As far as I’m concerned, the mainstream media has gone from covering the presidential campaign to driving it.
Whether you think Joe should stay or go (and things may have changed by the time you read this), we’ve got to be discriminating in the news and commentary we consume or go crazy.
(Shoutout to all the media caught flat-footed by Trump’s win in 2016.)
Historian and national treasure Heather Cox Richardson says one thing we can do is amplify the voices that are telling the truth.
So, here’s my contribution to the cause, an incomplete, highly idiosyncratic list of whom I’m following these days. (Note: I don’t have cable so I’m omitting Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell and all their MSNBC colleagues.)
In no particular order:
Of course, Heather Cox Richardson.
George Lakoff and Gil Duran of FrameLab, who examine political language through the lens of framing.
The Lincoln Project: Yes – they helped us get where we are today but they know Trump, they know the Republicans and they’re street fighters.
Margaret Sullivan, Guardian columnist, formerly with the Washington Post and the New York Times, who holds the media to account for their dismal performance. You can follow her on Substack.
American University Professor Allan Lichtman, who developed 13 “keys” to predict the outcome of presidential elections. He’s been right on every election since 1984 (and Gore did win the popular vote in 2000). He has a youtube channel and a google search will bring up his many media appearances.
Simon Rosenberg, a Democratic strategist and big-picture guy for whom the glass is always half full, in a realistic way.
The brilliant messaging expert Anat Shenker-Osorio.
Mark Jacob, Stop the Presses: Jacob, former editor at the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, covers how right-wing extremism has exploited the weaknesses in American journalism and what we can do about it.
So, who do you follow? I’d love if you’d send me your favorites. I’ll be happy to share them next month.
As always, thanks for reading!
