A plea for journalistic “courage”

Writing in the summer issue of Neiman Reports, Washington Post veteran reporter Walter Pincus says:

A new element of courage in journalism would be for editors and reporters to decide not to cover the President’s statements when he — or any public figure — repeats essentially what he or she has said before.

It’s a wonderful read. He makes the argument on several levels, decrying the current tendencies toward repetitively running “talking points” stories that act solely as PR for both government bureaucrats and legislators.

But I disagree that “new” courage is needed. Bring back the “old” courage of reporters and editors who knew what news was — and wasn’t — and acted accordingly.

See Pincus’ piece here.