Springtime Sparks Journalist Revolt Inside Major Newsrooms

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In the hustle-bustle of springtime, major media conglomerates NBC News, The New York Times, and National Public Radio have found themselves at odds with their very own journalists. Now being obliged to reckon with the scrutiny typically reserved for the subjects they cover.

There’s nothing unusual about whistleblowing. In fact, it’s a common occurrence across numerous industries. But journalists, typically viewed as watchdogs and truth-seekers, often canny by nature and seasoned by generational shifts in attitudes favouring activism, are setting a unique precedent. There’s been an internal crisis brewing that’s leading to a wave of whistleblowing within their own newsrooms.


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Take, for example, the recent incident at NBC. The network had decided to bring on Ronna McDaniel, a former chief of the Republican National Committee, as a political contributor. This move was met with internal backlash from its significant personalities, resulting in NBC’s decision being overturned. Similarly, a National Public Radio editor found himself suspended and subsequently resigning after criticizing his organization’s tolerance for diverse viewpoints while the New York Times endured an internal enquiry over its Gaza coverage.

Journalists are naturally drawn towards holding authorities accountable, says Tom Rosenstiel, a professor at the University of Maryland and co-author of “The Elements of Journalism”. This spirit of asking tough questions and seeking accountability has been ingrained in journalists’ psyche and manifested recently in the challenges presented to newsroom management.

The revolt includes prominent figures such as Chuck Todd, a long-time interrogator of politicians on “Meet the Press,” and well-known MSNBC personalities such as Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, Joe Scarborough, Jen Psaki, Nicolle Wallace, and Lawrence O’Donnell, who all publicly protested the hiring decision.

Also gaining attention is NPR’s Uri Berliner, who publicly criticized his organization for what he felt was a bias towards a liberal viewpoint. Unfazed by the internal lack of support, Berliner even published an essay in a separate news outlet articulating his concerns and criticisms. Though NPR management asserted their disagreement with Berliner’s view, this particular act quickly underscored his standing among conservatives who share his beliefs.

Historically, journalism has seen numerous instances of internal protest. Women journalists in the 1970s sued The New York Times and The Associated Press over gender discrimination. The Los Angeles Times had journalists revealing shady profit-sharing deals, and a Chicago TV news anchor made news by resigning in protest of her station’s hiring decision.

Undoubtedly, the landscape of modern journalism is vastly different today. Many attribute this change to the evolving nature of newsroom ownership, with local families replaced by remote hedge funds. There’s also a generational shift in journalists’ attitudes — younger journalists are questioning traditional ideas of objectivity and are more vocally expressing their opinions, ultimately crafting a new breed of journalistic advocates.

Tom Rosenstiel offers his observation, “There are some journalists who say, ‘I’m not interested in covering conservatives because they are not interested in the truth’.” This generates a burgeoning culture war inside the field of journalism itself.

This internal upheaval has sparked the dismay of journalism traditionalists. Even former Washington Post editor Marty Baron expressed his disquiet with these trends in his memoir, “Collision of Power,” published in 2023. He noted a sense of distance emerging between him and his fellow journalists, particularly around opinions expressed over social media.

As this trend continues to evolve, the field of journalism keeps facilitating souls who are not afraid to question the status quo. The media’s coverage of its own machinations now interests the public more than it has in the past, indicating that these discussions and debates are likely to continue.

As Rosenstiel puts it, “Newsrooms are full of people who are often disgruntled.” Amidst this revelation, it looks like there might not be a shortage of stories from within the newsrooms themselves.