Hillary Clinton: Today's media is more entertainment, less facts
Storrs, Connecticut (CNN) – Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lamented the state of journalism on Wednesday, telling an audience at the University of Connecticut that journalism is now driven more by entertainment than fact based reporting.
Clinton, who has been the focus of national media attention since the early 1990s, told the 2,300-person audience that "journalism has changed quite a bit in a way that is not good for the country and not good for journalism."
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"A lot of serious news reporting has become more entertainment driven and more opinion-driven as opposed to factual," she said. "People book onto the shows, political figures, commentators who will be controversial who will be provocative because it’s a good show. You might not learn anything but you might be entertained and I think that’s just become an unfortunate pattern that I wish could be broken."
Clinton's comments came as part of the question and answer portion to Wednesday’s event. University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst asked Clinton about how journalism has changed and whether journalists could help break gridlock that has halted work in Washington.
The former secretary of state went on to say that she feels there is a space for "explanatory journalism because there’s a lot going on in the world that needs explanation."
The former first lady also had a tip for journalists: Do your homework.
"It’s important for journalists to realize that they have to do their homework too and they really should be well-prepared when they interview people, when they talk about issues," she said. "I think that it’s with professional tweaking and creativity we could address some of the issues we know are plaguing journalism today."
Clinton has long been the focus of journalists' attention, which at times has caused an acrimonious view of media.
According to the diary of Diane Blair, a longtime Clinton confidant whose personal documents gained media attention earlier this year, Clinton regularly expressed frustration and a deep distrust of the media.
In January 1995, Blair wrote that Clinton expressed “her total exasperation with all this obsession and attention, and how hard she’s finding to conceal her contempt for it all.” On Thanksgiving Day 1996, Blair wrote that Clinton thought the press was “complete hypocrites.”
“Say they want the truth, want power to be transparent, but in fact they prefer the backstage manipulation of B. Bush, N. Reagan, B. Truman, R. Carter,” Blair wrote, listing several former first ladies. “On her death bed, wants to be able to say she was true to herself and is not going to do phoney makeovers to please others.”
When her husband, Bill Clinton, was president, many in the White House worried of a "vast right-wing conspiracy" that aimed to take down the Clinton White House. Some of that concern stemmed from the rise of right wing media and blogs.
Clinton's 2008 campaign also suffered from a sometimes tense relationship with the media. In 2008, former President Clinton railed against what he called "the most biased coverage in history," and both Clintons complained of what they believed to be pervasive sexism dominating the campaign narrative.
In response to her remarks, Tim Miller, executive director of American Rising PAC, a conservative research and media super PAC, said Clinton's problem with the media stemmed from "a lack of interest in transparency, not the media. She's never going to like anyone that tries to hold her accountable."
While in Storrs, Clinton also talked about National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, the future of the Ukraine-Russia relationship and the importance of youth participation.
Because the remarks came at University of Connecticut, a school whose basketball program won both Division I national championship in 2014, the former secretary of state also brandished some of her basketball bona fides, telling the audience that she was "a big fan" of Shabazz Napier, the men's senior guard.
"You just busted every bracket," Clinton said.
Clinton, who has used the last few months to travel the country and deliver paid speeches, has acknowledged that she is thinking about a presidential run in 2016. All polls have her as the Democratic frontrunner and it is likely that she would win the nomination if she won.
Former Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who attended Wednesday's event, said the former first lady should think about running, while Connecticut's Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he would support Clinton "when and if she does."
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Be careful what you wish for, Clinton. Real journalists know where places like Benghazi are.
I completely agree with Hillary here. I also believe that Journalism has gone the way of 'special interests' and one-sided/political vs. neutral and factual views. When I look at news, I tend to look at mutliple sources and create my own views based on what I read. I can also spot the 'gratuitous' vs. 'informative articles'. Some things I just dont read because its too shallow.
It's 'FEWER' facts!
Pot meet kettle. Half the things that come out of this woman's mouth are fiction. The irony of her statement is truly shocking.
Couldn't agree with her more. Too much opinion touted as fact that includes stereotypes and generalizations. Sad part is they get away with it and many people buy into it without doing their own independent research.
When media is for profit what do you expect. We live in a society where people want to be told what to think. They will deny it to their dying day, but few have the courage for real thought. The thing is, people will rarely be objective and honest when telling you what you should think.
Attacking the messenger "In January 1995, Blair wrote that Clinton expressed “her total exasperation with all this obsession and attention, and how hard she’s finding to conceal her contempt for it all.” On Thanksgiving Day 1996, Blair wrote that Clinton thought the press was “complete hypocrites." It is easy to do this kind of discrediting the messenger rather than looking to self for improvement. Journalism doesn't suffer death, it doesn't live any longer.
Run Hilary Run !
exactly. If it were more facts more people would know what a scumbag she is.
No Kidding!
But had journalism not faded so badly, would her former boss have actually been elected? Doubtful.
When so much of the political news available is filled with lies, misdirection, and self-seerving blah-blah-blah, we might as well be entertained. Looking no further than her own house, how much time and country's money was spent sorting out lies? And I'm not even including her part in Benghazi? Methinks she contributed to the current state of journalism.
Hillary is quite right. Journalists have become jokers if not entertainers. They are very interested to write or talk about issues which are not beneficial to people at all, like writing about "selfies". Who is going to benefit from hearing or reading something that someone took a "selfie"? if that is not an entertainment what is it? Are we living on the Globe of fantansies? Are all the problems we have been solved and what we are left with is to relax and enjoy? These people who opted to take this career (journalism), are failing all of us and I wonder whether they are proud being called journalists! What are they proud of?
Even if what she says is true, is that really the best thing to be putting out publicly, when you'll be running for president in two years? Possible lack of judgement detected...
I agree 100%. Looking so forward to having Clinton lead this country forward!
If the media actually did their homework and reported accordingly, this woman would be selling cars somewhere in the mid-west.
The journalism of today is a far cry from what I studied 30 years ago. She's right to a large extent. It stems from the fact that advertising and the business end carry much more weight than the editorial side. And journalism has also become a matter of taste. Conservatives think Fox is great journalism, while liberals love MSNBC. Of course, the answer is somewhere in between. Another stumbling block is that people now view the media through the eyes of social media. Everyone thinks they are a journalist. Big mistake.
And she's exactly right. Too polite in fact.
Oh the irony CNN. It was so sad to see you turn into yet another Faux "News" with a different bias.
Have to agree with her. I mean, just look at CNN. The Malaysian Airlines flight was front and center on the website, and the lead story of every segment of "news," for 30+ days after its disappearance. The first couple of days, maybe a week, I could understand. But after that, did we really need it there every day? We weren't learning new elements about it, CNN was just rehashing the same facts and theories every day, with maybe a new wrinkle once or twice a week.
More facts, less theories/speculation/opinion pieces, please and thank you.
Beginning in 1975, FCC rules banned cross-ownership by a single entity of a daily newspaper and television or radio broadcast station operating in the same local “market.” Under the 2007 revised rule, the FCC evaluates a proposed cross-ownership combination on a case-by-case basis to determine whether it would be in the public interest – specifically, whether it would promote competition, localism and diversity.
Looks like they are doing a great job for the American people.
In response to her remarks, Tim Miller, executive director of American Rising PAC, a conservative research and media super PAC, said Clinton's problem with the media stemmed from "a lack of interest in transparency, not the media. She's never going to like anyone that tries to hold her accountable."
You kind of prove her point, Mr. Miller. Conflict and entertainment. Your acrimony regarding transparency is as phony as your super PAC.
She is absolutely telling the truth about the media. Most of them are either bought and paid for by one side or the other, or are wanting to bring down someone important in order to advance their own career. The days of objective reporting are long gone.
1. Real journalism is expensive; companies don't want to pay for it, neither does the public.
2. Unbiased journalism is open to attack for NOT being biased in the right way.
Journalism: Hillary Clinton has faded
Holy crap! I agree with her. Their going to take my life time NRA card now. I just know it.