‘We’re gonna do it over and over and over again.’ In honor of this weekend's White House Correspondents Association dinner, a time capsule view of the DC press.
Great article once again. I've always been puzzled by the `questions' that the WPC always seems to ask!! Rarely inquisitive nor informative.
I caught the tail end of I.F. Stone's great career. For the most part I don't believe that he paid much attention to the high end talkers whose primary job was to obfuscate and confuse and all issues. He sought ought people lower in the food chain who actually knew what was going on and were willing to talk about it. A fantastic investigative reporter!!
The press never asks important questions about the effects of the amount of immigration to the US, like...
1. What effect does admitting over a million immigrants annually--a majority low- or non-skilled laborers have on employment and wages of low- and no-skilled Americans? (For answers, see: Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-Year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth, by Roy Beck. $9 from Amazon.
2. What does admission of over a million immigrants annually have on the environmental sustainability of the United States? On greenhouse emissions? On global warming? On traffic? On housing prices? On Sprawl? On ecosystem services?
3. What effect does mass immigration have on the way Americans vote? (Trump's signature issue was immigration.)
Yeah, it would be nice if journalists looked more at the effects of policy on Americans and American life.
Yes, I read "This Town" and you're right. (I liked "Our Towns" better).
Well, yeah your not recognizing a cabinet secretary was a thing, but it wasn't as bad as when Ronald Reagan didn't recognize his own HUD Secretary, Samuel Pierce and turned to him at a US Conf of Mayors gathering, saying "Hello Mr. Mayor."
I am reminded of Russell Baker being assigned to the White House, being bored to tears, and saying all he did was sit and "listen to older reporters breathe."
Given the reference to 1972, that brings to mind The Boys on the Bus, and really, has ANYTHING about those useless slugs changed?
This is brilliant Jim. There was a West Wing episode where a noted reporter comes to the WH from some dangerous assignment overseas. He gets a scoop about something potentially embarrassing said by a staffer but in the end says he’s not writing it because it’s not real news and talked about how he wasn’t there for that. It came to mind reading your piece.
Also, someone just posted something on Twitter that they had been at an event in DC and encountered a person they didn’t know was a nightly news figure. They asked what the person did and he was outraged not to have been recognized. I’d like less media stars and more solid reporters.
White House reporters are like firefighters, much of the time metaphorically lifting weights and cooking meals and polishing equipment and posing for calendar pinups, while waiting for the bell to ring so they can perform a vital public service. When there are fewer fires, ordinary folks may resent the firefighters' pay, prestige, and lifestyle, but that only lasts until the next fire.
Great article once again. I've always been puzzled by the `questions' that the WPC always seems to ask!! Rarely inquisitive nor informative.
I caught the tail end of I.F. Stone's great career. For the most part I don't believe that he paid much attention to the high end talkers whose primary job was to obfuscate and confuse and all issues. He sought ought people lower in the food chain who actually knew what was going on and were willing to talk about it. A fantastic investigative reporter!!
Like! Thanks for the great article!
The press never asks important questions about the effects of the amount of immigration to the US, like...
1. What effect does admitting over a million immigrants annually--a majority low- or non-skilled laborers have on employment and wages of low- and no-skilled Americans? (For answers, see: Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-Year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth, by Roy Beck. $9 from Amazon.
2. What does admission of over a million immigrants annually have on the environmental sustainability of the United States? On greenhouse emissions? On global warming? On traffic? On housing prices? On Sprawl? On ecosystem services?
3. What effect does mass immigration have on the way Americans vote? (Trump's signature issue was immigration.)
Yeah, it would be nice if journalists looked more at the effects of policy on Americans and American life.
Yes, I read "This Town" and you're right. (I liked "Our Towns" better).
Well, yeah your not recognizing a cabinet secretary was a thing, but it wasn't as bad as when Ronald Reagan didn't recognize his own HUD Secretary, Samuel Pierce and turned to him at a US Conf of Mayors gathering, saying "Hello Mr. Mayor."
I am reminded of Russell Baker being assigned to the White House, being bored to tears, and saying all he did was sit and "listen to older reporters breathe."
Given the reference to 1972, that brings to mind The Boys on the Bus, and really, has ANYTHING about those useless slugs changed?
A brilliant piece, Mr. Fallows. Thanks.
This is brilliant Jim. There was a West Wing episode where a noted reporter comes to the WH from some dangerous assignment overseas. He gets a scoop about something potentially embarrassing said by a staffer but in the end says he’s not writing it because it’s not real news and talked about how he wasn’t there for that. It came to mind reading your piece.
Also, someone just posted something on Twitter that they had been at an event in DC and encountered a person they didn’t know was a nightly news figure. They asked what the person did and he was outraged not to have been recognized. I’d like less media stars and more solid reporters.
Hope the media folks read this and reflect.
White House reporters are like firefighters, much of the time metaphorically lifting weights and cooking meals and polishing equipment and posing for calendar pinups, while waiting for the bell to ring so they can perform a vital public service. When there are fewer fires, ordinary folks may resent the firefighters' pay, prestige, and lifestyle, but that only lasts until the next fire.
Thank you for the historical context. It's so depressing that the "journalists" don't see the importance of their work for the public good. Sigh.
I love that title!