Mar 15, 2022·edited Mar 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Thank you, Robert, but don't make a promise you should not keep! Your Concluding Thoughts were not a "personal outburst" burdening us; rather, they were a well-articulated expression of righteous exasperation against inane money-motivated shallowness in the media. Bring it on!
When I watched Lawrence O'Donnell push back against the venerable Alexander Vindman in real time on 3/09/22, I was impressed at O'Donnell's persistent, deft argument that nevertheless fostered a respectfully persuasive debate--a model for high school and college Speech & Debate students. (BTW Speech & Debate teams are a great way to channel teenagers' love of argument!)
Then as we laud Lawrence O'Donnell, let us also honor Marina Ovsyannikova for her sheer guts to protest Putin's war on state-run TV--assuring her arrest and potentially brutal treatment:
"Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of Russia's state-run Channel 1, burst onto the live broadcast of the network's most-watched news show on Monday evening, yelling 'Stop the war!' and holding up a sign that said 'They’re lying to you here.'" Her lawyer released to the international media a video she recorded prior to her action. She explained she has a Ukrainian father and Russian mother who have never been enemies, and Putin's war is fratricide.
Bravo, Robert! Both for showing us that President Biden is indeed the man we need in this critical moment in history. He is literally saving the world with his steady experienced and empathetic hand. And, second defining what journalism needs to be. I have been looking for the Edward R. Murrow of our time. Now you've convinced me of what I suspected; Lawrence O'Donnell is that person. Bravissimo!
Mar 15, 2022·edited Mar 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Love the truthiness! I don't watch TV and have stopped listening to NPR. Should we get past the current crises (Ukraine, Jan 6, Covid, voter suppression) I hope we can move towards regulating media so that large corporations can't buy up smaller outfits. We need LOTS of local journalism (Would Boebert have been a viable candidate if a local newspaper has dug up all that we currently know?) and a move away from profit as motivator. I do think that newsletters (such as this one) is a direct consequence of loss of journalism to profit/edutainment. And while I'm at it, I have long-held belief/position that visual and audio news can't compete with news that is read because of the complexities the brain can take in as it reads but can't when watching. Democracies became possible when the printing press made news available.
My husband and I gave up watching news broadcasts at least 20 years ago because the visuals detracted and distracted from the audio. I can’t imagine what it must be like now. No wonder uninformed opinions hold such sway at this crucial point in time! The recent movie “Don’t Look Up” is a great depiction of visual media today.
I agree with you and that is exactly why I don't watch the news. There are too many auditory and visual distractions. Also, it simply becomes mind-numbing at a time when we need our minds on full alert.
As expected, authoritarian Putin shut down ALL COMMUNICATION links in and out of Russia to block the truth from challenging his lies. But he sent 200,000+ conscripted soldiers as cannon fodder from throughout the country believing it to be a training exercise or to put down some Nazis activity. These drafted soldiers have come to know the evil truth of their mobilization as well as the military incompetency that has traveled with them, AND THEY WILL GO HOME ULTIMATELY THE SPREADER OF TRUTH THROUGHOUT THEIR MOTHERLAND PUTIN BELIEVES HE HAS KEPT IN THE DARK! The KGB dictator may be closer than he can understand to his recurring nightmare of being trapped in Mussolini’s fate!
Putin didn't think that through, did he? I suspect that the Duma will pass a law making it illegal for Russian soldiers to discuss the invasion of Ukraine. But you can't control what people say in the of the privacy their own homes.
I’ve been a card carrying “Hubbell” fan and reader for a long time but have never written a comment. I applaud your rant this morning as I have been ranting along the same lines for some time. I don’t mean right wing screeds—I mean the NYT, the Washington Post, and NPR. Don’t they realize what’s at stake? Not only do I not want to hear what some idiot in some town has to say, as a time dominating piece, not only do I not want to hear challenges to Biden’s agenda or actions out of some misplaced sense of fairness or balance, I certainly don’t want to hear their soundbites to make them seem clever or newsworthy. I’m not sure I blame the reporters—I blame the editors, their bosses, who set the tone. It’s time for the intelligent arm of the 4th estate to fight for democracy’s survival, for all our survival. Oh my, maybe someone will say they are as biased as Tucker Carlson! So what? If what we have is bias, and I’ll posit some truth to that, bring it on.
Hi, Matt. I don't have a journalism background, so I don't know how much editorial control the on-air personalities have. But when you look at someone like Lawrence O'Donnell, you can see what is possible. Imagine what our news landscape would be like if all reporters at least aspired to that level of journalism. I hate to admit it, but I gave up on NPR years ago. NPR was clearly defanged in the Trump era and has never recovered from its "both-siderism" in which the view of the tiny minority are given the same coverage as the overwhelming majority. The balance doesn't have to be perfect, just roughly so.
Watch out, you may inspire me to write more often. Your description of what has happened to NPR is so exactly right. I still listen because of the limited options, but my tolerance has dropped not only to the “both-siderism” that you note, but, and you’ll have to pardon my snobbery, to the dumbing down. On the other hand, when they air the BBC?—-now we’re talking.
Keep up the good work. Once I read your column and Heather’s each morning, I don’t have to read the newspaper.
The shallowness of so much of today's news really is a problem. Certainly one cause of that is that news has become a business model. It's very hard to put on 24 hour news programs that also have substantial thought and consideration filtering what's broadcast. We, and all the world, would be, at least in some ways, better off if news was once again a daily hour at 6:00pm. Then the editors, writers and broadcasters could put some thought into what is presented. This problem surely afflicts the left as much as the right.
Mar 15, 2022·edited Mar 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Rant away Robert. I especially love the "Who are these People"? I ask myself that every day more than once and have been for the last 6 years at least? About journalists and blind ambition and this America (world) we live in where children starve and billionaires move bridges so their yachts can fit under them. Where people organize their lives around power and inhumanity, sometimes in the name of a God they propose to serve. Where racism thrives and cruelty predominates and climate scientists stop working, because just how many reports can you write that say the earth will soon be unsustainable for human life, and those in power do nothing. We have been given the gift of a magnificent planet and the ability to birth children and hopefully watch them grow and live out their lives in peace and serenity. "When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn?" Funny, I used to listen to Dylan's intense, wordy, deep music, now it's those simple lines that so often come to mind. Thank you as always for your wisdom.
I agree with Ellie Kona Completely!!! Thank you for your intelligent outbursts!!! I have them daily but they are not as intelligent as yours. Oh Well!!! You are a National Treasure. Thank you. Saundra Friedman
"Get a grip. Grow up. Do your job—at least the job you thought you would do when you decided to become a journalist and before you took a detour into being a high-priced entertainer. " Alas, I fear that we have a generation or two that, for the most part, were not educated as journalists, but rather got degrees in "media communications". I keep wondering how the Merrill School of Journalism at Northwestern views all of this. There are some good journalists coming out of PBS News Hour...it's refreshing to see.
I also agree with the comment made that news stations running 24/7 has contributed to news morphing from journalism into entertainment.
I think this all started with 9/11...all news orgs are terrified that they will be scooped...so they stay online 24x7x365, just in case...and do an amazing amount of damage in the process. Except for Judy Woodruff and PBS.
I'm glad people are still talking about getting the MiG fighter planes into Ukraine. One thought that occurs to me: why not have the Ukrainian pilots go into Poland by car/train/bus, etc and then fly the planes into Ukraine themselves? Or if leaving from Poland with the planes is still a problem, have them fly the planes to a neutral (non-NATOcountry) and then fly them into Ukraine from there? Can you send this idea to someone who could act on it?
Hi, Debbie. Switzerland has been suggested as a site for sending the planes into Ukraine. I suspect that suggestion makes the Swiss nervous. One point I did not make: Russia is bombing Ukrainian airports and military bases to prevent planes from landing / taking off. It may all be a moot point soon.
MiG29 were first rolled out in the 1970s-80s. They are no match for current Russian fighter jets. The Air Force colonel who wrote to me said that maintenance on aging planes is very difficult. if the Polish Air Force did a top notch job of maintenance, about 80% of the planes are operational. If not, 50% or less are "flyable." No wonder Poland wants to trade aging MiGs for modern US fighter jets.
An expert on Russia (possibly Tom Nichols) points out that Russia has an extended ability to control airspace from inside Russia to the extent that Ukraine isn't employing what aircraft they do have. Thus bringing in the MiGs wouldn't be much help.
The polls are meaningless "feel good or feel bad" blather. I have lost count of the number times the polls were wrong. There was that big one in 2016... I find them mind blowing - especially the small number of participants and how they are selected and reached. If anyone on this forum knows an outfit that truly gets an accurate slice of Americans (voters, please) I would appreciate some help on this.
Robert, that rant was wonderful. Perhaps you could add a "special section" at least once a week just before or after the "Concluding Thoughts". Call it "Robert Lets it Rip".
Thanks for all your hard work. And your commitment to fairness and accuracy (corrections, yay!) are a sign of your integrity. Kudos.
Mar 15, 2022·edited Mar 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Thank you again, Robert! Two points: 1) Journalism. I believe journalism should be licensed or, at the very least, that those who practice it have proof of accreditation. You need a license to drive a car, practice medicine and so on. As a former professional journalist who practiced without a license myself, I can cite all kinds of examples of journalistic malpractice, not the least of which is rewriting press releases and calling it journalism, or copycat journalism, etc. Most so-called journalists (and their editors, whose job it supposedly is to assure that the writers are on the level) are incredibly lazy. There is a code of ethics but nobody knows about it except the licensed journalists (i.e., those with a degree in journalism). 2) Biolabs: The Pulitzer-winning science writer Laurie Garrett has written extensively about the fact that there are thousands of biolabs all over the world, and we don't have a handle on even how many there are or their safety levels. I have a very good friend, a senior official in Obama's administration, who was tasked with checking out biolabs in Kazikistan. He found a half-eaten sandwich in an unlocked refrigerator which were stored vials of anthrax, etc. The windows were open. This is not to defend wacko theories, but to state that biolabs are a very real danger; there have even been leaks here in the U.S. I wrote about this in a book I co-authored, "The End of Epidemics" with Dr. Jonathan Quick.
You make a good point, and I fear it is worse than you describe. I believe a bigger threat is hobbyists messing around with germ-line CRISPR experiments in their garage. It is happening all over the world as we speak. What could go wrong? This threat is covered in the book about Jennifer Doudna and CRISPR called "The Code Breaker."
If you look back, you’ll find that journalism, or “journalism,” has often been as bad or worse than it is today. I suggest you start with the newspapers of the Adams-Jefferson campaign of 1800, or what was written in the 1850s. I came of age in the golden age of journalism in the 1950s and 60s (though it started earlier with Bill Paley and Edward R. Murrow at CBS), and thought it would be ever thus. Coming down from that high point has been hard, and I still fume regularly, but then I try to find some perspective by remembering what the world of “news” has generally been like.
As always, thanks for bringing historical perspective, Jonathan. You are right; the press has been worse, but we know better to today. We rightly condemn the journalism of Hearst, which propelled the US into at least one war. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.
Thank you, Robert, but don't make a promise you should not keep! Your Concluding Thoughts were not a "personal outburst" burdening us; rather, they were a well-articulated expression of righteous exasperation against inane money-motivated shallowness in the media. Bring it on!
When I watched Lawrence O'Donnell push back against the venerable Alexander Vindman in real time on 3/09/22, I was impressed at O'Donnell's persistent, deft argument that nevertheless fostered a respectfully persuasive debate--a model for high school and college Speech & Debate students. (BTW Speech & Debate teams are a great way to channel teenagers' love of argument!)
Then as we laud Lawrence O'Donnell, let us also honor Marina Ovsyannikova for her sheer guts to protest Putin's war on state-run TV--assuring her arrest and potentially brutal treatment:
"Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of Russia's state-run Channel 1, burst onto the live broadcast of the network's most-watched news show on Monday evening, yelling 'Stop the war!' and holding up a sign that said 'They’re lying to you here.'" Her lawyer released to the international media a video she recorded prior to her action. She explained she has a Ukrainian father and Russian mother who have never been enemies, and Putin's war is fratricide.
https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1503490280149946371?s=20&t=GXoT-bxmkctGxpNR731IIQ
We are all humbled by Marina's bravery. how many of us could do what she did?
That shows tremendous courage. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Bravo, Robert! Both for showing us that President Biden is indeed the man we need in this critical moment in history. He is literally saving the world with his steady experienced and empathetic hand. And, second defining what journalism needs to be. I have been looking for the Edward R. Murrow of our time. Now you've convinced me of what I suspected; Lawrence O'Donnell is that person. Bravissimo!
Love the truthiness! I don't watch TV and have stopped listening to NPR. Should we get past the current crises (Ukraine, Jan 6, Covid, voter suppression) I hope we can move towards regulating media so that large corporations can't buy up smaller outfits. We need LOTS of local journalism (Would Boebert have been a viable candidate if a local newspaper has dug up all that we currently know?) and a move away from profit as motivator. I do think that newsletters (such as this one) is a direct consequence of loss of journalism to profit/edutainment. And while I'm at it, I have long-held belief/position that visual and audio news can't compete with news that is read because of the complexities the brain can take in as it reads but can't when watching. Democracies became possible when the printing press made news available.
My husband and I gave up watching news broadcasts at least 20 years ago because the visuals detracted and distracted from the audio. I can’t imagine what it must be like now. No wonder uninformed opinions hold such sway at this crucial point in time! The recent movie “Don’t Look Up” is a great depiction of visual media today.
I agree with you and that is exactly why I don't watch the news. There are too many auditory and visual distractions. Also, it simply becomes mind-numbing at a time when we need our minds on full alert.
Absolutely! Mind-numbing is the word.
!! infotainmentpictotwits !! apt conglomeration!
As expected, authoritarian Putin shut down ALL COMMUNICATION links in and out of Russia to block the truth from challenging his lies. But he sent 200,000+ conscripted soldiers as cannon fodder from throughout the country believing it to be a training exercise or to put down some Nazis activity. These drafted soldiers have come to know the evil truth of their mobilization as well as the military incompetency that has traveled with them, AND THEY WILL GO HOME ULTIMATELY THE SPREADER OF TRUTH THROUGHOUT THEIR MOTHERLAND PUTIN BELIEVES HE HAS KEPT IN THE DARK! The KGB dictator may be closer than he can understand to his recurring nightmare of being trapped in Mussolini’s fate!
Putin didn't think that through, did he? I suspect that the Duma will pass a law making it illegal for Russian soldiers to discuss the invasion of Ukraine. But you can't control what people say in the of the privacy their own homes.
I loved your rant. You spoke the truth. Keep them coming!
I’ve been a card carrying “Hubbell” fan and reader for a long time but have never written a comment. I applaud your rant this morning as I have been ranting along the same lines for some time. I don’t mean right wing screeds—I mean the NYT, the Washington Post, and NPR. Don’t they realize what’s at stake? Not only do I not want to hear what some idiot in some town has to say, as a time dominating piece, not only do I not want to hear challenges to Biden’s agenda or actions out of some misplaced sense of fairness or balance, I certainly don’t want to hear their soundbites to make them seem clever or newsworthy. I’m not sure I blame the reporters—I blame the editors, their bosses, who set the tone. It’s time for the intelligent arm of the 4th estate to fight for democracy’s survival, for all our survival. Oh my, maybe someone will say they are as biased as Tucker Carlson! So what? If what we have is bias, and I’ll posit some truth to that, bring it on.
Thank you
Matt Miller
Hi, Matt. I don't have a journalism background, so I don't know how much editorial control the on-air personalities have. But when you look at someone like Lawrence O'Donnell, you can see what is possible. Imagine what our news landscape would be like if all reporters at least aspired to that level of journalism. I hate to admit it, but I gave up on NPR years ago. NPR was clearly defanged in the Trump era and has never recovered from its "both-siderism" in which the view of the tiny minority are given the same coverage as the overwhelming majority. The balance doesn't have to be perfect, just roughly so.
Watch out, you may inspire me to write more often. Your description of what has happened to NPR is so exactly right. I still listen because of the limited options, but my tolerance has dropped not only to the “both-siderism” that you note, but, and you’ll have to pardon my snobbery, to the dumbing down. On the other hand, when they air the BBC?—-now we’re talking.
Keep up the good work. Once I read your column and Heather’s each morning, I don’t have to read the newspaper.
Matt
I agree with that.
I appreciate your candor. You spoke from my gut.
The shallowness of so much of today's news really is a problem. Certainly one cause of that is that news has become a business model. It's very hard to put on 24 hour news programs that also have substantial thought and consideration filtering what's broadcast. We, and all the world, would be, at least in some ways, better off if news was once again a daily hour at 6:00pm. Then the editors, writers and broadcasters could put some thought into what is presented. This problem surely afflicts the left as much as the right.
Good point!
It also doesn’t help that so many in the audience lack critical thinking skills or knowledge/education to question what they are watching.
Rant away Robert. I especially love the "Who are these People"? I ask myself that every day more than once and have been for the last 6 years at least? About journalists and blind ambition and this America (world) we live in where children starve and billionaires move bridges so their yachts can fit under them. Where people organize their lives around power and inhumanity, sometimes in the name of a God they propose to serve. Where racism thrives and cruelty predominates and climate scientists stop working, because just how many reports can you write that say the earth will soon be unsustainable for human life, and those in power do nothing. We have been given the gift of a magnificent planet and the ability to birth children and hopefully watch them grow and live out their lives in peace and serenity. "When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn?" Funny, I used to listen to Dylan's intense, wordy, deep music, now it's those simple lines that so often come to mind. Thank you as always for your wisdom.
Thank you for expressing your outrage. I feel the same.
I agree with Ellie Kona Completely!!! Thank you for your intelligent outbursts!!! I have them daily but they are not as intelligent as yours. Oh Well!!! You are a National Treasure. Thank you. Saundra Friedman
"Get a grip. Grow up. Do your job—at least the job you thought you would do when you decided to become a journalist and before you took a detour into being a high-priced entertainer. " Alas, I fear that we have a generation or two that, for the most part, were not educated as journalists, but rather got degrees in "media communications". I keep wondering how the Merrill School of Journalism at Northwestern views all of this. There are some good journalists coming out of PBS News Hour...it's refreshing to see.
I also agree with the comment made that news stations running 24/7 has contributed to news morphing from journalism into entertainment.
Indeed. "breaking news" is now just a segue into the next feature or intro to a talking head who was desperate for a second career.
All news is now called "breaking news." Pathetic.
I think this all started with 9/11...all news orgs are terrified that they will be scooped...so they stay online 24x7x365, just in case...and do an amazing amount of damage in the process. Except for Judy Woodruff and PBS.
I'm glad people are still talking about getting the MiG fighter planes into Ukraine. One thought that occurs to me: why not have the Ukrainian pilots go into Poland by car/train/bus, etc and then fly the planes into Ukraine themselves? Or if leaving from Poland with the planes is still a problem, have them fly the planes to a neutral (non-NATOcountry) and then fly them into Ukraine from there? Can you send this idea to someone who could act on it?
Hi, Debbie. Switzerland has been suggested as a site for sending the planes into Ukraine. I suspect that suggestion makes the Swiss nervous. One point I did not make: Russia is bombing Ukrainian airports and military bases to prevent planes from landing / taking off. It may all be a moot point soon.
There are actually not many planes, and they are old and, apparently, underpowered. And Russia does have robust anti aircraft systems.
MiG29 were first rolled out in the 1970s-80s. They are no match for current Russian fighter jets. The Air Force colonel who wrote to me said that maintenance on aging planes is very difficult. if the Polish Air Force did a top notch job of maintenance, about 80% of the planes are operational. If not, 50% or less are "flyable." No wonder Poland wants to trade aging MiGs for modern US fighter jets.
Exactly! This same thought occurred to me last week.
An expert on Russia (possibly Tom Nichols) points out that Russia has an extended ability to control airspace from inside Russia to the extent that Ukraine isn't employing what aircraft they do have. Thus bringing in the MiGs wouldn't be much help.
Thanks for your comment. I guess that explains why what seems like an obvious idea to me, would not work.
I have wondered the very same thing! They need to be able to bomb the Russian troops, especially around Kyiv!
The polls are meaningless "feel good or feel bad" blather. I have lost count of the number times the polls were wrong. There was that big one in 2016... I find them mind blowing - especially the small number of participants and how they are selected and reached. If anyone on this forum knows an outfit that truly gets an accurate slice of Americans (voters, please) I would appreciate some help on this.
Robert, that rant was wonderful. Perhaps you could add a "special section" at least once a week just before or after the "Concluding Thoughts". Call it "Robert Lets it Rip".
Thanks for all your hard work. And your commitment to fairness and accuracy (corrections, yay!) are a sign of your integrity. Kudos.
Thank you again, Robert! Two points: 1) Journalism. I believe journalism should be licensed or, at the very least, that those who practice it have proof of accreditation. You need a license to drive a car, practice medicine and so on. As a former professional journalist who practiced without a license myself, I can cite all kinds of examples of journalistic malpractice, not the least of which is rewriting press releases and calling it journalism, or copycat journalism, etc. Most so-called journalists (and their editors, whose job it supposedly is to assure that the writers are on the level) are incredibly lazy. There is a code of ethics but nobody knows about it except the licensed journalists (i.e., those with a degree in journalism). 2) Biolabs: The Pulitzer-winning science writer Laurie Garrett has written extensively about the fact that there are thousands of biolabs all over the world, and we don't have a handle on even how many there are or their safety levels. I have a very good friend, a senior official in Obama's administration, who was tasked with checking out biolabs in Kazikistan. He found a half-eaten sandwich in an unlocked refrigerator which were stored vials of anthrax, etc. The windows were open. This is not to defend wacko theories, but to state that biolabs are a very real danger; there have even been leaks here in the U.S. I wrote about this in a book I co-authored, "The End of Epidemics" with Dr. Jonathan Quick.
You make a good point, and I fear it is worse than you describe. I believe a bigger threat is hobbyists messing around with germ-line CRISPR experiments in their garage. It is happening all over the world as we speak. What could go wrong? This threat is covered in the book about Jennifer Doudna and CRISPR called "The Code Breaker."
Yes indeed. We covered this in The End of Epidemics as well. Here is a link to the book: https://www.endofepidemics.com/
If you look back, you’ll find that journalism, or “journalism,” has often been as bad or worse than it is today. I suggest you start with the newspapers of the Adams-Jefferson campaign of 1800, or what was written in the 1850s. I came of age in the golden age of journalism in the 1950s and 60s (though it started earlier with Bill Paley and Edward R. Murrow at CBS), and thought it would be ever thus. Coming down from that high point has been hard, and I still fume regularly, but then I try to find some perspective by remembering what the world of “news” has generally been like.
As always, thanks for bringing historical perspective, Jonathan. You are right; the press has been worse, but we know better to today. We rightly condemn the journalism of Hearst, which propelled the US into at least one war. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.