Navigating Tensions and Ethics in Media Coverage

This week, Matt and Brian break down the growing tension between Joe Biden and the New York Times and try to assess what impact it will have on the 2024 election and the deteriorating relationship between Democrats and mainstream media generally.

* Is Biden right to be frustrated with the way the national political media has covered the election so far?

* Should newspapers outsource editorial judgment to issue polls?

* What, beyond blinkering their coverage of politics, could mainstream news outlets do to increase their appeal among conservative consumers?

Then, behind the paywall, Brian and Matt take a more abstract look at the challenge facing non-partisan media in the Trump era. Should mainstream journalism outlets be tribunes for democracy, as part of their larger advocacy for the free press? Can institutions like the Times be openly pro-democracy without being openly engaged in an effort to help Joe Biden win the election? What would an incarnation of the Times that made an effort to address its critics look like? Answers to all those questions, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on whether outlets like the Times do such a bad job addressing well-developed liberal criticisms because they don’t have good answers.

* Ben Smith’s (widely criticized) interview with Times executive editor Joe Kahn.

* Dan Pfeiffer responds to their mischaracterization of his earlier Times critique.