Jelani Cobb

I mean, David, I heard this in the past few weeks from people who are themselves very highly placed in the news business.

I mean, David, I heard this in the past few weeks from people who are themselves very highly placed in the news business.

I mean, David, I heard this in the past few weeks from people who are themselves very highly placed in the news business.

It's not encouraging. It seems like a dereliction of duty. It's still true. I think that also there's another part of this, like the parallel to this is, you know, there are many people who feel like they don't want to watch the news or listen to the news. There are journalists who wonder what the point is. And I've had those conversations, too. Like, is anyone listening to us?

It's not encouraging. It seems like a dereliction of duty. It's still true. I think that also there's another part of this, like the parallel to this is, you know, there are many people who feel like they don't want to watch the news or listen to the news. There are journalists who wonder what the point is. And I've had those conversations, too. Like, is anyone listening to us?

It's not encouraging. It seems like a dereliction of duty. It's still true. I think that also there's another part of this, like the parallel to this is, you know, there are many people who feel like they don't want to watch the news or listen to the news. There are journalists who wonder what the point is. And I've had those conversations, too. Like, is anyone listening to us?

Does anyone care if we point out things that are outrageous or disgusting? But don't they need to – I'm sorry, but don't they need to buck up and stand up too? Sure. But I think that we have to at least begin by acknowledging that we have this particular problem. Morale is not great.

Does anyone care if we point out things that are outrageous or disgusting? But don't they need to – I'm sorry, but don't they need to buck up and stand up too? Sure. But I think that we have to at least begin by acknowledging that we have this particular problem. Morale is not great.

Does anyone care if we point out things that are outrageous or disgusting? But don't they need to – I'm sorry, but don't they need to buck up and stand up too? Sure. But I think that we have to at least begin by acknowledging that we have this particular problem. Morale is not great.

And we have people who think that they've done their job to the best of their ability and it hasn't really made the difference that they hoped it might make. The thing that I point out when I'm talking with my students is we should never allow young or emerging journalists to have the idea that there's a one-to-one relationship between our effort and the outcome. Right.

And we have people who think that they've done their job to the best of their ability and it hasn't really made the difference that they hoped it might make. The thing that I point out when I'm talking with my students is we should never allow young or emerging journalists to have the idea that there's a one-to-one relationship between our effort and the outcome. Right.

And we have people who think that they've done their job to the best of their ability and it hasn't really made the difference that they hoped it might make. The thing that I point out when I'm talking with my students is we should never allow young or emerging journalists to have the idea that there's a one-to-one relationship between our effort and the outcome. Right.

I quote you, as a matter of fact, in talking about the number of stories that highlighted the misdeeds and misbehavior of powerful men that somehow never generated a Me Too movement. And then all of a sudden, there was one. And we don't know what the ratio is. It's unknowable, unpredictable, completely random.

I quote you, as a matter of fact, in talking about the number of stories that highlighted the misdeeds and misbehavior of powerful men that somehow never generated a Me Too movement. And then all of a sudden, there was one. And we don't know what the ratio is. It's unknowable, unpredictable, completely random.

I quote you, as a matter of fact, in talking about the number of stories that highlighted the misdeeds and misbehavior of powerful men that somehow never generated a Me Too movement. And then all of a sudden, there was one. And we don't know what the ratio is. It's unknowable, unpredictable, completely random.

And my version of encouragement has been that we keep doing the work until we get to that breakthrough moment where it actually really, really does make a difference.

And my version of encouragement has been that we keep doing the work until we get to that breakthrough moment where it actually really, really does make a difference.

And my version of encouragement has been that we keep doing the work until we get to that breakthrough moment where it actually really, really does make a difference.

I tend to think of this as a short-term strategy. You know, there was a boxer back in the 80s that you might remember named Frank the Animal Fletcher. I do.

I tend to think of this as a short-term strategy. You know, there was a boxer back in the 80s that you might remember named Frank the Animal Fletcher. I do.