If Biden wins the White House in two week, it could mean a bit more regulation of broadcasting, said Graham Media CEO Emily Barr, but she for one would be willing accept that “if we can try to put a stopper on the historic assault on journalism that we have witnessed over the last number of years.”
Taking aim at the press-hostile rhetoric of President Trump without mentioning his name, Barr said it has been “very corrosive,” has further polarized the country and has “done a lot of damage to our industry.”
The comments came during a panel at TVNewsCheck’s virtual TV2025 conference this afternoon. The panel also comprised Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO Chris Ripley, Scripps CEO Adam Symson and Allen Media CEO Byron Allen.
“Even though we locally enjoy a much better reputation perhaps than cable news and even our national network counterparts, it’s been a tough four years,” Barr said.
“I’ve seen our crews in the field get attacked, have things thrown at them, called every name in the book and it keeps increasing.”
Barr won the full-throated support of fellow panelist Allen, who said a Biden administration would be “great for broadcasting. Anything to stop the craziness we are all experiencing now,” he said. “I don’t think we have ever seen this kind of attack against journalists. This is an all-out war.
“You can call it damn-near genocide against journalism. Nobody should be threatening journalists for trying to bring news and information that are essential to having a proper democracy.
“So. what we have experienced in the last four years is absolutely horrendous and unacceptable.”
Symson was less pointed in his call for change. “I would very much like to see this country being less polarized, for us to get back to civil discourse.”
16 May 2024
23 May 2024
Comments (2)
RustbeltAlumnus2 says:
October 21, 2020 at 4:57 pm
I think the same people who bash the press will continue to speak out. A different President will not silence critics.
Here’s a different question: Why does an electronic media website use the word “press” when so many electronic-friendly synonyms exist? Newspapers are moribund and declining, especially with regard to that part of their content relying on a press.
tvn-member-3011604 says:
October 21, 2020 at 5:14 pm
The “press-bashing” won’t subside (it will never stop) until the press/media regains its credibility. The public no longer trusts the press. Journalists need to stop obsessing over being “bashed” and start working on building back that trust. Fairness and neutrality in reporting would be a good place to start.