Comment: Mueller report is an acquittal for the media

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The President itches itching. Within 24 hours Donald Trump missed more than 50 tweets and retweets on Tuesday. Many of those aimed at those he declared archenemy: the non-conservative media.

Above all, the "Fake News New York Times", as he titled them this time. "True enemies of the people!", Trump repeated his threat to the most successful US newspaper, combined with a new level of egomania: The "NYT" should actually "fall on his knees before him and beg for forgiveness".

Trump's media hype is running at full speed since Russia special investigator Robert Mueller has submitted his report - of which sees Trump "completely relieved" - and instrumentalized this narrative now as a weapon against journalists.

I wonder if the New York Times wants to apologize for a second time, as they did after the 2016 Election. But this one wants to become a bigger and better apology. They are truly the Enemy of the People!

In fact, even before the Trump report was published, some journalists took the view that this was "one of the biggest media failures in our lifetime," complained the editor-in-chief of the conservative, yet often Trump-critical, National Review on Twitter. Large parts of America, also feared Matt Taibbi of the left "Rolling Stone", future allegations against Trump would no longer believe.

But a closer reading Mueller results in many places exactly the opposite: The media had - mostly - right.

Lies from the West Wing

Because of "Fake News". Again and again, Mueller's team confirmed the revelations of recent years about Trump and the Russian affair, such as in the "NYT" and the "Washington Post", but also on CNN, ABC, CBS or NBC. Often, the report even cited their research as circumstantial evidence, alone the "NYT" 83 times and the "Post" 62 times.

"The media are more present today than before this report was published," says the editor of the journal Columbia Journalism Review. The real lies, however, were Mueller according to the White House. Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders gets off particularly badly and is now completely discredited.

Yes, the report is an acquittal - for journalism.

Example 1: In July 2017, the "NYT" reported on the meeting of a Russian lawyer with a delegation of the Trump team at New York's Trump Tower the year before, in the midst of the election campaign: The Russians had lured "dirt" over Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump Jr., who attended the meeting, denied the occasion of the meeting. Mueller finally revealed this "denial" as a bold lie - and took the "NYT" article on the background of the meeting in large parts.

Example 2: In May 2017, several US media reported that Trump had put FBI boss James Comey at a private dinner under pressure to swear loyalty to him. Comey confirmed this presentation. "Fake News!" Trumped Trump though. But Mueller now presented "essential evidence", according to which the reports were correct.

REUTERS

Trump ex-campaign chief Paul Manafort

Example 3: Almost all allegations against Trump's ex-campaign boss Paul Manafort, who leaked in the media, have since been confirmed in two judicial cases against Manafort and now also in Mueller's report - including an article from the "NYT," internal survey data, according to the Manafort sent from the US election campaign over gang to a Russian-Ukrainian businessman with intelligence contacts.

Example 4: In early 2018, the "NYT" and the "Post" revealed that Trump had ordered his legal advisor Donald McGahn to initiate Mueller's release, which McGahn had denied. "Fake News, people," Trump claimed. But Mueller not only substantiated this story, but added, Trump has McGahn thereafter - in vain - urged a public denial. McGahn, who later abdicated, is the most-cited witness Mueller and will testify shortly before the congress.

DPA

Scandal book "Fire and Wrath"

Example 5: At the beginning of 2018, Michael Wolff caused a furore over the chaos in the White House with the scandal book "Fire and Wrath". Mueller confirmed now many controversial revelations Wolff - also the conclusion that the Trump team for a conspiracy with the Russians had been too ignorant.

Certainly: Some journalists and moderators have come to terms with the legal conclusion. But the media reconstructions of the mocking behind the scenes turn out to be largely correct. The Trump coverage - now also awarded several Pulitzer Prizes - was not the defeat of journalism, but the beacon of the free press.

Which in turn - which is probably the real point - has the effect that the Mueller report is no longer really shocking. Most of them have already been read and digested elsewhere: the countless contacts with Russia, the everyday lies, the intrigues, the norm violations. The US media have informed their readers perfectly - but unfortunately also dulled.