Annoying things the media must stop saying right now

Here’s some “breaking news”: Everyone is “saying the quiet part out loud”

Consuming news these days means being assaulted by wrongheaded thoughts and sayings. Such as these:

“Our country is so deeply divided”

It would be more accurate to say the Republican Party took a sharp turn toward fascist and it’s impossible to agree with them unless you’re an extremist wingnut. If there was a crime wave, would you say law-abiding citizens and criminals were “deeply divided”? No, you’d say there was a crime wave. 

“Moderate Republicans”

That’s like saying “violin-playing snails.” Or “vegan cannibals.” There’s no such thing.

“They’re saying the quiet part out loud.”

This phrase has outgrown its usefulness. There’s no “quiet part” anymore. Racists aren’t ashamed of their racism. Misogynists aren’t ashamed of hating women. No one is whispering these days. They’re SCREAMING. 

“It remains to be seen.”

Of course it does. So what?

“Only time will tell.”

Yes, that’s true. So what?

“Questions remain.”

Indeed they do. So what?

“The future of the economy is uncertain.”

Of course it is. It’s been that way since a caveman traded a leg of woolly mammoth for three flint tools. So what?

"Elections have consequences."

Pundits said this a lot after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe and took away women’s body autonomy. It would’ve been more appropriate to say, “Letting Mitch McConnell pack the Supreme Court has consequences.” And “Letting right-wing billionaires bribe Supreme Court justices has consequences.” And “Letting someone leak the draft ruling on Dobbs to lock in the justices’ positions has consequences.” And “Keeping an antiquated Electoral College system that lets the popular-vote loser put three justices on the Supreme Court has consequences.”

“Exclusive interview”

When you get an interview with someone who did an interview with someone else yesterday and will do an interview with someone else tomorrow, your interview is not “exclusive.” This hype erodes the media’s credibility.

“She broke her silence.”

This is an overdramatic way to describe the act of talking. If someone refused to speak to the press for a decade and then gave an interview, this wording might be justified. Otherwise not. 

“Many Republican officials believe false election claims.”

Many Republican officials say they believe them, but that doesn’t mean they really do. Even they’re not that stupid. But they are that dishonest.

“Clinging to life”

Tiresome term used when someone is badly hurt.

“Hustings”

An old-fashioned word meaning in-person campaigning. The New York Times’ Peter Baker used it last month. When the American press talks in obscure language derived from a London Guildhall tradition, it tells everyday voters that our election system is too weird and confusing to participate in. 

“The leader of the free world”

When Trump was president, the news media described him this way. But he wasn’t, of course. Remember Trump’s United Nations appearance? He was the laughingstock of the free world. Trust in the United States may have recovered a bit with Joe Biden in office, but foreign leaders are afraid of a Trump comeback, so they’re certainly not making long-term commitments to follow the lead of the United States. 

“President Trump”

He’s not president anymore. Stop it.

“Republicans say privately ..."

You see this phrase when cowardly GOP politicians go off the record to try to convince reporters that they haven’t completely lost their sense of right and wrong. But of course, if they won’t speak publicly about it, they have indeed lost their sense of right and wrong. Reporters do a disservice to the public when they mention such whisperings to make it seem as if the unnamed Republicans actually feel bad about enabling a would-be dictator.

“Bedwetting”

Political pundits use this slang term to criticize people who worry a lot about an election result. A search of Politico’s website finds more than 50 articles referring to “bedwetting,” such as a story headlined “Biden stops the Dem bedwetting … for now.” It’s not clever. It’s an odd, crude, insensitive expression. Also, we should be worried – very worried. That’s the best motivator to work for democracy.

“Totally destroyed”

Meaning, “destroyed.” No need for “totally.” If it’s not total, it’s “damaged.”

“Breaking news”

This means nothing now. Television news has destroyed the impact of the phrase through overuse. When I see it or hear it, I expect to hear something I already know about.

“Polarizing”

Media people sometimes express concern about “polarizing rhetoric on both sides.” The suggestion is that decent people should be nicer to indecent people. Winston Churchill used “polarizing rhetoric” during World War II, and the world was better for it.

(Please feel free to share your own annoying expressions in the comments.)