Secret Dossiers, Muzzled Journalists...The Job of Reporters in 2017
The American public learned this week about a federal investigation into a 35-page dossier with some salacious, but unverified, dirt on Donald Trump. Journalists from several outlets had seen the document prior, but had held off on releasing it. That changed Tuesday, when CNN reported on the dossier and Buzzfeed posted the full text online.
Trump retaliated at his Wednesday news conference when he refused to take a question from CNN reporter Jim Acosta. But rather than defend press freedom by demanding an answer to his question, the press corps moved on and questioned Trump on other topics. This fierce competition, observes Putin watchdog Alexey Kovalev, is one of a few similarities to the weakened state of the Russian media.
Whether Buzzfeed’s decision to post the full, unverified dossier was justified is now a further point of contention in the media at a time when journalists are still uncertain about how to effectively cover the new president. In an internal memo, Buzzfeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith wrote that "publishing this dossier reflects how we see the job of reporters in 2017." Brooke speaks with Slate’s Will Oremus about the sticky ethics behind Buzzfeed’s decision and what this episode teaches us about newsworthiness.
Songs:
Viderunt Omnes by Kronos Quartet
Paperback Writer by Quartetto dell'Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi
