I don't think retribution would accomplish much. A better approach

[Bluetus]

Last edited Sat Aug 30, 2025, 08:08 PM - Edit history (1)

would be to publish the canons of journalism, as expected from all outlets, regardless of where they might lie on the political spectrum, and then be very aggressive in punishing those who violate the canons.

What would the canons be? Well, we might even ask the MSM to give their input. It would be interesting what they would come up with, as so many of them seem to know nothing about journalism and the traditions of ethical reporting. But here are some things that could be included:

* No AI videos, doctored photos or comments/text taken out of context
* No accusations without multiple, credible, verified sources
* No "back door" accusations using demagogic tricks like "Some people are saying" and "I'm just asking questions"
* The network must allow fair opportunity, on air, for others to contest the facts or the lack of context presented by the network. That doesn't mean equal time, but if a network gets its facts wrong, they must allow for corrections with the same prominence as was given to the misinformation.
* No distinction between "daytime reporting and evening infotainment". All programming on any "news channel" must be subject to the same journalistic standards, and a violation by an "opinion show" on a "news channel" will result in punishment of the entire channel.

And here's a key thing: We could start that process today. Newsom could come out with a statement, something like,

This administration is bullying the media to present one-sided reporting and commentary, for fear of punishment form a childish President whose ego can't tolerate any fact-checking or push-back. Everybody should understand that politics tends to move in pendulum swings. There will be another Democratic President and administration. While Democrats will never stand for the kind of authoritarian bullying we see daily from this President, we do intend to hold the media accountable for doing their job with integrity and with the highest of journalistic principles. I call upon my fellow Democratic leaders to join me in developing a canon of journalistic ethics that we will expect when we return to power, and we will aggressively punish "news" outlets that consistently fail to uphold these standards. We are immediately beginning the process of defining that new journalistic canon that will be applied when we are in office, and we welcome input from all points across the journalistic landscape.

The point is to get that canon out in front of the public today, and to start calling out the networks that violate that canon. We need them to feel the heat for capitulating to the dictator.

I'd suggest Democrats go step further and start publishing grades for each media outlet in terms of their integrity and commitment to the journalistic canon, much like Nate Silver published grades for pollsters. That was effective. Nobody wants to be called out with a D or F.