Washington – President Barack Obama on Tuesday again bemoaned the political environment surrounding this year’s presidential elections and called on journalists to hold candidates and themselves to a higher standard.
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Obama spoke at the presentation of the Toner Prize, named for Robin Toner, the first woman to be national political correspondent for The New York Times. During her nearly 25 years there, Toner covered five presidential campaigns. She passed away in 2008.
Obama said the No. 1 question he gets when traveling the world is “What is happening in America?” He said it’s because people abroad understand America is the place where you “can’t afford completely crazy politics,” and they care about the most powerful nation on earth functioning effectively.
“We are all invested in making this system work. We are all responsible for its success, and it’s not just for the United States that this matters, it matters for the planet,” Obama said.
Obama called on media networks and producers to give reporters room to follow their instincts and dig deeper. He said Toner proved that just because something is substantive, doesn’t mean it lacks interest.
“A job well done is about more than just handing someone a microphone. It’s to probe and to question and to dig deeper and to demand more,” Obama said. “The electorate would be better served if that happened. It would be better served if billions of dollars in free media came with serious accountability, especially when politicians issue unworkable plans or make promises they cannot keep.”
Obama says he understands there are pressures “to feed the beast” with more gossipy, softer stories, but that leads to consumers failing to understand the world as well as they should, which has consequences for the country.
The Toner Prize was awarded to ProPublica’s Alec MacGillis for stories on campaign finance, lobbying and other influences on politics and governance.
Mr President,
Journalism died when YOU were running for office. This is evident because despite all the stories that were out there, lamestream media categorically refused to report on things about you.
So NOW you want the journalists to their job!?!? I really can’t wait for the manure to hit the fan about YOU, when we “find out” everything there is to know.
If only they did that 8 years ago
They left off the word, “GOP” candidates. He certainly doesn’t mean they should probe into Hillary. They won’t ask her about Benghazi, or the women her husband assaulted, or all the mysterious deaths around them …. No, we are talking only about GOP candidates.
He fails to realize he is one of the key reasons the political atmosphere is so crazy
And when will we start holding politicians accountable ?
Obama the fraud only got elected with the help of the media.
If the media did their job, Obama would have been opening door for Bill Clinton!
how about being ACCOUNTABLE for all the DAMAGE done by HIS ADMINISTRATION – single handedly – and all HIS executive Dictatorship orders