As political journalists relentlessly refuse to notice Trump's ever-more-evident derangement and extremist plans, you can't chalk this up solely or even mostly to (willful) incompetence and corporate maneuvering.
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As political journalists relentlessly refuse to notice Trump's ever-more-evident derangement and extremist plans, you can't chalk this up solely or even mostly to (willful) incompetence and corporate maneuvering.
There is surely another motivation that needs exploration: rank cowardice.
It's understandable, if so, given the escalating threats against the media and the violence-prone Trump cult.
We need to talk about this more.
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@dangillmor 100% the calculation is pretty straightforward. Trump is pretty open about his intention of using the powers of the presidency to punish his enemies and reward his allies. Kamala will not do that, so it makes sense for them to walk on egg shells around him, lest they find themselves in a reeducation camp before the end of 2025.
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Virginia Hollowayreplied to Dan Gillmor last edited by
@dangillmor It seems so shocking that this cowardice is so universal. Doubtless reporters are vetted somewhat and those known to be likely to ask real questions are kept far away from Trump, but while there is some violence and threats of violence against reporters, there is nothing like what we see in many other countries. I can't believe reporters are simply scared. Is there no reporter or organization with stature who will stand up? Or do they think that no one will care if they do?
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Mastodon Migrationreplied to Dan Gillmor last edited by
Think you are right on the mark. Fascism expert Prof. Timothy Snyder has a very good article about how the media is brought into line by legitimate fear for their personal safety. We should not assume fear is not the operative principle behind the pro-Trump bias we see today from virtually every major media outlet.
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Mastodon Migrationreplied to Virginia Holloway last edited by
You are talking about the system that has existed. If Trump is elected that system will be radically changed. Reporters understand that prospect better than anyone and are rightly terrified by it.
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Brian Hawthornereplied to rateexportpilot last edited by
@rateexportpilot @mastodonmigration @dangillmor Thereby increasing the likelihood that they will end up in such a camp. The idea that being nice to a would-be dictator will somehow convince them not to jail you is naïve.
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Mastodon Migrationreplied to Brian Hawthorne last edited by
@bhawthorne @rateexportpilot @dangillmor
You're right. Not saying it is rational. Cowardice generally makes people behave contrary to their actual best interest.
But they are right to be afraid. Should Trump win, he will certainly go after them first. He'll want heads to put on the pikes. No amount of sycophantic service will save them.