Any way to take the offensive against the media?
Yes. Stop consuming it. That is the only thing you need to do. And yet,
somehow, simply turning off Fox or CNN is beyond the vast majority of people
who claim to believe that the media is the enemy.
Turn. It. Off.
I watched CNN on Election Night. The previous time I'd watched any
"news" was Fox News on Election Night 2016.
Turn. It. Off. And refuse to remain in the TV room if someone else insists on
watching it. If they ask, just tell them "I don't believe in Fake
News". – Vox Day
No matter how smart you
are, no matter how nice and sympathetic the reporter seems, no matter how
interesting your side of the story is, never forget that the deck is completely stacked
against you, as a friend of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh was
reminded in 2018:
This
kind of appreciation for the skill of your enemy is essential to dealing with
atheist materialists, whether in the old Soviet Union or in the modern media.
Sure, the press is filled with people who are incompetent and make unbelievable
mistakes. You and I might consider the MSM something of a joke. But don’t be
fooled. In the midst of the mediocrities, you’ll also find experts and
fanatics. You’ll meet people schooled in opposition research, psychological
warfare and emotional manipulation.
You don’t have to like these facts.
(In fact, you shouldn’t.) But you must respect reality. The reporter who has
just called you with a list of personal questions might be a goofball — or a
trained and skilled interrogator. Assume, to be on the safe side, that he is very
likely a deeply damaged, ideologically obsessed and angry human being. One who
cares nothing about you, fairness, or even your life. Just like the Russians
who tortured Fr. Ciszek.
The
Story Was Written Before They Even Contacted You
Every person who comes into the
media’s crosshairs should understand this. Nothing you say or do is going to
change the story they are going to write. Indeed, the story was written before
they even contacted you. They will falsify quotes and leave out facts. They
often have reams of opposition research (ugly tales about you) at the ready. If
so, they will slowly dole it out to set up and trick a naïve subject.
To
echo Fr. Ciszek: They are relentless, they are thorough, and they are good at
their trade. Acknowledging this and not expecting fair or decent treatment will
leave you more prepared than most. To become hysterical, or to even talk to
them, is to play into their hands. Treat them the way surfers treat sharks — as
a deadly adversary that should never be underestimated. I have been a
reporter for some many years myself, and I have done a lot of reading on
communism from The Gulag Archipelago to China’s Cultural
Revolution. So after I hung up with Farrow, I knew exactly what was happening.
I had been set up, and it had been a long time in the making.
That's the key to truly comprehending why you cannot talk
to the media. Never talk to the media. The story is already
written. Even those who are ex-media experts, such as Pax Dickenson and me,
only talk to the media in very rare and particular circumstances when we know
we can undermine the pre-written story. But most people haven't worked in media
for over a decade - remember, I was on the board of a television station in
addition to having 19 years of experience as a local columnist (St. Paul
Pioneer Press, Atlanta Journal/Constitution), as a nationally syndicated
columnist (Chronicle Features, Universal Press Syndicate), and as a magazine
contributor (Computer Gaming World, Electronic Entertainment) - and therefore
have no idea what the pre-written story is or how it can be, in certain
circumstances, undermined.
UPDATE: To be clear, Do Not Talk
To The Media also means Do Not Respond To Media Requests. Don't politely
decline. Don't obscenely decline. Don't write a wall of text explaining your
Very Important Personal Media Policy. Ignore it and delete the email, because
they can and will attempt to use anything you send them. Just ask Milo....
http://voxday.blogspot.com/2020/12/dont-talk-to-media-part-46567.html