Award-winning journalist Carl Bernstein suggested Sunday that White House press briefings and presidential news conferences should no longer be televised live, but should be “edited” by the press to show only what the media constitutes as “news" to keep Trump from spreading "propaganda."
“I don’t think we should be taping them live all the time and just pasting them up on the air, because they’re basically propagandist exercises because they are overwhelmed by [Trump’s] dishonest and lying,” Berstein told CNN’s Brian Stelter. “So how could we cover them differently? Maybe we should be there, edit, decide as reporters what is news, and after the press conference or briefing is over, then go with that story with clips rather than treating the briefing or press conference as a campaign event.
.@carlbernstein's thoughts on how the media should cover Trump’s events: "I don't think we should be taking them live all the time and just pasting them up on the air because they're basically just propagandist exercises…" pic.twitter.com/JHPGlPCBSo
— Reliable Sources (@ReliableSources) November 18, 2018
Berstein then complained about giving the President of the United States “free air time” on major news networks, saying the media would do better to put entire press briefings up online – you know, in case folks have a free few hours in their day to go watch it beyond the media’s carefully selected sound bites.
“But we need to start editing. We need to say, “here’s the story,” not just give him a microphone when we know that his methodology is to engage and manipulate us on the basis of lying, propaganda and agitprop," Bernstein added.