Kayleigh McEnany Would Have Failed Journalism School: Reporters Cover High Level Officials, They Don’t Celebrate Them

Ken MeyerMay 14th, 2020, 3:14 pm
 

It seems White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has a very misguided understanding of the Fourth Estate’s purpose and the president’s relationship with the press.

During a Thursday press gaggle, McEnany was asked what the White House will do if President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence get sick during the coronavirus pandemic. The question came after at least two White House staffers tested positive for Covid-19 this month.

“That’s not even something that we’re addressing,” McEnany said. “We’re keeping the president healthy. We’re keeping the vice president healthy, and, you know, they’re healthy at this moment and they’ll continue to be.”

When asked a follow-up question on whether the matter should be considered, McEnany answered “The president’s healthy. The vice president’s healthy, and I think that’s something all reporters should be celebrating and the American people as well.” The press secretary stood by her comments later on when complained on Twitter about a “misleading” tweet from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman (which quoted her own words).

Let’s stop right here to envision a journalism school multiple choice ethics question. “You’ve been covering an important political candidate who just won an election,” the question might read.  Do you:

(A) Call the campaign to help them pop corks at the upcoming gala;

(B) Buy the campaign staff gifts to celebrate;

(C) Call the campaign staff to offer your congratulations;

(D) Call the campaign staff with a milquetoast comment like, “You must be so relieved at the results; it’s been good to work with you; can we get an interview with the officeholder-elect;” or

(E) A, B, and C.

McEnany rose to prominence largely because she never answered (D).  And she is wrong.  The answer is (D).  It is not (E).

The constitutional purpose of the free press is to accurately and honestly gather information of importance to the public, then disseminate it to the masses — hopefully without bias or prejudice. “Celebrating” a journalistic subject is not part of a reporter’s responsibility. Assimilating, analyzing, and disseminating information, on the other hand, is.

The American Press Institute, which is connected with a number of journalistic educational institutions, defines the purpose of journalism as “providing citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments.” The White House Correspondents’ Association acknowledges in its mission statement that “an independent news media is vital to the health of the republic,” and that “each day, we work to ensure that the men and women who cover the White House have the ability to seek answers from powerful officials, up to and including the President.”

The key here is information. Even opinion-laden cable news broadcasts provide some information. Celebration is not information.

McEnany’s job is to engage with the press pool on a daily basis, so if she cares about doing it well, perhaps she should take a step back and reassess how journalism works. Criticizing the press for failing to celebrate is like criticizing the milk man for failing to deliver your FedEx package. It’s not his job. It’s not the press’s job to celebrate.

Since Trump rarely does interviews with adversarial outlets and journalists who might press him on the issues, he might be accustomed to conversations like Maria Bartiromo’s where she praised his “resilience,” parroted his dubious claims, and set him up to take easy shots at his political opponents. However, for the rest of the press, it is neither their role nor their obligation to “celebrate” the president as McEnany says they should, and it’s her job description to know that.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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