Two Chairs Tweeting
Georgia’s new state GOP Chair posted a lengthy, Twitter Blue criticism of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s coverage of his party’s convention. Weeks earlier, the state Democratic Party Chair was the AJC’s guest at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Is either relationship between politicians and the press ideal?
This past weekend, Georgia was, again, the “center of the political universe” as former President Donald Trump made his first speech since his indictment by the Justice Department. The venue was Georgia’s state Republican Party convention in which the party elected its new officers ahead of 2024.
There was a surge of new delegates supportive of President Trump while several top state Republicans like Gov. Kemp skipped it altogether.
MAGA media outlets allied with Steve Bannon (no relation) have actively pushed a grass roots strategy to take over the state party since their arrival on Georgia’s media landscape after Trump’s close election loss in 2020.
On Monday, the newly elected party chair, former State Senator Josh McKoon, tweeted a photo of that day’s AJC front page with a lengthy criticism of its coverage of his own election.
Towards the end, McKoon stated “this demonstrates why we must have our own robust communications capacity to get the truth out because we cannot expect anything approaching a fair shake from the legacy media anymore. A sad reality in 2023 America but a reality nonetheless.”
This echoes longstanding conservative criticism of the media which led to the creation of an extensive right-wing ecosystem from Fox News and talk radio to foundation-funded magazines and training and fellowships for young, conservative journalists.
The original reasons were to counter liberal bias in the mainstream media, but not necessarily replace them altogether. Placing conservative journalists within elite mainstream outlets was also a goal.
But increasingly, any engagement with the mainstream press is viewed negatively by a large swath of conservatives.
That’s led to a push towards building conservative local media outlets, as in Florida.
In Georgia, President Trump’s attacks on officials like Gov. Kemp and Sect. of State Brad Raffensperger meant these “mainstream conservatives” had to lean heavily on the AJC and legacy local outlets during the 2022 primaries.
Staffers for the Trump-backed Herschel Walker campaign, which easily won its primary thanks to name recognition, did regularly attack the AJC and its political coverage in the fall.
Apart from Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff is famously combative with the mainstream press, to the delight of many in the Republican base.
Access and Allies
By contrast, Georgia Democratic Party Chair Representative Nikema Williams tweeted out her attendance as guest of the AJC and its political reporters at this year’s White House Correspondence Dinner saying “A #FreePress is one of the pillars of our democracy! Honoring journalism excellence with the @ajc crew at the White House Correspondents Dinner. #WHCD”
For all its celebration of a Free Press, the White House Correspondents Dinner has come to symbolize access journalism in which reporters and their sources get too cozy. It’s at the heart of charges of elitism against the press and political culture, where career advancement takes precedence over the public interest.
Criticism of the WHCD crops up every year and the New York Times stopped participating, though not covering it, over a decade ago after a blistering critique of the press’ role in the Iraq war by comedian Stephen Colbert, then in character as a post-Truth TV host.
The AJC’s presence follows its parent company Cox Enterprises’ purchase of Axios for half a billion dollars last year. While a stated reason for the deal was to scale an effort to help save local journalism by launching high-quality local newsletters in major cities, Axios made its reputation through access to powerful figures, especially in Washington.
It’s very much a participant and active player in the parties and tables surrounding the White House Correspondents Dinner.
The Left Hates Elitism Too.
Criticism of the media and access relationships with the powerful is also growing on the left. All the campaign money that’s flooded into Georgia in recent years has enriched WSB and helped some political insiders get better gigs and book deals, but left abortion rights restricted and Georgia’s minimum wage at the bare minimum.
McKoon’s website for party chair includes a platform plank on developing “a strategic messaging plan which includes podcasts, videos, regularly scheduled emails, and a greater social media presence.”
A Democratic attempt in 2022 at “pink slime” partisan local sights in Georgia, run by D.C. operatives, backfired when it was caught plagiarizing a mainstream newspaper reporter’s article without crediting the original reporting.
A more successful, in campaign messaging terms, viral moment over Gov. Kemp’s stance on Plan B contraception was the work of a Chicago-based Progressive radio station.
There has been a flourishing of left-leaning, independent news sites surrounding Atlanta’s “Cop City” controversies, outlets that have broken stories and shifted the discourse, but they’re as much the result of frustration with the AJC and critical of Georgia Democrats over the issue.
Emails sent earlier this week to both State Sen. McKoon and Representative Williams through their websites seeking comment were not returned.
To Sen. McKoon, I asked specifically about this past legislative session’s cut to state-run Georgia Public Broadcasting and whether as party chair, he wants more cuts next year. As to the decline in public trust in the media, I asked if it was at all linked to the economics of local journalism and shrinking newsrooms due to advertising dollars shifting online and especially to a few Big Tech firms.
Does he support any public policy solutions or is more partisan local media the only answer.
To Representative Williams, I asked if Georgia Democrats will match Republican efforts at a “robust communications capacity” of its own.
Also, if support for a free press means refraining from criticizing the AJC and Cox Enterprises even when warranted.
I also asked for any statement on the unionization effort at the Athens Banner-Herald and Savannah Morning News.
A haves and have-nots within the ranks of journalists isn’t healthy either.
