“All these newspapers used to have foreign bureaus,” he said. “Now they don’t. They call us to explain to them what’s happening in Moscow and Cairo. Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington. The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That’s a sea change. They literally know nothing.” -Ben Rhodes
He's leaving out the huge disadvantage that his generation had due to lack of the internet and other advanced telecommunications.
Now, on-air journalists can have real-time video conversations with reporters, public officials, and ordinary people on the other side of the world, even against a backdrop of combat, large crowd demonstrations, ongoing hostage situations, natural disasters, etc And they also have access to real-time communications via Twitter and other social media, with a much wider range of people than roving reporters could ever connect with back in Rhodes heyday. And they don't have to go to a bricks-and-mortar library every time they need to check historical facts.
They also maintain networks of personal friends and former colleagues who are working in various industries, including many who are living and working in other countries, and they stay in regular, real-time contact with the people in their networks, so they know who's working where. Need a read on the mood in the streets in Taiwan, during the massive Hong Kong demonstrations? Hey, my college pal Jim was transferred to Taipei last year by his private equity firm employer -- I'll just shoot him a message and ask him to call me.
It's not accurate to say that young reporters today "literally know nothing". They actually know a hell of a lot more than 27-year-old Rhodes did. But they are also being professionally manipulated in a way that was impossible back then.
Except how many of them actually use the net to reach out? Give me 5 minutes and I could chat with a Hong Kong protester or someone in Tehran. Give CNN five minutes, they steal props out of CarrotTop's bag.
Love how she treats them like the spoiled children they are.
They must've grown up as spoiled children.
“All these newspapers used to have foreign bureaus,” he said. “Now they don’t. They call us to explain to them what’s happening in Moscow and Cairo. Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington. The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That’s a sea change. They literally know nothing.” -Ben Rhodes
He's leaving out the huge disadvantage that his generation had due to lack of the internet and other advanced telecommunications.
Now, on-air journalists can have real-time video conversations with reporters, public officials, and ordinary people on the other side of the world, even against a backdrop of combat, large crowd demonstrations, ongoing hostage situations, natural disasters, etc And they also have access to real-time communications via Twitter and other social media, with a much wider range of people than roving reporters could ever connect with back in Rhodes heyday. And they don't have to go to a bricks-and-mortar library every time they need to check historical facts.
They also maintain networks of personal friends and former colleagues who are working in various industries, including many who are living and working in other countries, and they stay in regular, real-time contact with the people in their networks, so they know who's working where. Need a read on the mood in the streets in Taiwan, during the massive Hong Kong demonstrations? Hey, my college pal Jim was transferred to Taipei last year by his private equity firm employer -- I'll just shoot him a message and ask him to call me.
It's not accurate to say that young reporters today "literally know nothing". They actually know a hell of a lot more than 27-year-old Rhodes did. But they are also being professionally manipulated in a way that was impossible back then.
Except how many of them actually use the net to reach out? Give me 5 minutes and I could chat with a Hong Kong protester or someone in Tehran. Give CNN five minutes, they steal props out of CarrotTop's bag.
And yet they are still dumb af.
I'd rather deal with a house full of actual spoiled children than 1 of those jerkoffs that call themselves journalists.