There is a difference between journalism and activism.
A journalist seeks to record an event accurately, then lay out the who, what, why, when and how of the story in a fair and impartial way. The journalist allows the reader to draw their own conclusions without trying to sway them by “spinning” or “slanting” the story in a specific way.
An activist almost always discards inconvenient facts in order to “spin” or “slant” their narrative – sometimes referred to as “their truth” – in order to sway the uninformed reader to their way of thinking.
I was a journalist for over 20 years. I was never an activist.
Sadly, the line between these two mutually exclusive entities has been blurred for many years now by those claiming to be journalists.
Which brings me to one Jim Acosta, a journalist activist for CNN.
Jim has the sadz today. He is no longer welcome in the White House after literally assaulting a White House intern who was merely attempting to do her job. Many on the left are claiming he never touched her. He did. His arm bar made contact with her person.
It may not be the “laying hands upon” as Sarah Sanders described in her statement. But it was still the legal definition of battery. Jim is lucky he is only facing being banned from the White House. If I were the press secretary, Jim would be in jail.
Also, if I were Jim’s boss at CNN, Jim would have been handed his pink slip upon his return to the newsroom. Then again, he would have been pulled from covering the White House months ago if I were his boss at CNN.
Jim’s actions are those of an activist. Barely better than the Antifa brats that attempted to break into Tucker Carlson’s home last night, terrorizing the man’s wife and children as he was going on the air. Such brave folks those Antifa brats, right?
(As an aside, attempt to break down my front door only if you have seen to your funeral arrangements first. I will consider any such unlawful attack as a direct threat, a clear and present danger, to the health and safety of myself and my family and will respond with all of the instruments of deadly force at my disposal. “We know where you sleep at night” qualifies as a direct threat for those Antifa thugs who were wondering.)
But back to Jim and CNN.
A reputable, legitimate news organization would not tolerate his conduct. He is no longer reporting the news (journalist) he is becoming the news (activist). Yesterday’s assault upon the integrity of journalism was a perfect study in what NOT to do at a press conference.
After you have asked your question and received your answer, you may ask for a follow up question. If granted, ask it and move on. If it is not granted, yield the floor and allow one of your colleagues to ask his or her question, especially if the person holding the presser calls upon another reporter.
Jim did not do this. He attempted – after first lecturing instead of inquiring – to veer off onto an entirely different subject from his first alleged question. He was told no and to relinquish the microphone.
Not only did he continue to try to ask a question, he refused to hand over the mic. The intern’s job was to retrieve it and be ready to hand it to the next reporter to be called on.
Jim’s first error was in not allowing her to take the mic. It did not belong to him. He has no First Amendment right to hog an entire press conference.
His second error was in striking the intern with his forearm and possibly his left hand. Looking at the image above, he definitely makes contact with her arm as she attempts to retrieve the White House’s property. No matter how much you want to spin it, he struck her and prevented her from doing her job. By law, he could be charged with battery.
He deserved to be banned from the White House. He also deserved to be grabbed by the Secret Service and thrown out through the nearest closed window, but alas, a civilized society frowns upon such actions of true justice these days.
That CNN and other media outlets are decrying Jim’s ban is a black mark on the profession and further evidence that today’s press has abandoned the responsibility that comes along with the privileges of the First Amendment. It also indicts them as political activists, possibly even more of a threat to our democracy than the black-hearted, black-clad Antifa thugs roaming our streets.
Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Happy Hairston, Gail Goodrich, Pat Reily, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Jamaal Wilkes, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Robert Horry, Derrick Fisher, and Pau Gasol were just some of the many great Lakers I watched play over the years.
