58 years of attacks on the media by powerful leaders trying to deflect criticism, from Nixon to Trump

On Friday, President Trump attacked the media at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, deriding outlets like the New York Times and CNN. Per The Conversation, this echoes tactics from the Nixon era, when Vice President Spiro Agnew denounced journalists as 'an effete corps of impudent snobs.' But a critical difference: in the nineteen-seventies, newspapers and broadcasters united against government pressure. Today, some within the industry—including newly installed CBS News leadership—appear to be moving differently, reportedly killing stories critical of the White House while claiming to champion objectivity. The piece argues that invoking 'bias' has become a tool for deflecting accountability rather than honest criticism.

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