ON NOT BEING CYNICAL

Just heard Brit Hume mock Juan Williams on Fox News Sunday for saying that journalists should be critical of authority. Don't have the transcript, but it sounded to me like Hume said "ah, the romance of journalism. . .speak truth to power." Would be funny if it weren't so revealing about the journalistic ethos of Fox's managing editor and chief Washington correspondent.

If I were having a discussion with another teacher, and if, in response to my belief that the role of teaching is to get students to develop their capacities, that teacher mocked me with something like "ah, the romance of teaching: Humboldt, Socrates, Mill, oh my!" -- I'd think that person was irretrievably corrupt.

What is journalism about if it's not about checking authority? A network that bills itself as featuring "the most powerful name in news" has already given its answer, I think.

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Here's the transcript from the exchange:

WILLIAMS: No, I think [American journalism] should tilt in a way that would challenge authority.

HUME: Ah, here we go. Ah, yes.

WILLIAMS: You don't think journalism should, in fact, challenge...

HUME: Ah, the romance of journalism, to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

HUME: To challenge authority, speak truth to power.

WILLIAMS: Is that wrong, Brit?

KRISTOL: They should challenge liberal authority.

WILLIAMS: They should challenge all authority.

Funny stuff. Makes my side hurt.