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Kathy Fagan's avatar

“Journalists need to stop inviting politicians on their programs if they refuse to answer questions. Otherwise it’s not news – it’s just a game of dodgeball.”

That might work. Or their bosses could stop giving away live airtime and have all such interviews recorded. Inform the interviewee that non sequiturs will not be aired. And surround any answers with fact checking and context. It’s more work, costs more money, and doesn’t fill up gaps in scheduling so well but it may more effectively inform the public.

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ADNK's avatar

The important rhetorical trick to remember is the GISH GALLOP. It is the ONLY way Donald knows how to talk. In fact I believe it's his native tongue.

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Homi Hormasji's avatar

Journalists need to learn that it is their responsibility, as much as it is to ask important questions, to demand that those questions are answered.

It is unacceptable for journalists to accept non-answers and simply move on to the next topic.

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Becky Daiss's avatar

Sadly, they do it because it works. Rachel Scott just treated Trump like the MSM treats democrats (and better than they treated Biden). Trump was wholly unprepared because he has never had to be.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

I can’t tell if it's cowardice, exhaustion, or a fear of appearing biased. As MSM and left-leaning media reach for performative neutrality in covering Trump, the right digs in, further to the right. The net effect is a rightward distortion of all news, to Trump’s benefit. What do you think would empower journalists to consistently ask tough follow up questions? What's missing, other than courage?

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Abby Lynn Morley's avatar

It is the most annoying thing and really makes them look ignorant. No one should give anyone who does this air time. They are spoiled children that never grew out of the lying stage. We see you.

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Ann Spragens's avatar

Wouldn’t it be enthralling if the journalist doing the interview summarized all the questions that Trump or any R dodged after the misceant has been ushered away.

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Heidi Gaiser's avatar

It would be amazing if journalists would just pick a few topics and force Trump or anyone in the GOP to answer before they moved on. For example: How would it work for schools to vote for their principals every year? (One of Trump's idiotic proposals that the mainstream media has ignored.) https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1674913088754053124

Does Trump not realize that the job of principal is difficult and time consuming and it takes a few years to really get a clear handle on the system? Should the principal job change every year on the whim of disgruntled parents who have no idea what goes on behind the scenes? I thought Republicans were all about local control of schools, how would this federal mandate work with that philosophy?

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Laura's avatar

I believe tRump is a narcissist and uses manipulation, projection, and gaslighting to his lure his supporters! Seems as if most of the Republican Party has taken a few pages out of his handbook!

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Ellis Weiner's avatar

This is brilliant. Thank you.

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the real pambo's avatar

Absolutely agree. When a maga-repub is invited to a platform, that platform must never trade their journalistic integrity for repeat access to these clowns. A giant chunk of corporate media bends and bows at the feet of their guests, giving in to ridiculous requests to not fact-check or agreeing to only ask softball questions to get ratings. Big networks owned by trump supporting billionaires assists in the degradation of the press, by putting their thumb on the news to bend it to their will. If the election goes south in November, they project that donald will be their golden goose and they will follow him to the gates of hell for a money-making scoop, even if it is based on a lie.

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Bob Griendling's avatar

You forgot one: Just keeping talking about whatever you want to and avoid the question because reporters rarely say, "But you haven't answered my question." They should stop them in the first 15-20 seconds when it's clear they're dodging.

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Susan Travis's avatar

This excellent list could become the "talking points" republicans review before an interview!!🤔

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Mark Jacob's avatar

They probably already had those talking points before I delineated them!

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Victoria Brown's avatar

This was Primo Mark. 👍

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Michael Rader's avatar

Worth reading. Great summary of how politicians avoid answering hard questions.

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James Freeman's avatar

I think most of us that subscribe to the DEMOCRATS thinking and the bogus answers from the republicans are just that, bogus bullshit . It may be in that first year textbook in, How to be an effective pol for your party because both parties follow that and the CYA RULE; cover your ass.

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