The evolution of the press into an adversarial—sometimes activist—institution may have played a role in the declining trust in news media reflected in polls. It’s not just the perceived liberal slant in journalism that puts some readers off. The subject matter of the beats the press now swarms that they once ignored—race, sex, class, inequality, for example—distresses some readers. They blame the messenger for their anxiety by telling pollsters they no long trust the press. It also stands to reason that the press corps’ steady defiance of authority has produced disquiet in some corners.My two quibbles with this analysis? First, the words “may have” in line two are entirely too tentative. I’d replace them with “has.”
Second, the press doesn’t defy authority, they defy Republican authority. For Obama they rolled over and waved their tiny paws in the air, trolling for a tummy tickle. And latecomer Politico is as guilty as the rest.
