30 Apr 2025
I am not saying that, like, as in, we have different politics.
I mean, like, actually insane. Delusional. Zero self-awareness, or awareness of reality. Not everyone, but, mostly.
Experiencing that in person, talking to them in a social setting, realizing who our media is, gave me an epiphany: media bias isn’t about politics — it’s much more banal — it’s actually just narcissism of people who happen to be Democrats.
Like many reading this column, I’m sure, I always thought media bias was political activism. But after Saturday, I now think it is much more due to a degree of self-worship that makes it impossible for them to distinguish their own ego from truth itself.
For those of you unfamiliar with the event, the evening had everyone dress up in black tie, while we all sat to watch speeches and “prizes” they selected for themselves be delivered over dinner.
“There are only two forces that can carry light to all corners of the globe, the sun in the heavens, and the Associated Press down here,” some AP guy (I looked it up to write this, it was Zeke Miller) quoted as he accepted his “award” for something I can’t remember anymore.
Despite their only memorable work being Evan Vucci’s consistently brilliant photojournalism (not recognized), the AP was given the nod of special honor this year. The recognition was evidently really less about any journalism the AP published and more to just celebrate them for their protest regarding the “Gulf of America.”
The outlet is in an ongoing petty battle with the White House, in the free speech precedent of our time: whether Trump’s press shop is allowed to troll them for deadnaming the (technically legally name changed) “Gulf of America.” This is a matter of “the power of facts,” we were told Saturday. This is an existential issue for our country, we were told, nonironically.
I got up for a cigarette as CNN’s Abby Phillip — who kicked Ryan Girdusky off her show mid-segment for cracking a beeper joke about Mehdi Hasan a few months ago — walked to the podium to of course venerate the first amendment.
Hasan, a former MSNBC host and commentator, was dismissed from the network after clips surfaced (via Jon Levine’s Twitter) of him calling non-Muslims “cattle” and comparing homosexuals to pedophiles. He then launched his own outlet called “Zeteo,” and continues to provide commentary on cable news. In a heated back and forth on CNN last October, during which Hasan called conservatives “nazis,” Girdusky quipped, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.” Phillip immediately dumped out of the segment, and banished Girdusky from the studio.
When I stepped outside, I met two fellow smokers, from Politico. They seemed nice, we got to talking, showing each other photos of our children. Then they asked me what I do for work.
“I’m a consultant, I spent ten years in conservative media, and now I help corporate clients better understand and communicate with MAGA.”
“Business must be booming,” one replied.
“Thank God,” I had just shown her a photo of my kid!
“It must be difficult to understand and communicate with fascists,” the other followed, as we stepped back into the venue full of journalists sipping champagne less than two miles from the White House— of fascists.
As I got back to my seat, Alex Thompson of Axios was accepting his award for “impartiality, integrity and a deep knowledge of the presidency.”
He was being recognized for his retrospective reporting on Joe Biden being obviously demented for his entire term, with “fearless” Jake Tapper (Thompson literally described him that way).
“President Biden’s decline and its coverup by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception.”
I burst out laughing, “wow, you don’t say.”
Looked around, no one else seemed to find that funny.
“But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.”
“Some”— while he is accepting the award for the most brazen coverup of the most obvious story of the Biden presidency. Surreal thing to witness.
Thompson himself tweeted, in June, 2023, “Biden’s weird phrases are sometimes weaponized by the GOP to insinuate the 80-year-old president is in mental decline.”
“Some.” For sure.
To close the evening, White House Correspondents Association President Eugene Daniels delivered this, like, fire-and-brimstone lecture, declaring the organization “an example of American exceptionalism” and admonishing anyone who doesn’t submit to that claim.
This was the moment my realizations came into focus.
“Those of us who have chosen the public service of journalism … The work we do helps strengthen the fabric of our democracy … essential for democracy.”
He paused to allow a short video to play of Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and Obama attending past dinners— in an elaborate and highly produced dig at the administration that ditched.
Having an audience with the President for this stupid dinner of medium-well filet mignon is “to remind them that a strong fourth estate is essential for democracy,” Daniels insists to the hive.
“We miss our families and significant life moments in service to this job. We care deeply about accuracy and take seriously the heavy responsibility of being stewards of the public’s trust. What we are not is the ‘opposition.’ What we are not is the ‘enemy of the people,’ and what we are not is the ‘enemy of the state.’”
Standing applause. I’m sitting there, listening, not sure if there is someone in the room who went to actual war, like, combat, to defend the Constitution. Or, like, operated underground under threat of violence. No, he’s just talking about himself and his friends with laptop jobs. Alright.
Then it occurred to me.
“The sun in the heavens,” “truth tellers,” “fascism,” “fabric of our democracy”— what? This is actually crazy.
The media isn’t biased because it’s liberal, it’s biased because it has no concept of reality. The people who make media content are incapable of separating their own self-worship from objective truth. Their egos dictate that they are so important, they decide “the truth.”
And we mock them— and they don’t get the joke because they emotionally, just, can’t. How can Trump, conservatives, mock them, mock “truth?” In their understanding of themselves, and the world, and their place in it, mocking them — or otherwise ignoring them — is heresy!
They aren’t “biased,” they are personally appalled by Trump’s insults, and incensed by their diminishing relevance.
That they can sit less than two miles away from him, declare their importance, and no one cares. The next day he’ll ban a few of them from his plane, or call them a name, and millions of people will cheer, and otherwise life will go on as normal.
That’s the big threat; it’s a threat against their vanity. That is what they can’t tolerate. The warped coverage is not political, its personal.
Breitbart News
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