NEW NewsBusters Podcast: Margaret Sullivan’s Rules for Radicals

On Wednesday, Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan had a column headlined “Bad news for journalists: The public doesn’t share our values.”

A new poll from the so-called Media Insight Project is “disturbing.” The pull quote in the Style section is “Only one of five core values touted by journalists also shares support of a majority of Americans.” The list:

Oversight. We’re the watchdogs keeping an eye on government officials and other powerful people and institutions.

Transparency. We believe it’s best to put information out in the open, not keep it hidden.

Factuality. It’s crucial to provide as much accurate information as possible to get to the truth.

Spotlighting wrongdoing. We think society’s problems are best solved by exposing them to public criticism.  

Giving a voice to the voiceless. It’s our job to advocate for those lacking power or social standing. 

What happens if we pull a Saul Alinsky and hold the media accountable to their own core principles? It’s not a good look. At NewsBusters, we’re the watchdogs of the press, and we’re treated like enemies of journalism, not far from Enemies of the People.

The media love anonymous sources, which is not transparency. The Washington Post removed their whole archive from Nexis. They don’t want anyone spotlighting their wrongdoing. Let’s not even get into precisely who the “voiceless” are that they must represent and defend. 

Enjoy the podcast below. Or listen wherever you enjoy your podcasts.