Some US media are cheerleading Trump’s Venezuela raid. That’s not their job |
If you believe the early public opinion polls, Americans are uncertain about last weekend’s raid on Venezuela and the seizure of the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.
But many in the media seem to be trying to move that wavering needle to approval.
That’s especially true on the right, of course, where Fox News is leading a full-on cheering squad.
Even the right-leaning podcaster Megyn Kelly, a former Fox host herself, said the cable network’s early coverage was like watching Russian propaganda.
A great deal of the mainstream media seems reluctant to question Donald Trump’s stunning move. CBS News, under new editorial leadership, is leading that pack. Its Tuesday-night broadcast was practically Fox Lite, including a too-cute montage of AI-created images of the US secretary of state and former Florida senator, Marco Rubio, and these words from anchor Tony Dokoupil: “It is a sign of how Florida, once an American punchline, has become a leader on the world stage … Marco Rubio, we salute you.” The segment was meant to be lighthearted, but it struck many as tone-deaf, or just plain irresponsible, under the circumstances.
To their credit, influential global outlets like the Associated Press, Reuters, the Guardian, the Washington Post and........