NRO: Just an MSM hostage

Check out my National Review Online column today as I ruminate upon being a conservative in the mainstream media -- and whether this means I have the Stockholm syndrome. A snippet:

"It sometimes seems to me that it would be easier to invite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a bar mitzvah than to defend the press to fellow conservatives.

I’ve tried it before, penning a tongue-in-cheek column about the insidious blogosphere acronym MSM (mainstream media), only to be pelted with FU and SOB initialism from offended right-leaning readers.

As a career journalist and lifelong Republican, I’ve often found myself caught between an elephant and a newspaper rack. How does one justify happily being a press-pass-carrying member of all that conservatives have come to detest?

Recently, a reader gently explained my problem to me: I’m suffering from the Stockholm syndrome.

Interestingly enough, every time the latest Iraq kidnapping tale hits the wires, my journalism colleagues note that I would make a horrible hostage. Between demanding a mirror to fix my hair before the requisite al Jazeera video and flinging my best flippant Arabic phrases at the New Balance-clad captors, I would, estimate my colleagues, be dead within ten minutes.

But being a hostage of the liberal media ain’t half-bad. Sure, one must endure sleep deprivation, and sources occasionally would like to rip your fingernails out, but newsrooms feed hostages well, with a steady supply of chips and salsa, and free pizza provided on nights of elections and national disasters. These are the people with whom I laugh, cry, drink, the people with whom I spend my holidays and watch televised police pursuits. Every day I willingly return for more.

But the Stockholm syndrome isn’t just about being comfortable in a hostage situation. It’s about developing loyalty to your captors. ..."

Read the whole thing! Then let it fly!

By the way, you guys may have noticed that I never use the MSM almost-acronym here. To tell you the truth, it just makes me laugh because it's so close to another acronym. Hey, sick journalist mind.

Comments

[Lewis B. Sckolnick]

But Mom!!!

[Reaps]

I like that. Nicely done. Especially the comments regarding 'cynical/smug libs and irreverant/pious conservatives'

It seems unfortunate that some notable chunks of 'the right' are slowly coming off their hinges too, if the current rumblings about 'FOX/O'Reilly/(insert someone from the right here who have recently said something you might disagree with) are leaning left'. This is the sort of drivel I expect from, well, notable chunks of the left. Perhaps 'relevant' would be a better term, but I'm confident you.. 'get what I mean'

What I'm finding particularly humourous at the moment is how people on the right are bitching about Murdoch dining with Hillary (because it makes him patently left-biased and therefore his ENTIRE NEWS ORGANISATION IS NOW LEFT BIASED), whilst those on the right are bitching that Hillary dined with Murdoch (which clearly means she's ACTUALLY A REPUBLICAN, WHAT?)

Well, humourous but somewhat disturbing at the same time.

[Lewis B. Sckolnick]

MSM always makes Bri think of her undergraduate days at the Montana School of Mines

[CraigC]

I got a kick out that, because I know exactly what you mean. I worked in the newsroom at a major D.C. network affiliate in the 80's. Everyone knew about my leanings because I wasn't shy about jumping into any discussion about politics. I especially drove 'em nuts with my spirited defenses of their bete noir of the moment Ronald Reagan.

But they were my friends, and I very much enjoyed the whole experience.

[Tom Enneking]

You are sadly mistaked if you think liberals are going to let conservatives get positions of leadership or decision making in our MSM media.

They like you because they can "step" on you.

[Bridget]

Reaps: Really good points -- I've noticed that there's one conservative site that posts my stuff nowadays only if they want to complain about it. I find it curious when folks aren't content enough with picking fights on the other side of the aisle...

Tom: Actually, I've noticed conservatives are more likely to get promoted because higher-ups like their strong business sense and that's the bottom line. Take it from someone repeatedly promoted in management roles. And you might be surprised to learn how many papers are owned by conservatives.