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President Biden, despite the risks inherent in exposing a crowded indoor event, chose to appear at a White House dinner on Saturday. Yes, some understandably wondered why he was at risk that. But Americans should be happy that he showed up. And we must hope that the journalists in the Chamber have accepted the President’s words to heart.
Of course, he had a good sense of humor. Chiding Fox News and some of its presenters, comedian Trevor Noah, revealed that Fox “vaccine segments have moved viewers … to the intensive care unit.” (The mainstream media was not left untouched. NBC’s Chuck Todd responded to a speech. “How are you? I’d ask about follow-up, but I know you don’t know what they are.”) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) the targets. Rejecting both the governor’s efforts to control classroom speech and the Republicans’ efforts to undermine voters more widely, Noah said: “First you ban math textbooks, then no one knows how to count the votes. (Disclaimer: I am an MSNBC contributor.)
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President Biden took the opportunity to bake the Republicans: “Everyone had to prove that they were fully vaccinated and reinforced. So if you’re at home watching this and wondering how to do it, just contact your favorite Fox News reporter. Everyone is here, vaccinated and reinforced. “All of them.”
But after the humorous part of his speeches, Biden had an important message: Go ahead, journalists. You can be better than you often are. Of course, he said this much more gently. “The free press is not the enemy of the people – far from it,” Biden said. “The truth matters. American Democracy is not a reality show. It’s not a reality show. That is the reality. “
On the one hand, you can hear this as a critique of Biden’s predecessor, who, as authoritarians tend to do, demonizes the media and attacks objective reality. However, one can also hear it as a call to reporters to take the threats to democracy seriously – and to give this story the necessary coverage. Biden stressed that “at home a poison passes through our democracy … with a massive increase in disinformation, where the truth is buried by lies and lies live as truth.” He added: “What is clear – and I mean it from the bottom of my heart – [is] that you, the free press, are more important than ever in the last century. “
Strangely, Biden seems to think more of the role of the media in repelling the forces of right-wing authoritarianism than many members of the press. The very common posture of “neutrality” when a political party injects this “poison” through our democracy is tantamount to capitulation to lies and incitement to conspiracy. The refusal to call Republican common lies more than “just politics” and the media’s obsession with horse racing polls, trial stories, personal photos and veiled misogyny are contributing to the silencing of our politics. Relentless hysteria and negativity worsen our collective perspective (and common sense) and reduce our sense of personal freedom of choice among voters.
Biden reminded the media that the First Amendment comes with “a very heavy duty: to seek the truth as best we can – not to inflame or entertain, but to illuminate and educate.” He acknowledged that there was “incredible pressure” on journalists to “deliver heat instead of shed light”.
Biden is genuinely attached to the media as an institution, perhaps because he understands – better than click-focused editors, conflict-obsessed producers and vicious askers looking for clear bites (not essential answers) – that when it comes to protecting democracy, they are on the same side. They both need to do a better job of calling for a Republican attack on the rule of law. And this is not a joke.
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