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What Is The Point of The Washington Post Opinion Section?

Posted By Andrew Stiles On In Politics | Comments Disabled

Donald Trump doesn't like the media. At least that's what he says publicly. He is obsessed with the media, much like a gambling addict is obsessed with casinos. To the extent that Trump really does hate the media, it's only because the media (apart from Fox News) hates Donald Trump. This is not surprising. The political media is almost universally populated by college graduates residing in Washington, D.C., or New York. It's not his best demographic.

That said, almost every aspect of Trump's relationship with the media is symbiotic. They don't like each other, but they are obsessed with one another, and obsessed with themselves. The media won't stop talking about Trump, so Trump won't stop talking about the media—and vice versa. If you like Trump, you probably don't like the mainstream media—and vice versa. Trump doesn't want the media to stop talking about him, and the media doesn't want Trump to stop talking about the media. He insists on making every news cycle about himself. The media happily obliges, because he rates well and drives traffic.

It's become a little tiresome, to say the least. Sure, it's the media's job to report the news, and Trump is constantly making news, and creating drama, much like a reality show producer who wants to keep the audience hooked. It's less clear why the media finds it necessary to maintain a voluminous stable of pundits and op-ed columnists who contribute very little to the so-called "national discussion" beyond shopworn diatribes against Trump's depravity, and the Republican Party's acquiescence.

Here's one example: The Washington Post opinion section. What, exactly, is the point? It is, perhaps not surprisingly, an endless stream of anti-Trump, anti-GOP tirades—the same familiar argument repeating into oblivion under different bylines. (Scroll down for a sample of the Post's opinion output since July.)

Trump is not a popular president, and the average Washington Post reader is unlikely to (un-ironically) own a MAGA hat. Maybe this is what customers demand. After all, the Daily Show thrived by placating a certain liberal subset's lust for affirmation of their moral superiority, especially during the Bush administration. People enjoy content that validates their worldview.

Critics of Fox News often accuse the network of creating an alternative reality for its viewers, but rarely consider the possibility that left-leaning media outlets—which is to say, practically all of them — are guilty of doing the same. Maybe it's because opinion journalists are just lazy, and can't think of anything interesting to write about it. One of the first things they teach in journalism school is the importance of finding a unique or unexplored angle from which to approach a topic. "Yes, Donald Trump, you are a 'racist'" (Jonathan Capehart, August 9) wouldn't make the cut.

Maybe it's because most journalists believe Trump is a unique mortal threat to democracy (and, more importantly, to journalism) requiring an all-hands-on-deck effort to defeat. It's a worldview that reflects the attitudes of Democratic primary voters in 2020, but is not as commonly shared outside of D.C. and New York, even among voters who dislike Trump. This is why so much of the "national political conversation" tends to come across as journalists yucking it up amongst themselves. Well, that's what it is.

Below is a sample of the Post's opinion output since July 2018. This isn't to suggest the paper never publishes anything worthwhile. (See here.) But it will make you wonder why Jeff Bezos doesn't just print "Trump is bad" at the top of every page. Think of all the money and column space it would save.

Eugene Robinson (Columnist focusing on politics and culture)

Dana Milbank (Op-ed columnist covering national politics)

EJ Dionne Jr. (Columnist covering national politics)

Catherine Rampell (Columnist covering economics, public policy, politics and culture)

Karen Tumulty (Columnist covering national politics)

David Ignatius (Columnist covering foreign affairs)

Jonathan Capehart (Opinion writer focusing on the intersection of social and cultural issues and politics)

Helaine Olen (Opinion writer focusing on politics, economics and American life)

Greg Sargent (Opinion writer covering national politics)

Paul Waldman (Opinion writer covering politics)