By Buck Sexton
Opinion Contributor
So you got a bunch of journalists these days who are saying that they are concerned because Trump supporters are being mean to them. Well, here’s a thought: Trump supporters have also had lots of people be mean to them for a really long time, including some of the very journalists that are now claiming that we need to “restore civility.”
See for a lot of us, that civility was never really there in the first place. And now that the shoe is on the other foot, it feels a bit rich to be told that you shouldn’t be mean to people just because you disagree with them on politics.
And then there’s also layered on top of all this the notion that there are some people who are just middle-of-the-road journalists, objective and non-partisan, despite the fact that they are constantly trying to undermine the president, they’re tweeting out their distaste for the president, and they’re acting as partisans even in the broadcasts they’re doing for different channels.
Now here’s the real deal: If you are from an outlet like CNN and you despise this president, you think he is destroying the country. You no longer get to play the role of ‘I’m just an objective, centrist journalist.’ You don’t get to say that just because Trump is a bad guy, you get to throw out all of the rules of objective journalism that you’ve been claiming to adhere to.
MSNBC is at least honest about what it is. We know that they are Democrat-aligned in their politics and that much of their commentary and analysis and editorial decisions are going to align with the Democratic party values. CNN, for example, still clings to this notion that it is not part of the #Resistance; they’re just bringing you the facts.
Those of us who watch, not just their Twitter accounts but also see how they’re doing broadcasts night after night understand that they’re opposed to this president. In fact, some of them seem to despise and actively work to undermine this president.
You don’t get to do that and claim to be something other than an activist. You don’t get to say you’re a journalist. And if you want people to be nice, I think the first place to start is to be honest with them.
Buck Sexton is the co-host of “Rising,” Hill.TV’s morning news show.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill.
hilltv copyright