Female Journalism Voices In The Age Of Trump.

 Source: Author

Two weeks ago in this blog, I wrote how the new Trump Administration can threaten, complain, whine, complain, whine some more and complain even more, but journalists will not and should not back down from his petty Twitter taunts. I wrote that despite Trump continually doing this (it’s two weeks later and he’s still at it - in fact, he's upgraded from Twitter to press conferences), I wasn’t worried because of the fire and passion and drive and immense talent I witnessed from the young female reporters daily in my newsroom. They would still be working in this profession many years after Mr. Trump would be long gone - and that reassurance gave me hope. 

Today, three of those young reporters left journalism. 

I’m now not so filled with hope. 

In fact, I’m very sad and worried.

Never mind the fact that three friends whom I liked a lot and even cared for, are now gone and I’m not sure when or where I’ll see them again. But the world is now three future reporters less - just when the world needs them most. Out of the five people that have left recently, four are female. Four bright, extremely talented females that brought a unique, dynamic voice to the journalism program I happen to be a part of. I Seriously hope we don't lose any more.

Of course, journalism is not a profession for everybody. These individuals left to pursue another avenue in life that they feel is a better fit for them and I wish them every bit of happiness there is. But I have to wonder if the world’s clash between powerful politicians and those working in journalism going on right now, might lead to more female journalism voices everywhere deciding to pursue another profession. After all, the most powerful man in the world, Donald Trump, spent most of his campaign insulting, degrading, belittling and attacking female journalists. 

Remember when this happened?

Source: Fox News

Well, that was just the beginning. From there, candidate Trump went on a months-long, late-night Twitter tirade against Fox News’s Megyn Kelly that for time purposes, is detailed here.

While that fun stuff was going on, the remarkable Katy Tur of NBC News, followed Trump on the campaign trail for a punishing 13 months between June 2015 and October 2016. Tur reported terrific accounts of her first-hand viewpoint from behind-the-scenes action of Trump’s organization. She traveled with them and tirelessly reported. She received praise from media pundits all over and even the hashtag #ImWithTur began trending in support. What did Trump call her? He called her "Little Katy," and “Third-rate Katy.” This went on day after day. And then of course, Trump’s supporters got in on the act. That however, didn’t stop Trump from granting an interview With Tur, when Trump needed to appeal to the NRA gang. When asked by Tur if Trump uses a gun, Trump just answered with "It's none of your business." Tur’s next question should have been, “Donald, do you even understand how an interview actually works?” At least he never told Tur to "be quiet," like he did that one time in Florida.

Katy Tur might not strictly work in online journalism (although some of her most pointed observations were posted right on Twitter), but that didn’t stop his supporters from attacking her and other female journalists online. They say the fish stinks from the head and that makes Trump the fish head of these attackers. In fact, according to British journalist Selina Scott, who met Trump back in 1995, he’s always held female journalists in contempt and women – well, worse. In fact, Trump’s way of insulting female reporters dates back to 1988 when Jennifer Lin was once called “the c-word” by Trump after she wrote an article detailing Trump’s Atlantic City bad business deals. 

I work daily with words. I read words, write words, hear words, say words. All my life I’ve loved words. I’ve wanted to be somebody who knew how to put the right words together to say something. Sometimes I say something witty, sometimes I say something stupid (more than sometimes, actually), sometimes I say something that makes somebody’s day, makes somebody smile or makes somebody angry and frustrated (just ask my ex-girlfriend, Claudia about that last one. Actually no - don't do that. Really don't). But I’ll never be able to put words together the way one of my heroes, Aaron Sorkin does. There is nothing else I can possibly say at this point so I’m going to let him take it from here. I'd listen to him. Dude has an Oscar!

Will there ever be a great film or TV series about online journalism?

I have a feeling this movie won't be made soon. Source: Universal pictures

Journalism has been depicted in various cinematic incarnations over the years. One of my absolute favorites is the way the profession was presented in Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita, or "The Sweet Life" in English. In that film, Fellini's hero, Marcello is presented as a James Bond of the gossip world of Rome's upper-class, chic circles. He cavorts with the rich and famous, voluptuous movie stars and bored, dissatisfied wealthy married women. Attractive, bored wealthy married women (hello, Anouk Aimee).


15 years later however, journalism was depicted in a very, very different light. Alan J. Pakula's superb film chronicling Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's investigation into the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal in All The President's Men, is as far removed from La Dolce Vita as one can imagine. Tuxedos at night (and dawn) are replaced by slept-in rumpled shirts, spacious Italian castles are replaced by cramped, cluttered dimly lit apartments and champagne all hours of the night is replaced by bitter newsroom coffee. One does sound more appealing than the other of course - until the final moments of each film presents themselves. Marcello has lost his desire to write, to be a journalist, be a novelist, be a husband, to basically do anything but immerse himself in debauchery and a life of unrealized dreams and ultimate emptiness. Woodward and Bernstein work feverishly away at their crummy, small news desks, reporting news that not only could - but did change political and world history.

Now since then, there have been many movies about the profession of journalism - some have been absolutely astounding (The Insider), some very good (Almost Famous, Zodiac, Shattered Glass) some good (The Paper, Spotlight, Salvador, How To Lose Friends and Alienate People), some have been not that good (Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas) and some, nobody even (or cares to) remember (I Love Trouble which featured Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte as two reporters who loathe each other - but still made time to share a love scene - I'll leave it there).

There have even been a number of great TV shows over the last 20 years depicting journalism. Some of my favorites are the 90's series Newsradio - one of the funniest shows of the 90's (and in a decade featuring Seinfeld, Spin City and The Simpsons - that's saying something) and although, it wasn't about journalism, no other show has ever captured the frantic pace, stress and collaborative effort involved in creating a nightly broadcast than the thrilling Sports Night. In fact Sports Night was so good that when that shows same creator, Aaron Sorkin actually created a show about broadcast journalism, The Newsroom, it paled in just about every way to the superior Sports Night.

They really don't make 'em this good anymore Source: Author

 

So why I ask has there never really been a show about online journalism? I mean, some would argue that online journalism is the future of journalism itself. I think the closest I've seen regarding the reach of online journalism depicted in a recent series was during season one of Netflix's House of Cards where reporter Zoe Barnes is fed information by senator Frank Underwood and then printed on thewashingtonherald.com. However, a number of people took issue with that series depiction of online journalists in that they engage in "bad behaviour." But House of Cards had its defenders regarding online journalism as well, but then again, The Guardian pretty much hammered home the "House of Cards journalists are bad" line of reasoning with their article which was pointedly titled "Why are all the House of Cards journalists so bad at journalism?"


So with all that, I suppose we are still a ways off before we see a decent series regarding online journalism anytime soon. Of course we have shows about online hackers (Mr. Robot) and online magazine writers (The Great Indoors) but none about online journalism specifically. Perhaps when the third season of Twin Peaks airs on Showtime this coming May, they'll feature a local online journalist writing about the weird events going on in that town. I just hope they don't type backwards.

Dear Journalists, It's Tom Petty Time. Don't Back Down!

Last Thursday, I trekked an hour to a local theater to see the new Martin Scorsese movie Silence which overall, I thought was pretty decent. Silence depicts the persecution and execution of Christians by Japanese country warlords during 17th century Japan. It was a nearly three hour, sometimes sluggish, muddy, rainy, dreary film that featured no female characters and starred the two actors who played Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Also, Liam Neeson plays a priest who Spidey and Kylo are sent to rescue from Japanese captivity. Neeson of course played Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I and it was pretty dispiriting to me that not even the supreme tag-team pairing of Spider-Man and two Jedi knights were still no match for Japanese anti-Christian tyrants.

But a weird revelation entered my mind during the halfway point of Silence. After a Japanese guard suddenly and without warning, beheaded a Christian villager with his sharp as hell sword, then dragged the headless body across the sand, leaving behind a long trail of blood, I thought, "This is probably what Donald Trump wants to do with the world's journalists this week," and the scary thing is, we're probably on our way there. 

Journalists of course have been subject to torture and unspeakable acts of brutality in recent years so relatively speaking, being threatened by a tiny-fingered orange version of Shrek is quite mild.  Back In 2014, a video of American journalist James Foley beheaded by ISIS was released and another journalist was threatened with the same fate unless then-president Barack Obama ceased military operations in Iraq. Americans were stunned and saddened. Journalists mourned the loss of one of their own. Everybody shared their sadness and anger. Today, many of the same Americans who were outraged by the brutal killing of an American journalist back in 2014, just elected a man who, during the campaign trail, remained silent when supporters turned up at his rallies wearing...this,

What changed? Where were the crusading journalists willing to stand up to Trump's supporters? For that matter, where was journalism crusader Julian Assange to stand up and speak out for online journalism (and journalism in general) during this time? Worrying over Hillary's emails? Why? Did he not see that just possibly we might be living through a new golden age of reporting due to online journalism? This is apparently the view of  The Nations Tom Englehardt who argues this, 

"In terms of journalism, of expression, of voice, of fine reporting and superb writing, of a range of news, thoughts, views, perspectives, and opinions about places, worlds, and phenomena that I wouldn’t otherwise have known about, there has never been an experimental moment like this. I’m in awe. Despite everything, despite every malign purpose to which the Internet is being put, I consider it a wonder of our age."

So while Julian Assange was appearing on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, defending himself in his crusade against Hillary Clinton, he also tried to have it both ways by dangling the transparent dangling carrot (Thank U, Alanis Morrisette) regarding the issue of Trump's taxes to Bill's audience of Anti-Trumpers. Hey, Julian, we're still waiting for that. As we are waiting for you to stand with us and have our backs, because buddy, we now need you more than ever. 

 

Oh and incidentally, Julian, good luck with your new girlfriend, Pamela Anderson. Wait! What!?