Longtime journalist Ted Koppel said recently that the New York Times and Washington Post are consistently anti-President Donald Trump and have changed from 50 years ago.
“I’m terribly concerned that when you talk about the New York Times these days, when you talk about the Washington Post these days, we’re not talking about the New York Times of 50 years ago. We are not talking about the Washington Post of 50 years ago,” Koppel said on March 7 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The video was highlighted on March 18 by the conservative watchdog NewsBusters.
“We’re talking about organizations that I believe have, in fact, decided as organizations that Donald J. Trump is bad for the United States,” Koppel said. “We have things appearing on the front page of the New York Times right now that never would have appeared 50 years ago.”
He said that the front page of the Times used to be all news but now contains analysis and opinion.
In one case, Koppel remembered getting to his copy of the Times during the presidential campaign and in disbelief reading the front page.
“I turned to my wife and I said, ‘The Times is absolutely committed to making sure that this guy does not get elected,'” he said.
Trump’s frequent comments about how the media is biased against him are accurate, Koppel said, noting that many people who described themselves as writers, journalists, or reporters are veering into activism.
“He’s not mistaken when so many of the liberal media, for example, described themselves as belonging to the Resistance. What does that mean? That’s not said by people who consider themselves reporters, objective reporters of facts,” Koppel said. “That’s the kind of language that’s used by people who genuinely believe, and I rather suspect with some justification, that Donald Trump is bad for the United States.”
“We are not the reservoir of objectivity that I think we were,” he added.
Koppel, who for 25 years anchored ABC’s “Nightline,” also criticized a number of media outlets in October 2018 during a National Press Club discussion.
Koppel noted how a number of media executives have admitted publicly that Trump is good for ratings, as his supporters and detractors like to tune in to see what’s happening. “Money, money … Donald Trump has been wonderful for the industry,” Koppel said.
Brian Stelter, a host at CNN who often reports negatively on Trump and conservatives, was also on the panel. “That means what? If ratings are up, that means what?” Stelter wondered.
Video: To consternation of @BrianStelter, Ted Koppel contended during 10/1 Kalb Report @PressClubDC: “You would be lost without @realDonaldTrump. CNN’s ratings would be in the toilet without Trump.” Stelter: “Ted, you know that’s not true. You’re playing for laughs.” #NPCLive pic.twitter.com/XGZl9yNzqh
— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) October 3, 2018
“The ratings are up, it means you can’t do without Donald Trump. You would be lost without Donald Trump,” Koppel said, though Stelter shook his head and claimed it wasn’t true. “CNN’s ratings would be in the toilet without Donald Trump,” Koppel added, prompting laughter from the audience.
Stelter said CNN and other networks aren’t making that much money covering Trump and claimed that it would be okay if CNN’s ratings fell by 40 percent.
Koppel then transitioned to another network to make a point, noting how talking about CNN seemed to be a “sensitive subject” for Stelter.
“Let’s get away from CNN,” Koppel said. “Let’s go to MSNBC. Is there a moment of the day when they are not focusing on Donald Trump or some intimately related subject?”
