During a recent appearance on MS NOW's "The Rachel Maddow Show," Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) made a striking comparison, likening CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss to "a reporter on the payroll of Vladimir Putin.
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This bold statement came in response to Weiss's decision to pull a "60 Minutes" segment, reportedly due to concerns that the outlet had not sufficiently engaged Trump administration officials for on-the-record comments.
As reported by Breitbart, Raskin's remarks suggested that CBS was behaving as if it were "state-controlled TV." This accusation raises questions about the accountability of major media corporations, such as CBS and its parent company, Paramount, to their shareholders, Congress, and the public.
Host Rachel Maddow posed a pertinent question, asking, "In what ways are companies like CBS or Paramount, or any of the parent companies involved here, accountable to their shareholders, accountable to Congress, accountable to the people, if they decide to be part of a plot like this by the government?"
Raskin acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting, "We havent quite dealt with the situation like this before, and were going to have to explore what are the different avenues for demanding accountability." He further alleged that President Trump was exerting influence over the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to manipulate mergers and extract concessions from broadcast networks, thereby gaining control over them through "coercive manipulations."
The congressman emphasized the need for shareholders and independent media entities to take a stand, suggesting that such actions could pressure individuals like Weiss to uphold journalistic integrity. "And maybe, you know, that would shame or humiliate someone like Bari Weiss into acting like, you know, a real journalist as opposed to, you know, a reporter on the payroll of Vladimir Putin in Moscow," Raskin stated.
He concluded by asserting that these media entities are currently operating as "state-controlled TV entities that are part of an inside power operation."
The implications of Raskin's comments are significant, as they touch upon the broader issue of media independence and the potential influence of government over news organizations. The debate over media accountability and the role of shareholders and independent journalists in maintaining the integrity of the press remains a critical topic in today's political landscape.
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