The Media Research Center had a little cleaning up to do media-wise, and one preferred method for that is to gush over people who interview President Trump. Jorge Bonilla wa first up in a Jan. 13 post:
The dust has settled on the second Trump interview of the Bari Weiss Era at CBS News. It is another positive step in the right direction, away from the usual talking point-laden gotchafests. For the chattering classes, they will most certainly hate it and hysterically point to it as further proof of Trump’s supposed erosion of the hallowed norms of the journalistic profession.
In keeping with CBS practices, the totality of the interview was quickly made available. In this instance, by airing in its entirety on the CBS Evening News.
Anchor Tony Dokoupil acquitted himself well, being firm but respectful. He brought questions, not talking points. He engaged, rather than scolded. This resulted in meaningful conversation, rather than performative confrontation.
The interview opened with Iran, and President Trump’s statement to Iran protesters about help being “on the way”, and a reaction to news of the regime’s hanging of protesters:
[…]The media writers may eventually take their shots at this interview for all the things it is not: the usual sneering, condescending affair by a legacy media elite who comes off as hating half the nation- á la Terry Moran last year. If anything, its comp is Norah O’Donnell for 60 Minutes.
What we got from Dokoupil was pretty straightforward: no softballs but also no preening. As it should be.
Bonilla didn’t mention that his employer has been praising Dokoupil’s right-wing turn of late, so going soft on him was pretty much in the cards.
Bonilla followed that with a dutiful fluff job on another Trump interview in a Jan. 21 post:
Before flying out to Davos, President Donald Trump sat down with Katie Pavlich for an extensive interview on her new and eponymous program. The interview was significant, newsworthy, and a refreshing departure from the usual Elitist Media fare.
Here are some of the most notable moments:
The rapid-fire interview went straight to business and opened with a question on the day’s biggest story: the anti-ICE protests in Minnesota that escalated to a church incursion and subsequent DoJ civil rights investigation.
[…]The interview proved to be a refreshing change of pace from the usual Elitist Media slop. Pavlich appears not to be consumed with the narcissist impulse to be the story. This allowed Pavlich to be efficient with her time, engage Trump on a wide array of matters, and emerge with a very newsworthy interview. A home run all around.
Bonilla failed to mention it, but this interview took place on NewsNation, where right-winger Pavlich has a new show and about which the MRC has regularly gushed. No wonder Bonilla thinks the interview was “a home run all around.” He also failed to note that the Trump-Pavlich interview drew a mere 75,000 viewers.