The Media Is On The Edge Of A Murrow Moment

[applegrove]

The Media Is On The Edge Of A Murrow Moment

by Ryan Grim at the Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/media-murrow-moment_us_57584647e4b0ced23ca69e16

"SNIP............


Over the past week or so, today’s media seems to be having a bit of its own Murrow moment, directly confronting presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and his high-level supporters with charges of racism. Whether Trump meets the same fate as McCarthy remains to be seen, but the worm, at last, appears to be turning. (Watch the video above by HuffPost’s JM Rieger to get a sense of it.)

Strangely, or perhaps not, Trump’s connection to McCarthy is more than metaphorical. (Indeed, the head of the Edward R. Murrow Center said Murrow would skewer Trump were he around today.) Lawyer Roy Cohn, McCarthy’s hatchet man, went on to become a close adviser to none other than Trump himself.

In the closing remarks to Murrow’s pivotal newscast, one can hear loud echoes today.

“This is no time for men who oppose Sen. McCarthy’s methods to keep silent,” Murrow said, breaking the sound barrier of objectivity. “There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. ... We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom wherever it continues to exist in the world. But we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. The actions of the junior senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius was right, ‘The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’ Good night, and good luck.”



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[spanone]

1. i have no faith in our for-profit news system

[yurbud]

2. there's a big difference: it takes no particular courage to take down Trump

McCarthy had the silent backing of the establishment as his efforts dramatically helped demonizing our World War II ally, the Soviets.

For the most part, Trump serves Trump. The Republican establishment has been at least ambivalent about him from the start, and he doesn't have the power to retaliate that McCarthy did or that Baby Bush did (and did use) as sitting president.

They kiss Trump's ass for their own reasons or on their boss's orders. Absent any pressure from their employers, it will take no particular courage to do their jobs and pop his bubble.

[mopinko]

3. they made a fortune building him up, now they will make

a fortune tearing him down.