2024-10-26 16:13:00
The US journalistic world exploded this Friday when it became known that the Washington Post would not support any presidential candidate for the first time since the 1980s. Media endorsement of a candidate, known as approval in English is a common practice in the United States. The decision not to publish it came with the editorial already ready in support of Democrat Kamala Harris. It was the owner of the historic newspaper – and second richest man in the world – Jeff Bezos, who blocked its publication by claiming that the newspaper will not support any candidate either now or in the future. Since then, criticism of the decision has multiplied: both in the editorial office and from legends such as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who uncovered the Watergate scandal, one of the largest investigations in the history of journalism. One of the first to react harshly to Bezos’ decision was Martin Baron (Tampa, Florida, 70 years old), director of Send during the first Trump administration and when Bezos took control of the newspaper.
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During the conversation with EL PAÍS, on Friday morning, the decision to The Washington Post, but Barone, retired since leaving the leadership in January 2021, has already underlined that the announcement of Los Angeles Times Not supporting any candidate was a sign of journalism’s weakness in the face of the possibility that the former president will return to the White House after the November 5 elections. Once the video call is over, he sends his opinion on the decision of the newspaper he directs via email.
Ask. What do you think? The Washington Post won’t you support any of the candidates?
Answer. It is cowardice, a moment of darkness of which democracy is the victim. Donald Trump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate its owner, Jeff Bezos, and other media owners. A disturbing cowardice in an institution famous for its courage.
P. Eight years after Trump’s first victory and facing a possible new victory, do you think journalism in the United States is going through a positive or negative moment?
R. There is evidence of weakness, of fear in some sectors of the press, and others that indicate that the media have done a good job: they have investigated Trump’s team, the way he wants to implement his proposals. There are few voters who do not know the personality, character or plans of the two candidates. Everything has been said. It’s surprising, because there are a lot of critics who say we haven’t done our job well enough. However, most of what we know is due to the fact that it was published, in particular, in two media: The Washington Post Yes The New York Times. His successes must be recognized, although there are many critics, especially on the left, who would blame the mainstream press if Trump were to win.
The problem is that we can’t agree on how to find the facts, because all the elements we use have been devalued: education, experience, knowledge and, above all, evidence. It’s not just a problem of the press, but of society. How will we progress as a society if we cannot agree on how to determine a fact? Only 8% of adults in the United States consider it The New York Times as one of your main sources of information; 3% in the case of The Washington Post. Less than 10% of readers of Times They are considered conservative. The truth is that Trump followers do not get their information through these media. They do it through Fox News, above all, and through the Truth Social or Twitter networks. [actualmente X]. The owner of Twitter [Elon Musk] He supported Trump, giving him $45 million a month and promoting his campaign every day, almost all day. It represents the main distributor of fake news all over the world. He always spreads baseless conspiracy theories.
P. How do you think Elon Musk influenced this campaign?
R. I think it had a great impact, it was effective for Trump. He has 200 million followers on Twitter, all users receive his posts. There is no other human being who can convey his opinion to so many people. Not only has he made a big impact, but if he wins the election he will play a pretty important role in the Trump administration.
Martin Baron signs one of his books in Los Angeles on October 11, 2023. Francine Orr (Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag)
P. What difference do you see between the coverage of this election and previous ones?
R. When Trump ran for president in 2015, he was a candidate unlike any we had seen before. We were not used to someone who constantly criticized the press, who threatened to indict his perceived political enemies and, above all, someone who constantly lied, deceiving the people. At that time we were reluctant to speak so frankly, because we were not used to it. I think everything has changed, because it is clear that Trump continues to lie, he knows that he is not telling the truth and that he says some things to gain political advantage. Trump is trying to create an environment in which voters cannot distinguish between truth and lies, and he will continue to try to undermine the credibility of the press if he returns to the White House.
P. What didn’t the media know how to do then?
R. It’s a complicated topic. Media approval ratings had plummeted before Trump’s arrival in politics. And it accelerated during his administration, largely because of his incessant criticism of the press. There are many people who think that he is their voice, that the elites have not done enough for them, that they have not paid attention to their problems, to their expectations. They are worried about the high rate of inflation, which affects everyone, or about high fuel prices; There are also many people who think that the United States is spending too much money on the war in Ukraine. They think Trump understands their lives better. And, as in other countries, there is an alarming decline in support for democracy in the United States. And yes, I think we also need to do self-criticism. We made the mistake, before Trump ran for president, of not understanding the country’s political environment well enough. We did not understand the concerns of many of the American people. We didn’t understand that they had so much resentment and resentment towards traditional media. We do not foresee a candidate like Donald Trump. I think we need to think deeply about this failure. We have an obligation to cover all people and understand their struggles. Even in some corners of the mainstream media there is too much activism on the part of journalists, and it is important to avoid disparaging or condescending towards people.
P. In the face of what seems like constant negative coverage of Trump for his behavior, how do you plan to avoid a false balance with Harris and being unfairly negative towards her?
R. Voters have the right to know the policies of the two candidates, to know their history. No candidate should run for president without waiting for an analysis, an investigation into his performance. All politicians must be held accountable. Sebastian Junger, the journalist who wrote The perfect storm He said a true journalist must sacrifice his opinions for the facts. We have an obligation to bring the facts to light, regardless of the candidate and our political preferences. We must maintain our independence and be true to the core values of our profession. We must not be allies of a party, but of the truth, of the facts. And we have an obligation, of course, to contextualize them. It is up to the people to decide on the future of the country. The press has no control over the future of the country. We have an obligation to provide the public with the information they need and deserve to know. However, there is a big difference between the two candidates. There is a candidate who believes in the democratic system and another who has drawn autocratic political lines; there is no doubt that he is an aspiring autocrat. Admire the dictators of other countries, such as Orbán, Erdogan, Putin.
P. How close could the United States come to losing democracy if Trump were to regain the presidency?
R. The danger is great because we have to think about what Trump has already done. He incited an insurrectionary mob on January 6, 2021. They stormed the Capitol, a symbol of democracy in the United States, to overturn the election results. And what did Trump do? Nothing, except to incite his followers. A new presidency could undermine American democracy.
P. How do you regain trust in journalism with leaders who don’t want to know anything about the facts?
R. It’s a problem that won’t go away in the short term. We must cover all people honestly, impartially and independently. We should never have contempt for anyone, nor condescension. Regardless of their political positions. We need a policy of radical transparency in our work. That is, when we refer to a court document, we should make it public so that he can see that we do not take it out of context. The same with a video, with an audio or with the data source. We need to show readers that they have the right and opportunity to verify our work. We need to show, not just tell.
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