Rubio," and "low-energy Jeb Bush."   His campaign has been chaotic and disorganized.  And now he is sinking in the in the polls, and many key Republicans are abandoning ship.  

Trump is desperate to reboot his campaign, but he has not changed his tune.  Instead, he continues to attack the press.  "If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%," he wrote on Twitter Sunday.   Constitutional law expert Floyd Abrams told CNN Monday, "The very notion that the press can't say what it wants, or what it thinks is right about a candidate for president, is at war with the First Amendment."

Trump is at war with more than the First Amendment.  He is the man who masqueraded as publicist John Miller to brag about himself to reporters earlier is his career.  The thin-skinned Trump is at war with his advisors over his campaign tactics.  

It should come as no surprise that as Trump is losing ground in the arena of public opinion he blames the messenger.   Maybe it's time to bring John Miller back?  

The Angry Republican Campaign

Republican presidential candidates are beginning 2016 with a full head of steam in what could be the most critical period for the party in decades.  While Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz currently are leading in the national polls of likely Republican voters, it is hard to predict the final outcome of next month's primaries and caucuses. 

For political junkies, the Republican race has so far been surprising and unpredictable.  Real estate mogul Donald Trump has dominated media coverage and the polls since he announced his candidacy last June.  From the very beginning he has exploited voter anger with caustic and abrasive rhetoric.  Over the weekend he told a cheering Biloxi, Mississippi, audience, “People are so tired of the incompetence. They’re so tired of stupidity.”  Trump has pledged to deport those who are in this country illegally, to build a wall along the Mexican border, and to temporarily stop Muslims from entering this country.

Meanwhile, Senator Cruz has played on voter anger to appeal to populist right voters with wild rhetoric like, "We will utterly destroy ISIS. We will carpet bomb them into oblivion. I don't know if sand can glow in the dark, but we're going to find out."  In Iowa, where he appears to be leading, he has targeted conservative Christians with lines like, "If the body of Christ rises up as one and votes our values, we can turn this country around." 

Voter anger is especially pronounced among Republicans.  A NBC News/Survey Monkey/Esquire on line poll shows that 61% of Republicans "say that current events say that current events irk them more than a year ago." Only 41% of Democrats feel the same way.  

As the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary approaches the large field of Republican candidates has begun attacking each other.  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, campaigning in New Hampshire, railed against his opponents in remarks his staff released in advance Monday. “Bluster is not the leadership we crave.  Talking a big game and either not showing up or not knowing how isn’t what we desperately need today.”  Christie's speech was directed at Trump.   “Anger alone is not a solution...America needs leaders who not only identify our problems, but who have the ability to repair our broken system. That’s what this election is all about."  

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, whose disappointing campaign has so far failed to gain traction, attacked Trump in New Hampshire Monday.  "The job is not described in the Constitution as 'entertainer in chief,' or 'commentator in chief,' or even, frankly, 'economist in chief.' It is described as Commander in Chief," he said.  The self-righteous Rubio also observed, "We have Republican candidates who propose that rulers like Assad and Putin should be partners of the United States, and who have voted with Barack Obama and Harry Reid rather than with our men and women in uniform."

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, once thought to be the front-runner, has struggled for support despite being well financed.  He has proven to be a weak candidate, and he is burdened by his brother's legacy, former President George W. Bush.  Even his attack lines sound desperate and feeble. "Just one other thing -- I gotta get this off my chest -- Donald Trump is a jerk," he said at a town hall meeting last month in New Hampshire.  In a Florida town hall meeting in late December he said Trump gets his foreign policy advice from television, "He wakes up in his pajamas and watches the TV shows on Saturday and Sunday."

The Republican campaign has deteriorated into a schoolhouse brawl.  Candidates resort to personal attacks rather than to offering specific and detailed solutions to America's underlying problems.  This is not a campaign of new and exciting ideas; rather it is a misguided crusade that offers voters little hope for those tired of politics as usual.

No wonder so many Republicans are angry.   

Brian Williams and NBC News

NBC Newsman Brian Williams announced in a note to news staffers Saturday that he is taking time off from the program.  "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions. As Managing Editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days,"  Williams wrote.   He concluded, "Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us."

Williams' announcement came one day after NBC News executives confirmed they are conducting an internal investigation into false claims made by Williams that he has since corrected.   Williams admitted on his broadcast Wednesday night that, “I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago...I want to apologize.” 

For more than a decade, Williams has repeatedly said, that while on assignment in Iraq in 2003, he was aboard a helicopter that was hit by enemy fire and forced down.  In March 2013, he told David Letterman,  “We were going to drop some bridge portions across the Euphrates so the third infantry could cross on them. Two of our four helicopters were hit by ground fire including the one I was in. RPG and AK-47's."

Stars and Stripes, which broke the story, reported that Williams and his crew were actually aboard a helicopter "that was about an hour behind the three helicopters that came under fire."  It quoted the helicopter's flight engineer, "No, we never came under direct enemy fire to the aircraft."

But now NBC News and Williams are coming under direct fire.  Meanwhile, new allegations of fabrications by Williams have surfaced, which NBC News is now investigating.  This crisis presents management with a nightmare dilemma.

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams is currently the number one rated network evening newscast in households, and in the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen.  But ABC's World News Tonight is close behind and positioned to move ahead should NBC falter. The New York Post quotes figures from Kantar Media that show Nightly News made about $200 million in annual ad revenue in 2013, $30 million more than ABC's World News.  NBC News executives are carefully watching the ratings to see how the audience responds to the controversy.  A ratings reduction could cost the division millions of dollars and lead to layoffs. 

While working as a reporter for the CBS local New York affiliate earlier in his career, Williams aspired to be Walter Cronkite, once America's "most trusted" newsman.  In 1993, Williams joined NBC News, and he became anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News in December 2004.  He replaced the legendary and beloved Tom Brokaw as the face of NBC News.  Since his ascendancy, he has been a popular broadcaster and an award winning journalist.  NBC News has vigorously promoted Williams as the leading news personality.  So replacing him would be difficult.

Brokaw, in an email to the Huffington Post, denied a New York Post report he wanted Williams fired.  "I have neither demanded nor suggested Brian be fired," Brokaw wrote. "His future is up to Brian and NBC News executives."  In a memo to staffers Friday, NBC News president Deborah Turness said, "We're working on what the next best steps are--and when we have something to communicate we will of course share it with you."  Neither statement expressed support for Williams.

The mistakes Williams has admitted to, and apologized for, have cast a dark cloud over everyone at NBC News.  The news organization is filled with dedicated, hardworking and accomplished producers, reporters and technicians.  This controversy has been devastating, disruptive and discouraging for everyone at NBC News, which has already had its share of struggles over the past few years.

While some critics have called for Williams to be fired, he still has many supporters, including within the organization.  NBC News won't make a decision on his future until it has completed its investigation.  If Williams continues to anchor Nightly News, he owes his viewers and his colleagues a better explanation than he has offered thus far. 

Nonetheless, NBC News should be transparent with the findings of its internal investigation, and publicly release all of the facts it uncovers.  Not to do so would severely undermine its credibility and cast doubts on its commitment to the highest standards of journalism.

Keith Olbermann Suspension

The fact that Keith Olbermann is a progressive liberal Democrat should come as no surprise to American news viewers. Nonetheless, NBC News policy, which also applies to MSNBC, clearly says that donating money to any candidate is a violation, as, "these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Olbermann's political contributions reflect badly on all of NBC News. Therefore, his suspension without pay is necessary. It sends an important message to the public, as well as to the entire NBC News organization that they must adhere strictly to the organization's news standards. It also underscores that Olbermann’s violations were the act of one man and not representative of NBC News, NBC Nightly News or the Today Show.

It is paramount that each news organization avoids even the appearance of a conflict of interest when reporting the news. If a story presentation is unfair, without all sides of the argument, or takes a political point of view, viewers may no longer trust the news organization. A news division's credibility is its bond with the audience.

Most major news organizations have a book of "standards and practices" that is distributed to each employee. It is more of a bible than a handbook. It covers conflict of interest, staging, production standards, use of anonymous sources or third party material, investigative reporting and other important questions. Most organizations require that their employees read the book, and many, like NBC News, hold regular seminars to maintain awareness.

However, in an era of dueling 24–hour news channels, objectivity is often tested and frequently blurred. Opinions and political punditry have become a primary source of content for cable news channels. It is less expensive than covering news stories around the world, and it attracts viewers who are heavy news consumers.

Is there any question where Fox News comes from politically? The daily denunciations of President Barack Obama and Democrats are on overdrive. For Fox News two sides of the story may be “he’s incompetent” versus “he’s totally incompetent.” Not to mention that Fox News’ parent company, the Rupert Murdoch led News Corp, donated millions to Republicans this last election.

But MSNBC has found success appealing to progressive and Democratic viewers. Its anchors frequently go into temper tantrums over Republican tactics and Tea Party candidates. At times it gets downright mean, with regular vicious personal attacks on people like former President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. “Idiot,” “clown” and “fool” are adjectives that are frequently heard during “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.” Of course, the word “civility” seldom appears in news standards books.

Most “news” organizations work hard to be fair and preserve balance in their reporting. Yet truth is often in the eye of the beholder. And even the most respected news organizations will come under attack for bias, especially if a candidate or cause can gain favor with his or her base. “The lame-stream media” is one of Sara Palin’s favorite talking points. And Delaware GOP candidate Christine O’Donnell blames the media for her downfall. These are volatile times.

As for Olbermann, he has worked for news organizations most of his professional career. He knows the rules. He knows campaign contributions are disclosed. One can only conclude that his political donations were a selfish and arrogant act. Perhaps during his self-inflicted "time out" Olbermann should reflect on the words of James Thurber, "We all have faults, and mine is being wicked."

Ones and Zeros

The television station business is terrible and, given today’s uncertain economy, the future is ominous.

For decades local stations were cash cows providing owners with huge profit margins. News operations represent the biggest budget item at most stations in large part because of the growth of local news programming in most markets in the 80's and 90's. Not so anymore. The television audience has been dispersing over an array of alternative choices. One result is that local sales revenues have been declining and, for some time now, stations have been aggressively cutting costs. All the least painful and disruptive cuts were made long ago. Stations must find a new way to do business.

News production is labor and capital intensive, and even amortizing costs over additional news programs is problematic in the current sales environment. Stations have already been through several rounds of cost cuts. The result, putting aside the star personalities, graphics and a few special features, is that local newscasts are pretty much similar.

The Fox and NBC owned local station groups have announced they are beginning a local news service that will make it possible to share video and reduce costs. The service will officially start in Philadelphia early next year at WTXF (Fox) and WCAU (CBS), where these stations have been conducting a "proof of concept" since last summer. Subsequently the service will roll out to major cities where each network has an English language television station. The video will also be available to other local media organizations in each market.

John Wallace, president of NBC Local Media and an industry innovator, said, “By pooling resources to provide video coverage of general market events, we can ensure our stations are covering the news of the day, and at the same time, focus our efforts on the type of specialized reporting that defines our brands and differentiates our stations within their communities.” So some of the cost savings from newsgathering will be reinvested in enterprise stories, franchise pieces and special series that are unique. But headcount, capital and facility expenses will be reduced.

When I was a senior executive at CBS News twenty years ago, before the Berlin Wall had fallen, Tiananmen Square and the Internet boom, I met with one of my counterparts at a competitor who proffered this proposal: “let’s share news content.” He said, “News is a commodity, we are each spending too much money and it all looks the same.” He even provided a scenario, “You cover the front door of the Kremlin and we will cover the back door, that way we each don’t have to have two crews there.”

At the time The CBS Evening News was number one in the national ratings. This was no accident. We were very competitive in the field, fighting for every exclusive story, interview or picture. CBS News also offered an abundance of outstanding original reporting from its powerful team of correspondents. CBS News produced success.

Back then, complicated operational and anti-trust problems helped nix the proposal. More importantly, such a move would have sapped our competitive edge and distinctiveness, it would have discouraged original reporting, it would have accelerated homogeneity among the evening newscasts, it would have discouraged our journalists, it would have been disruptive and it would have resulted in a dramatic reduction of our resources.

Now, two decades later, a technological explosion has altered media landscape into hundreds of channels, satellites, Internet sites and mobile phone service providers. Get any content, anywhere, anytime. Content is acquired and repackaged from multiple sources, including embedded content, "user" supplied video and EPK's. Correspondents are more likely to be “packagers” who don’t even have to leave the studio. More and more they rely on the same news wires for information. But packaging is not original reporting. Loudly offering an opinion is not experienced analysis. Wikipedia and Google searches do not replace thorough research.

Original reporting, including investigative pieces, quality story telling and thoughtful analysis, helps a news organization build a bond with its audience on each of its platforms. It is how a responsible news organization serves the public. It is how our Democracy thrives and remains strong particularly in a crisis such as 9/11 or the collapsing economy.

These elements are at the heart of journalism and make up the identity and character of a news organization. Without them, to paraphrase the great Edward R. Murrow, it is nothing but ones and zeros in a box.

Tim Russert

I was CBS News Washington bureau chief in 1988 when Tim Russert was appointed to the same position at NBC News. Soon I was promoted by CBS News and assigned to New York. I actually met Tim at a Sally Quinn/Ben Bradlee party in their Georgetown mansion. She said she was celebrating my promotion to New York and Tim's move to Washington. I offered to help Tim out when appropriate, considering I was at another network. I remember that twinkle in his eyes; his passion and enthusiasm for Washington and politics. His whole being lit up. He was in heaven.

A year or so later, I remember hearing Tim would take over as anchor of Meet The Press. Some in the industry were critical of the appointment by then NBC News President Michael Gartner, after all Tim had never anchored before. But Gartner had experienced first hand Tim's passion and enthusiasm, and recognized his great intelligence and work ethic.

Tim willed Meet The Press to become the most prominent and important venue for serious national dialog. He out booked, out thought, out analyzed, out prepared, out promoted and out hustled the competition. And he had great fun doing it! In Virgil's words, "fortune rewards the bold."

Tim was a wonderful husband, father and friend to all. He was a man of great faith and integrity. Tim never forgot where he came from and he lived every second of his life with boundless passion and enthusiasm.

Edward R. Murrow was an historic and transcendent figure in broadcast journalism. Fifty years later, Tim Russert is also such an historic and transcendent figure for journalism. Murrow inspired me to enter my profession, Tim inspired me to excel each and every day.

Now he is in heaven, but I have no doubt that his legacy will have an enduring impact well into the 21st century.


PS: As a practicing Catholic, I lit a candle in Tim's memory at mass this past Sunday. But at some point I couldn't help but think about what impact Tim could have in heaven. I imagined he could fill in from time to time for St. Peter? Think about that!