There's this American pretense, which is the pretense of…
“There's this American pretense, which is the pretense of the journalist with the view from nowhere - which has somehow morphed into the journalist who was born this morning. So, he doesn't know that Donald Trump lied yesterday, and the day before. So, he concludes that he doesn't know whether Trump lied accidentally or on purpose. You can only pretend not to know that if you don't know that he lied yesterday, and the day before. So, to my mind when NPR says they don't know if he's intentionally lying, they're lying. We have to be smarter about it.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote critiques the false neutrality claimed by some journalists, arguing that claiming ignorance of a known liar is dishonest and that media should acknowledge intentional deception.
In simple terms: Media claims false neutrality about known liars.
Key Takeaway
Pretending ignorance is a lie.
Themes
media ethics
journalism
political bias
truthfulness
accountability
Mood
critical
skeptical
concerned
Type
opinion
analysis
critique
When to use this quote
- news reporting on political figures
- media commentary on misinformation
- editorial decisions about fact-checking
Key Concepts
journalistic objectivity
political deception
public trust
Practical Applications
- media literacy training
- fact-checking protocols
Questions to Reflect On
- How does claiming ignorance affect public trust?
- What responsibilities do journalists have when confronting repeated falsehoods?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that journalists must maintain a stance of impartiality to preserve credibility, even when evidence suggests deception.