CNN’s Jim Acosta & Don Lemon added to my ‘Trusted Newsers’ list

Rachel Maddow. Janet Shamlian. Mike Signorile. Kevin Drum. Greg Sargent. Brian Karem. And now Jim Acosta & Don Lemon.

Each of those journalists have done exceptional work reporting on the tire fire masquerading as a presidential* administration. If I do one thing correctly before I go to my great reward in 2067 it’s this: persuading you to choose news sources carefully and deliberately.

Which is why I keep a running list of my most Trusted Newsers to help you make better choices. The list appears in the footer below and is updated/revised regularly.

I’ve been tweeting and urging White House press corps to do something, anything, that stands up to the incessant bullying by Sarah Ticklebacon Sandalwood and the statements of “dishonest media” by Trump.

Recently CNN’s Jim Acosta became so fed up with Huckleberry’s refusal to say “media isn’t the enemy” he walked out of the briefing room in disgust. You can actually hear Brian Karem (also a CrankyYank trusted newser) clapping-back at Sarah’s ridiculous statements during the testy exchange.

RELATED: FIGHT DISINFORMATION WITH BRIAN KAREM-LEVEL BADASSERY

Congratulations to Acosta for showing some balls; it’s something I’ve been advocating for more than a year now. We need more reporters to show this type of moxie when faced with an authoritarian and his mouthpiece. This is not normal, none of this is normal. Your responses should be commensurate with that situation as Jay Rosen has argued.

While we’re on the subject of fighting fire, Don Lemon is another new list addition. The more I see “CNN Sucks”—including on a button affixed to an infant—the more I want to come to the defense of this network and its journalists, some of whom I call friends. Lemon got into a kerfuffle with Trump over his interview with LeBron James, and nobody living on Earth 1 was buying it.

I’m not reposting any of Trump’s idiot stylings because he doesn’t deserve any hate-clicks. Suffice to say Don Lemon knows how to toss that shade right back.

Check bylines. Make careful choices in your news diet. Do NOT rely on Facebook as your source of news. When you read a story that moves you, thank the journalist who wrote it. Follow people who deserve signal-boosting. Discern.

We’re less than 100 days to the Midterm Elections and we need all hands—all informed hands—on deck. 🔵

 

 

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Will Pollock is a perpetually crabby New York City escapee based in Midtown Atlanta. He’s a freelance multimedia journalist, media analyst and author of two books (the award-wining Pizza for Good & Leaving Triscuit), with more on the way.

In 2001, Will earned his Masters from The Medill School of Journalism, graduating with highest honors from the magazine sequence. As permanent member of Journalism’s National Honors Society, he’s been active in monitoring, writing and blogging about media and journalism ever since he graduated.

Obsessed with good storytelling and journalistic excellence, Will uses snark, humor and reason to distill dumb shit and make it fun. He is a seeker/maker of non-consensus news, and cures his crankies by finding the nut in every story.

As for-profit media and news outlets continue to fail us, it’s more important than ever to find reliable sources. Authentic storytelling exists—you just have to look for it. On this blog you’ll get ideas, not ideology. Sass with class. Reporting with rapport. Evidence with a touch of evil. You get the idea.

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