Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025

Bias in journalism has become a disease and a microcosm of the vicious tribalism that is ripping our society apart

Bias in journalism has become a disease and a microcosm of the vicious tribalism that is ripping our society apart

Glenn Greenwald is the latest big-name journalist to quit a title, leaving the Intercept in a censorship row. This trend is indicative of a media landscape that reflects a polarized society which discourages freedom of thought.
Imagine having to resign from something that you co-founded. It can’t be a good feeling. You spend all of your time trying to build it up into something tenable, only for things to fall apart. That’s the position Glenn Greenwald has found himself in at news website, the Intercept.

But even more galling for Greenwald is why things turned ugly. As his resignation letter stated, “The Intercept’s editors, in violation of my contractual right of editorial freedom, censored an article I wrote this week, refusing to publish it unless I remove all sections critical of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the candidate vehemently supported by all New-York-based Intercept editors involved in this effort at suppression. The censored article, based on recently revealed emails and witness testimony, raised critical questions about Biden’s conduct.”

Working on the assumption that what Greenwald said is true, this is a distressing occurrence that’s becoming all too familiar. It’s reminiscent of Bari Weiss and her issues at the New York Times, Ariana Pekary leaving MSNBC, and Andrew Sullivan quitting the New Yorker. Over and over again, we’re seeing journalists who don’t want to adhere to certain partisan views being forced into a situation where they have to leave their publication because they won’t play the cheerleader. This is a worrying trend.

Sure, partisanship has been part of journalism as long as it has existed. People will inevitably have biases towards certain belief systems that they adopt. With that said, there is another inevitability, given how flawed humanity is. And this is that flawed humans aren’t going to be able uphold the standards that people with those beliefs expect them to. In short, no one is perfect, and everyone is open to criticism.

However, what we are seeing from certain partisan forces is a desire for any and all criticism from journalists to simply be swept under the carpet. At that point, can it really be classed as journalism?

Readers expect journalists to ask questions. Some of those questions are going to be tough; some may even constitute criticism. But those questions and criticisms can open the way to improvement. There’s nothing wrong with being a conservative and being critical of other conservatives, or being a liberal and being critical of other liberals. But when that criticism has to be silenced or is met with outright hostility, we have gone beyond partisanship and into tribalism. And that is not a positive development.

As such, it puts an honest journalist in a weird spot. Some people get into journalism because they want to be cheerleaders for the Democrats. Others for the Republicans. And those types of people are very easy to find. However, there are plenty of journalists out there who like to think outside the box and it’s important for these people to have a platform. If everyone is expected to submit themselves to this tribalistic instinct, we will end up with even greater divisions in a landscape that is already horribly fractured.

In a sense, I consider these clashes between journalists and partisanship a fascinating microcosm of one of the great problems society now faces. There is no nuance any more, as everything seems to be divided down the middle and the most prominent question asked is: ‘Are you with us or against us?’

It’s not a healthy way for society to behave, because it demonstrates a lack of thinking. And if society is not encouraging free thought, it simply won’t evolve. I find it ironic that many of the people who allegedly wanted to censor Greenwald would consider themselves to be progressive, but their actions are anything but. Then again, tribalism, by its nature, tends to encourage people to be stuck in their ways and unable to move forward.

Ultimately, media outlets need to look at what has happened to Glenn Greenwald and ask themselves what they want to be. Do they want to be seen as cheerleaders, or do they want to be taken seriously as journalists? Because the two ideas are mutually exclusive, and they need to realize that sooner rather than later.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
UK Leader Keir Starmer Calls for US Security Guarantee in Ukraine Peace Deal
Toronto Plane Crash: Delta Flight Ignites in a Fireball at Pearson Airport
NATO Chief Urges Higher Defense Expenditure in Europe
BYD Encounters Spike in Customer Grievances Regarding Smart EV Feature Implementation
Head of Russian Wealth Fund Emphasizes U.S. Dominance as Discussions Commence in Riyadh
DOGE Introduces Revised Treasury Identifier Strategies in Response to Federal Savings Initiatives.
Pope Francis Continues to be Hospitalized While Physicians Treat Complicated Infection
Meta Workers Voice Concerns Over Layoff Procedures Despite Company's Assertions of Performance-Driven Reductions
Iran Considers Moving Capital Due to Urban Difficulties
Elon Musk claims that millions of Americans aged between 100 and 159 are recorded in a vital US database.
Trump's Appearances in the Oval Office Reinterpret Presidential Communication
Starmer Calls for US 'Backstop' for Ukraine Peace Deal After European Leaders' Meeting
Scotland Initiates Early Release of Prisoners to Address Overcrowding
The Princess of Wales and Children Share Artistic Portraits
Policy on Refugee Citizenship Draws Criticism from Unions and Faith Leaders
Fibrus Broadband Service Faces Ongoing Challenges After Storm Éowyn
Caldicot School Enforces Strict Discipline Under New Leadership
Supreme Court Blocks Treasury Intervention in Car Loans Case
Bafta 2025: Conclave and The Brutalist Stand Out at the Awards Ceremony
Almost Two Billion Dollars of taxpayer funds are recovered by the DOGE Task Force after going unaccounted for during the Biden administration.
No, you corrupt European leaders—the Nazi genocide apparatus did NOT come about due to free speech.
U.S. State Department Removes Taiwan Independence Statement from Website
Eliminating opposition will not rescue Germany from Nazism—this is precisely what led Germany to become Nazi!
Transatlantic Gold Rush: Traders Shift Bullion in Response to Tariff Concerns and Market Turmoil
Elon Musk advocates for thorough and regular audits of US gold reserves as new proposals confront long-standing review methods.
Bill Ackman Invests in Uber as the Company Shifts Towards Profitability.
AI Giants Take on Nvidia's Supremacy with New Chip Innovations
US and Russian Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia Over Ending Ukraine Conflict. Ukraine and European leaders – who profit from this war – excluded from the negotiations.
Macron Convenes Urgent Summit as Business Model Amid Ukraine Conflict Faces Threat
Trump Administration Eases AI Restrictions Amid Scarlett Johansson’s Regulatory Demands
Trump’s Defense Secretary: Ukraine Won’t Join NATO or Regain Lost Territories
European Leaders Hold Urgent Summit on Ukraine in Light of US-Russia Peace Negotiations
Flight Reductions at Ronaldsway Airport Attributed to Demand Changes
JD Vance's Claims on Scottish Abortion Buffer Zones Elicit Controversy
Dogs Audition for Role in Glasgow Comedy Play Amidst Festival Celebrations
Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves Faces Scrutiny Over Expenses and CV Claims
Investigation Launched Following Fatal Shooting Outside Kent Pub
UK Ticket-Holder Wins £65 Million EuroMillions Jackpot on Valentine's Day
UK Military Insufficiently Resourced for Potential Ukraine Peacekeeping Mission, Former Army Chief Warns
Netflix Relocates Bafta Afterparty Following Fire at Chiltern Firehouse
Scottish A&E Waiting Times Reach Record Highs, Urging Call for Systemic Reforms
British Couple Detained in Iran as Family Seeks Safe Return
Zelensky Urges Increased Military Expansion in Europe as US Support Remains Uncertain
AI-Driven Virtual Boyfriends Rise in Popularity in China
Chinese Zoo Confesses to Painting Donkeys to Look Like Zebras
Zelensky Highlights the Importance of European Participation in Peace Negotiations at the Munich Security Conference.
Zelensky Prevents Trump-Backed Minerals Agreement Due to Security Issues
Trump's Legal Issues and Claim of Executive Power
Leaders of BRICS Set to Gather in Rio de Janeiro for July Summit
×