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Why Jeremy Corbyn's media-bashing is Trumpian - and dangerous for democracy
Both have made criticisms of “the mainstream media” or “the fake news media” part of their pitch – an easy way to fire up a partisan crowd. Both demonstrate absolutely zero hygiene in trying to separate unfair, hostile headlines from legitimate scrutiny. The only conclusion, in both cases, is that they do not believe legitimate scrutiny can exist.
Where Trump is brash and bombastic, Corbyn is pious and petulant. He is so convinced of his own righteousness that any criticism prompts self-pitying rage, barely smothered into a clipped “OK?” He is not a pacifist, except where the wars involved are led by America. He is only a lifelong campaigner against racism if you exclude Jews from the category of oppressed groups. He shares a desire for victimhood with the worst parts of the British right, who dismiss any concerns over a no deal Brexit as “Project Fear”. Both appear to expect belief rather than just support.
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By attacking the media, all three men – Corbyn, Maduro and Trump – know exactly what they are doing. Any journalist’s defence of the profession can be dismissed as special pleading: you would say that, wouldn’t you? It’s a cheap trick that works because everyone hates journalists already. Look at them, sitting there in London, earning a packet, not meeting “real people” (whoever they are). This lazy criticism conflates megabucks contrarian columnists with the majority of the industry, where salaries are low and employment is precarious. There’s a reason that the PR business is full of ex-journalists. Puffery pays better than takedowns.
Where Trump is brash and bombastic, Corbyn is pious and petulant. He is so convinced of his own righteousness that any criticism prompts self-pitying rage, barely smothered into a clipped “OK?” He is not a pacifist, except where the wars involved are led by America. He is only a lifelong campaigner against racism if you exclude Jews from the category of oppressed groups. He shares a desire for victimhood with the worst parts of the British right, who dismiss any concerns over a no deal Brexit as “Project Fear”. Both appear to expect belief rather than just support.
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By attacking the media, all three men – Corbyn, Maduro and Trump – know exactly what they are doing. Any journalist’s defence of the profession can be dismissed as special pleading: you would say that, wouldn’t you? It’s a cheap trick that works because everyone hates journalists already. Look at them, sitting there in London, earning a packet, not meeting “real people” (whoever they are). This lazy criticism conflates megabucks contrarian columnists with the majority of the industry, where salaries are low and employment is precarious. There’s a reason that the PR business is full of ex-journalists. Puffery pays better than takedowns.
https://www.newstatesman.com/2019/02/why-jeremy-corbyn-s-media-bashing-trumpian-and-dangerous-democracy
She raises some valid points - I would hazard a guess she is going to have a really torrid time on twitter this weekend because of it.... a woman criticising saint Jeremy.... Oh My!
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