Instead of attacking the ‘mainstream media,’ identify bad journalism

When politicians, candidates and pundits berate media coverage of the 2016 campaign, we must ask, “Which media?” Blanket accusations from right-leaning media critics against the entire mainstream media presume that there is a singular standard for coverage. Our collective viewing and reading experiences over the past 18 months tell a different story.

The sheer volume and diversity of outlets should caution against generalization. One doesn’t condemn all movies because of, say, “Batman v. Superman.” There is good and bad, serious and farcical coverage even within the same outlet. If nothing else, the 2016 election demonstrated no shortage of responsible and essential journalism — or of ridiculous, phony news. The burden ultimately rests with news consumers to look for quality — and with media to police themselves. That’s the essence of a free, vibrant and, at times, infuriating press.