People working for a news organization, even those with a point of view, are supposed to exercise independent judgment.

Near counts more than far, familiar more than different. Such is the indictment against the press, that it fails to treat similar tragedies with equal dignity.

I think there's been an overestimation of how much the press can shape coverage and people's decisions.

The press is supposed to equip people to act as citizens and not just consumers of programming that happens to be news.

I'm not at an extreme, but I do think that Donald Trump is a self-created creature. But the media has feasted on his spectacle and he wouldn't live without the attention. He's repaid the favor by attacking the press, but that's generated more reactive coverage.

You know, trust in the press, polls show - from Pew and other places - have gone down significantly over the years. Maybe the press doesn't have that much ability to frame people's decisions.

After all, the reporters are the ones who get to ask the questions.