Interview, Fireside Chat
John Avlon: Covering the Intersection of Politics and Power
- The response to 9/11 initiated a long war, a non-optional challenge where the 10th anniversary may trigger a public desire to move forward, risking a conflation of that response with the Iraq War if lessons are forgotten.
- Journalism is expected to be motivated by civic commitment, with an obligation to propose solutions alongside criticism, while the profession's mission-driven nature is deemed essential for democracy despite not being a high-margin venture.
- The newsroom plans to confront bullies, bigots, and hypocrites as a core mission, hire young reporters with center-right backgrounds for balance, and leverage history to impose perspective on current responsibilities.
- The Daily Beast projects it is well-positioned to cover the Trump administration by focusing on the intersections of politics, pop culture, and power.
- Hyper-partisan media, hate news, and fake news are predicted to continue deeply damaging the country, with hyper-partisanship potentially hijacking politics to create an inefficient democracy and foster demagoguery.
- The Mueller probe is identified as one of the great stories of the current time, with the expectation that failing to follow the facts could result in awful political alternatives.
- Washington's Farewell Address themes regarding combating hyper-partisanship are expected to remain relevant and appeal to both left and right to define common ground.
- Media economic models are anticipated to continue evolving as they catch up with audience numbers, while the current era is viewed as a significant period for journalists due to the clarity of the mission and the difficulty of the work.
- While the 9/11 experience is a defining moment that will not entirely wash off involved individuals, there is a prediction that people looking back will view the current time as the best era to be a journalist.