Journalists face slings with calm resolve
In the first years of my journalism career, I suggested to friends that it was unwise to mention my profession at certain social gatherings.
I wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed of what I had chosen as my life’s work — on the contrary, I feel honored and blessed to count myself among those who have, as they say, ink in their veins.
But in those fledgling years, I was unsure of how to deal with the disruptions or distractions my polarizing profession inspired among socializing strangers; unsure of how to convince them that we weren’t all jackals, not all like that obnoxious TV reporter in “Die Hard,” whose
bloodless quest to break news was exploitative, hurtful, if not downright dangerous.
But as the years passed and my footing in the news world steadied, I learned that such criticism is part of the job and that there is always the next slammed door, the next hangup on the phone, the next angry voicemail or comment at the bottom of an online story.
It has ever been thus. Journalists are nosy things, burrs in the saddle, bulldogs, beacons shedding light in the darkest corners, invasive and inquisitive and, yes, sometimes irritating as hell, especially to those who have something to hide.
I’ve learned that the best way to convince someone that I’m not a heartless vulture, if that’s possible, is to do my job fairly and accurately and to be as open about that as I can.
That’s especially true in this era of “fake news,” fast news and a president who calls the media the “enemy of the people,” even for those of us who toil far from Washington, D.C.
This week, I was asked how I would have reacted had I been in the shoes of ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega, who during a presidential news conference Monday had her intelligence insulted live on television.
For those who missed it, President Trump called on Vega, and while she reached behind her for a microphone, he riffed: “She’s shocked that I picked her. She’s in a state of shock.”
To which Vega replied: “I’m not. Thank you, Mr. President.”
As the mob of mostly male staffers behind him smirked and chuckled, Trump, possibly misunderstanding “thank you” for “thinking,” jabbed: “That’s OK, I know you’re not thinking. You never do.”
Vega responded: “I’m sorry?”
“No, go ahead,” Trump said. “Go ahead.”
And she did, not missing a beat.
A friend of mine remarked that she could not understand why any journalist would stand to be treated that way. Had it been her, she said, she would have yelled — well, to paraphrase — “You (expletive) you, you old (expletive) worthless (expletive)!”
Then she would have dropped the mic and walked away smiling.
But had it been me, I told her, I hope I would have maintained as much calm resolve as Vega to continue to do my job, ask my question and leave the pundits and the public to cast aspersions or adulations.
I suspect every reporter feels about the same.
To be clear, I am luckier than my counterparts who cover politics and government and receive more brickbats than bouquets than I do. It’s also far easier in this social media-driven world to be a columnist, who is afforded a platform of opinion, than a reporter, who is not. Both positions, however, require a professionalism and a calm resolve as exhibited by Vega.
Both also require us to know enough when what we’re reporting rings untrue. Such untruths must be countered.
Of course, we’ve earned some of the criticism we receive. I know I have. We can and should do better to earn the trust of our readers, to understand where they come from and who they are. We make mistakes, and we must be held accountable. We take a point of view, and we must explain why. We detect a falsehood, a lie, and we must expose it.
Our job is to hold the powerful accountable and to give voice to the powerless. It’s a good job to have, no matter the slings and arrows.
I have several frequent critics, one of whom wakes up before dawn to send me an email on how much he despises what I do and how shocked he is I’m still allowed to do it. It’s an interesting way to start the day.
Repeatedly, I’ve asked him to join me for coffee and conversation so I can learn more about his grievances and he can learn more about me and this crazy profession of mine.
He’s never taken me up on that. But I’m still open.