She was right. Say it. Of false equivalency and Mr. Bannon's narrative.
The newspaper of record is absolving itself from responsibility for its part in helping to put Trump in the White House. The function of journalism in a free democracy is so crucial that its voice is protected by the very first amendment in the Bill of Rights. With that right comes the duty to report in the public interest. Many abrogated that duty in pursuit of revenue and ratings. It began early with the New York Time's agreement with the discredited author of the discredited screed "Clinton Cash" for rights to exclusive early access in exchange for promoting the book's "story lines". Think Progress noticed:
https://thinkprogress.org/steve-bannon-new-york-times-washington-post-clinton-cash-d59d6492546
So did the Time's readers:
https://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/an-exclusive-arrangement-on-a-clinton-book-and-many-questions/
Similarly, readers warned the NYT about the dangerous game of "what-about-herism" before the election. Readers (via the recently eliminated post of public editor) put them on notice:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/public-editor/the-truth-about-false-balance.html
And the NYT's very own Liberal Conscience warned them as well:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/05/opinion/hillary-clinton-gets-gored.html?mcubz=1
Yet the Times was still defending their discredited tactic as recently as May:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/opinion/false-equivalence-between-trump-and-clinton-yet-again.html?mcubz=1
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/06/opinion/two-presidential-candidates-stuck-in-time.html
The Washington Post seemed more aware of the danger:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/12/07/study-clinton-trump-coverage-was-a-feast-of-false-equivalency/?utm_term=.76374aea663d
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-danger-of-false-equivalence_us_57db909ae4b04fa361d99724
However, WaPo, in its very own "exclusive deal" with the discredited author of Bannon's publication, had no problem promoting the right wing Clinton Cash narrative in order to to stoke its revenue.
https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2015/05/01/after-forming-clinton-cash-exclusives-ny-times/203492
WaPo seems to finally have a clue about how badly it was played and pwned, but alas, it is too late to have any impact on the election.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/how-bannons-multimedia-machine-drove-a-movement-and-paid-him-millions/2017/04/09/203df1ce-197b-11e7-855e-4824bbb5d748_story.html?utm_term=.a2d4988733c4
The New York Times and the Washington Post need to take personal responsibility for their failed campaign coverage. And then they need to apologize frequently and publicly. We should expect nothing less. And besides, think of the revenue generating hits that would follow!
Silence = Complicity
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029307974
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029311060
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029316314
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029325259
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029330347
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029333583
