Glenn Greenwald v David Gregory - The state of journalism these days

Earlier today on NBC's Meet The Press, David Gregory had on as a guest, Glenn Greenwald, the man who broke the stories of NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

This was always gonna be interesting...

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Now, let's be honest here. Neither of these two people were starting from an attitude of trying to find the truth.  Both are basically political operatives, especially Glenn Greenwald.  Most journalists that operate in the Beltway bubble, are basically too close to Government to be truly independent of it, we've seen that before between 2001 and 2003.  And Glenn Greenwald has a history of attacking people who challenge him on his stories.  Trust me on that one, I've been on the recieving end.  He doesn't debate people, he just tries to humiliate them, which totally debases and devalues whatever points he was trying to make.

The fact is, the real story is getting lost in this "Where In The World is Edward Snowden?" nonsense, and also being lost in Glenn Greenwald's egomania.

The real story is this.  Why did two parties flip positions on this whole idea, just because a Democratic Party president is now in office as opposed to a Republican president?  Why do politicians think it's okay to have people spying on innocent civilians?  If it wasn't right for George W Bush's administration to do it, then it still isn't right for Barack Obama's administration to do it.

In Britain, our government is not really run by politicians, but by civil servants.  They keep the machinery of government operating all the time.  They're not called civil servants in the US, but basically, there are government workers, who are employed to keep the US Government operating, and basically, these people are not elected, they are employed, and basically, they, like most other workers, will do whatever it takes to justify their existence.  And there are similar individuals in most governments around the world.  That's who really runs your government.

There is no Illuminati, no secret organisation that controls governments worldwide.  It's much simpler than that.

But that's not what makes for good journalism these days.  Truth does not sell newspapers.  Truth does not sell advertising on talk radio stations.  Truth does not help the bottom line of media companies.  So, here's the truth about journalism these days.  Journalism is not about truth any more.  Journalism these days, is about supporting a political agenda, and using that agenda to make money from it.  Most so-called journalists these days are nothing more than political operatives supporting agendas that are designed to make money for their political and economic masters.  Reality and actuality have very little to do with journalism these days.  From Fox News, Sun News, The Daily Mail and The Daily Star on one side, to the Mirror, The Guardian, Current and MSNBC on the other, journalists these days are just about making money, and not about telling the truth. 

That's the reality of journalism today.

After Tim Russert: Meet The Press with...?

So, the speculation has begun, as to who will replace Tim Russert, both as Moderator of Meet The Press, and as Washington Bureau Chief.  Much like Spud over at Inside Cable News, I think the roles will go to two different people.

I will concentrate on the on-air role of Meet The Press host, rather than the Washington Bureau Chief role.  So who do I think might be the next host?

Brit Hume - Host of Special Report on Fox News Channel and panelist on Fox News Sunday.  Also Washington Managing Editor for Fox News.  More likely for Washington Bureau Chief, but an outside chance for Meet The Press.

Bob Schieffer - Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News and Anchor of Face The Nation.  Has just signed a new long term deal, so unlikely to move from CBS.

George Stephanopolus - ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent.  Not considered a likely successor. 

Gwen Ifill - Senior Correspondent at PBS Newshour and moderator of Washington Week on PBS.  She spent 5 years at NBC before moving to PBS.  She could be one of the dark horses who actually might be a great choice.

Gordon Peterson - Anchor at WJLA and host of Inside Washington.  Another dark horse who could do a very good job.

Andrea Mitchell - A senior Washington correspondent at NBC News and looks the favourite to my eyes.  Would be as big a story as Katie Couric anchoring the CBS Evening News.

David Gregory - Senior White House Correspondent for NBC News.  Another favourite in the eyes of the media, though has his own MSNBC show and no immediate replacement seems likely.

Joe Scarborough - Host of MSNBC's Morning Joe.  Longtime host on MSNBC, perhaps a little too opinionated for Meet The Press.  Outside shot.

Chris Matthews - Host of Hardball on MSNBC.  Has long been seen as natural successor, but could be too opinionated and loud for Meet The Press.  Other factors against include talk of a possible run for the Senate in 2010.

Keith Olbermann - Host and Managing Editor of Countdown on MSNBC.  Can't see him moving across to Washington.  Also, too opinionated.  Factor in his favour though is he is seen as ratings gold currerntly on Countdown.  Still an outside shot for the show.

Tom Brokaw - Special Correspondent for NBC News and former anchor of NBC Nightly News.  Anchored the special edition of Meet The Press paying tribute to Tim Russert.  Has the style and gravitas to make the show work, but not certain whether he would want to commit to a regular weekly show.  Still, a good each way bet.

Chuck Todd - Political Director at NBC News.  Has only recently become more of a presence in front of the camera, mostly works behind the scenes.  More likely for Washington Bureau Chief than Meet The Press.

So, to summarise, I think it will either be Andrea Mitchell, Gwen Ifill or Gordon Peterson who will host, with Tom Brokaw as a good each way bet.  Certainly there are other possibilities, such as Judy Woodroffe, longtime CNN anchor and now spreads her time between the PBS Newshour and Bloomberg, or Dan Rather, who was famously sacked from the CBS Evening News, and now hosts Dan Rather Reports on HDNet, but none of these people or the tons of others I could list, seem to be a good fit for Meet The Press.

I look forward to finding out who will become Moderator on Meet The Press.  And as Tim used to say, "If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press."

Tim Russert: 1950-2008

My first media encounter with Tim Russert was when NBC Super Channel arrived onto Astra 1 in 1995.  At the time, I knew nothing about what an American television network did.  So, NBC Super Channel was my first introduction to the world of American television networks. 

Meet The Press was something new to me.  A Sunday morning "Public Affairs" programme.  We had had Sunday morning political shows in the UK, but the term "Public Affairs" was new and confusing.  And whilst that confusion has lifted, I gained a respect for Tim and his love of politics.

For me, it has always been Meet The Press with Tim Russert, from NBC Super Channel to CNBC Europe, and then later to a downloadable podcast.  Meet The Press with Tim Russert was always a regular appointment.

The news of his death, is, quite understandably, a shock.  He was a consumate professional, a brilliant interviewer, and a wealth of knowledge and experience, almost encyclopedic, of the Washington political scene.

But more than that, Tim Russert shared his roots, his background with all of us, and you saw and felt just where he came from.  He was an "everyman" with the razor sharp lawyer's intellect. and the insights of someone who worked inside the Washington political machine, but never lost his grounding in what was real, what mattered outside the bubble of Washington politics.

As a journalist, he's an inspiration.  As a person, he couldn't have been more balanced.  Journalism has lost a real pro, and humanity has lost an everyman.  Tim Russert was just 58.