Context:

David Brooks argues on PBS NewsHour that the media must deliberately distance itself from the Democratic Party to preserve journalistic integrity, even as it recognizes the value of diverse outlets in a democracy. He contends that, since 2015, bashing Donald Trump has become a core driver of clicks and profits, shaping coverage more than objectivity. While condemning Trump’s ban on certain outlets, he warns that the press itself has drifted closer to political figures through off-the-record dinners, eroding essential independence. The piece urges a recommitment to treating politicians as subjects to cover rather than allies or spin doctors, with an emphasis on maintaining balance across parties. The outlook calls for recalibrating norms to sustain public trust and journalistic fairness going forward.

Dive Deeper:

• Brooks states that journalists should ‘play it straight’ and that the media’s role is to inform the public rather than to advocate for a party, while noting the industry sometimes deviates due to incentives.

• He cites Trump’s decision to ban certain outlets from the White House as improper, stressing that the public must have access to a variety of credible sources.

• A central claim is that mainstream media began to boost engagement by criticizing Trump, making an unspoken business model out of hostility toward him since 2015.

• Brooks describes off-the-record dinners with journalists, columnists, and politicians where there used to be distance from Democratic figures, a distance he says has diminished in many venues.

• He argues that reporters cover politicians they interact with, rather than rooting for them or acting as spin doctors, and he believes media outlets have not maintained sufficient separation from Democrats compared with Republicans.

• The call to action is to reestablish distance from the Democratic Party to preserve objectivity and credibility in journalism.

• The piece frames the issue as a broader concern for democracy, emphasizing the need for outlets like MS NOW or CNN to remain accessible and for the press to avoid partisan capture.