Read on Twitter
Currently watching the @TowCenter discussion on conservative news. They interviewed many conservative journalists to understand how they see their work, and this is the report.
https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/conservative-news-work-ethnography.php
thread.
https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/conservative-news-work-ethnography.php
thread.
Here are the questions they wanted to answer from talking to journalists at conservative news outlets.
2/
2/
Although conservative journalists all see a mainstream vs. conservative media dynamic, they all have a lot of respect for traditional journalistic norms, and existing institutions.
(thanks @lydialaurenson for the screencaps)
3/
(thanks @lydialaurenson for the screencaps)
3/
These journalists perceive substantial ideological diversity within conservative media. They also understand the polarizing effect of feelings about Trump, even among conservatives.
4/
4/
They found a "tension" among conservative journos. Almost everyone they spoke to espoused support for traditional journalistic objectives. On the other hand, they all perceive hostility from mainstream media, and feel a duty be a "counterweight" or to present "their side."
5/
5/
Some conservative journalists didn't want to talk to these researchers at all, because they didn't trust academics generally.
6/
6/
"There's this on the left idea of something called 'false balance' which means we need to cut out voices which we find illegitimate. ... I am shocked there is a voice in @CJR explicitly telling journalists to cut out a side." ~ @GPIngersoll
For example,
7/
For example,
7/
"In the debate about whether gun shops are essential businesses, all we did is include the voices of large part of the population who feel guns are a constitutional right." ~ @GPIngersoll
8/
8/
"I'd like to think that we write a story that reads no differently than Reuters, except that we re-arrange the facts, prioritizing different facts. The skepticism is... bringing out the details that were not highlighted elsewhere." ~ @GPIngersoll
9/
9/
Now @amber_athey is saying conservative outlets wouldn't exist if mainstream news orgs covered the issues that mattered to people outside of NY and DC.
10/
10/
"We choose stories that maybe the rest of the media wouldn't touch because maybe it's not interesting to their readers or their own biases cause them to overlook that story." ~ @amber_athey
11/
11/
Ideas of "selection" and "correction" have been embedded in cons media since 1940s, when there were voices who were skeptical of the war, and others who said we were not anti-communist enough. Cons media has always been defined by relationship to msm, says @pastpunditry
12/
12/
"Many observers of conservative media don't understand that this journalism is in conversation with mainstream journalism" ~ @pastpunditry
13/
13/
But does cons journalism change when GOP is in power, vs Obama 10 years ago?
Makes it little easier to get questions answered by the white house, says @amber_athey. But WH is actually quite careful to avoid perception of favoriting cons media; they still leak to NY Times.
14/
Makes it little easier to get questions answered by the white house, says @amber_athey. But WH is actually quite careful to avoid perception of favoriting cons media; they still leak to NY Times.
14/
There is often pressure to be more pragmatic when GOP are in office, says @pastpundit. So when Nixon, Reagan was in office, the New Republic was a little less punchy because they did support the WH goals. But cons origins are oppositional, an adversarial identity.
15/
15/
