Chuck Darwin<p>Will the media learn the right lesson from the Ronna McDaniel debacle? </p><p>Sadly, <a href="https://c.im/tags/MSNBC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MSNBC</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/management" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>management</span></a> couched the decision to drop <a href="https://c.im/tags/Ronna" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Ronna</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/McDaniel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>McDaniel</span></a> in a blizzard of corporate speak. </p><p>(“No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned … It has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.”) </p><p>Funny — the journalists who spoke up said McDaniel’s departure was required to <br>🔸preserve their journalistic mission and the network’s credibility, <br>🔸not out of any need for “alignment.”</p><p>We can only hope that NBC and other news organizations take away something more than “don’t hire a MAGA mouthpiece” </p><p>A few ideas:<br>
• Create a <a href="https://c.im/tags/mission" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>mission</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/statement" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>statement</span></a> that affirms your goals are telling the <a href="https://c.im/tags/truth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>truth</span></a> and defending <a href="https://c.im/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a>, which protects the First Amendment — not fake balance.
• <a href="https://c.im/tags/Stop" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Stop</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/pretending" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>pretending</span></a> four-times-indicted former president Donald Trump and his movement are presenting <a href="https://c.im/tags/alternative" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>alternative</span></a> “<a href="https://c.im/tags/policies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>policies</span></a>” as a normal party would. They are fighting for an alternate system: authoritarianism.
• Politicians’ outright <a href="https://c.im/tags/lies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>lies</span></a> must be identified, not just labeled as their “response” or “position.”
• Instead of obsessing over <a href="https://c.im/tags/polls" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>polls</span></a>, devote extensive coverage to <a href="https://c.im/tags/analyzing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>analyzing</span></a> the Heritage Foundation’s “<a href="https://c.im/tags/Project2025" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Project2025</span></a>” and Trump’s <a href="https://c.im/tags/fascist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>fascist</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/agenda" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>agenda</span></a>. Feature <a href="https://c.im/tags/historians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>historians</span></a> and political <a href="https://c.im/tags/scientists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>scientists</span></a> during news segments (not only on panels) to put Trump’s views and statements in context.
• <a href="https://c.im/tags/Don" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Don</span></a>’t excerpt a few words from a Trump rally or speech, dub it an “argument” and <a href="https://c.im/tags/ignore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ignore</span></a> his mental short-circuits and <a href="https://c.im/tags/deteriorating" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>deteriorating</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/intellect" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>intellect</span></a>.
</p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/29/newsletter-ronna-mcdaniel-media-alsobrooks/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">washingtonpost.com/opinions/20</span><span class="invisible">24/03/29/newsletter-ronna-mcdaniel-media-alsobrooks/</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Media" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Media</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/RonnaMcDaniel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RonnaMcDaniel</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Debacle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Debacle</span></a></p>