cover of episode How Not to Cover the Trump Trials. Plus, the Latest Push To Defund NPR

How Not to Cover the Trump Trials. Plus, the Latest Push To Defund NPR

2024/4/26
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On the Media

AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
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A
Alicia Montgomery
B
Brooke Gladstone
D
Dahlia Lithwick
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Kelly McBride
Topics
Dahlia Lithwick认为法律无法解决所有政治问题,媒体过分关注特朗普审判的战术细节,而忽略了缺乏法律问责制对特朗普的影响。她批评美国人过分依赖司法系统来解决政治问题,认为这是一种危险的幻想。她还指出,特朗普利用法律程序作为一种策略,而不是寻求真相,他的目标是获得免费的媒体曝光。她认为,对特朗普审判的报道过分关注"马拉松式"的法律程序,而忽略了缺乏法律问责制对特朗普的真正影响。她预测最高法院会以法律问题为借口,裁决了政治问题,这与宪法修正案的初衷相悖。她认为,仅仅依靠法律程序无法阻止特朗普赢得选举,美国人对民主的参与度很低,解决美国民主问题的关键在于进行结构性民主改革。 Kelly McBride认为Berliner的论点选择性地使用了证据,以证明NPR存在偏见。她指出,NPR正确地持续关注了穆勒调查报告中的两个主要问题:俄罗斯在2016年美国大选中扮演的角色以及特朗普及其竞选团队是否参与其中。她解释了NPR最初没有报道亨特·拜登笔记本电脑的故事,是因为他们无法验证该电脑的来源。她认为NPR和其他美国媒体一样,在最初都重复了政府的说法,即新冠病毒不可能源于实验室泄漏,这是一种错误。她指出批评者认为NPR对以色列和哈马斯冲突的报道存在偏见,例如没有将哈马斯定性为恐怖组织,以及对巴勒斯坦人的苦难报道过多。她认为Berliner关于NPR员工民主党比例过高的论点存在缺陷,因为他没有考虑无党派人士的数量,并且忽略了华盛顿特区的政治环境。她指出Berliner使用了有选择性的证据来证明他的偏见论点,这与他指责NPR的做法类似。她还指出NPR的报道存在地域偏见,过多关注沿海地区、大城市和大学城,而忽略了农村和小城镇的生活。她认为NPR听众的政治认同变化可能反映了美国民众政治观点的转变,而非NPR报道的偏见。 Alicia Montgomery认为Berliner的文章引发了NPR内部的争论,但其论点并非完全站得住脚。她指出,在特朗普执政期间,NPR努力公平地报道他的新闻,并没有刻意损害他的总统职位。她认为,NPR为了生存,需要保持与不同选民群体之间的良好关系,这影响了其报道的客观性。她指出,NPR曾建议在报道特朗普撒谎的同时,也报道希拉里·克林顿撒谎,这反映了其追求平衡报道的努力,但也存在不足之处。她认为NPR在报道中避免使用强硬的措辞,例如避免将"水刑"称为"酷刑",这可能是为了维护与权力人物的关系。她认为Berliner的文章是当代新闻业最糟糕的表现,因为他选择性地使用了证据来支持他的观点。她指出,保守派批评者认为少数族裔在新闻机构中占据主导地位,并影响报道内容,但这并非事实。她认为NPR内部存在种族问题,但其解决方式不足,导致一些有色人种女性记者离开。她认为NPR对种族问题的关注往往是短暂的,之后又恢复到对种族问题的轻描淡写。她认为NPR存在过度谨慎的问题,这有时会演变成胆怯。她认为NPR一直以来都不是一个真正开放的机构,它更注重聪明而不是开放。她认为NPR的报道确实反映了美国社会的多样性。她认为NPR内部存在一种自我保护的文化,不愿意接受批评。 Brooke Gladstone 概述了本期节目的主题,包括对特朗普多个审判的报道以及对NPR的最新争议。她介绍了Dahlia Lithwick对特朗普审判报道的批评,以及Kelly McBride对Uri Berliner对NPR的批评的回应。她还介绍了Alicia Montgomery对NPR问题的看法。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The media's focus on the dramatic aspects of Trump's trials obscures the real stakes of his potential lack of accountability. Dahlia Lithwick discusses how Trump uses the legal system as a tactic rather than a search for truth, and how this benefits him politically. She argues for a shift in focus towards structural democracy reform and active participation in democratic processes.
  • Trump's legal strategy focuses on using trials for publicity rather than achieving legal outcomes.
  • The media's focus on the drama of the trials obscures the underlying political issues.
  • Structural democracy reform and active civic engagement are crucial for preserving democracy.

Shownotes Transcript

Trump is back in court for his hush money trial hearing, and his immunity case was argued at the Supreme Court. On this week’s On the Media, hear what gets lost in the blow-by-blow coverage of Trump’s legal woes. Plus, an essay from a former NPR editor has lawmakers calling to cut funding to the public radio network.

[01:10] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Dahlia Lithwick), who covers the courts for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus), about her frustration with pundits' obsession with solving political problems involving Trump with the law. 

[15:14] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Kelly McBride), NPR’s public editor, about the push to ‘defund NPR’ sparked by a former NPR editor’s essay and whether his points have any salience. 

[32:59] Brooke continues the conversation about NPR with Alicia Montgomery), vice president of audio at Slate and former editor at NPR. They explore the real problems brewing at the public radio network.

Further reading / listening:

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