JC: Let me react. Yeah. Israel is an untouchable topic in the mainstream media. We know it. People have lost so many jobs over criticism of Israel. And it was a factor when I worked with Phil Donahue at MSNBC, why we got in trouble with management. Because we questioned Israel's actions. That's a given. But in terms of Trump, I think you've nailed it. I mean, he has an amazing ability to connect with his audience. It's a white audience; he tells him he loves them; he makes jokes; he'll talk in very non-politician-like ways. There's no doubt, he's got a mastery of mainstream media. He's got a mastery of television. I mean, when I look at the, who's to blame for the rise of Trump, you've got Jeff Zucker, was the president of NBC entertainment, that created "The Apprentice" for that ego known as Donald Trump. And then he moves over to CNN, and you remember in 2015 and the first months of 2016, at CNN they had basically an all-Trump-all-the-time policy. So Trump is a master of television, and I think he does have this connection to an audience that most Democratic politicians, with their vacillation and their talking with mush in their mouths, don't have. But you know, there's so many issues that you mentioned that should be in the national news, and on MSNBC and CNN it was Russia, Russia, Mueller, Mueller, Mueller. You know, FAIR did a survey and they found -- this was in July of this year -- not one segment on MSNBC on the U.S. role in the massacre in Yemen, the humanitarian crisis, U.S. and Saudi Arabia killing so many civilians. But while zero segments on Yemen, 465 segments mentioning Stormy Daniels. So I mean, we have a real failure in so-called liberal media and what they cover. And Iran and Israel -- I mean, it's a powder keg. You're right, it's a common thing, even at The New York Times, which is, you know, can be a strong newspaper. But they have this cliche' about Iran as the main state sponsor of terrorism in the world. We know that's not true, every expert knows it's not true. Saudi Arabia is the main sponsor. And as you say, we weren't attacked on September 11th by Iran; quite the contrary. So what I try to get people to do -- and 10 years at Ithaca College, my field of study was independent media -- divorce yourself from corporate, mainstream media and start really digging into the best independent outlets. We've really had a boom in independent media. But all of these critiques you're making of the political system, and the media system, I agree with. But I guess I have hope for a new generation, and a new generation with a new, independent media that's been booming.
RS: Well, on that note, I want to [laughs] thank, I guess, Jeff Cohen, who started FAIR, and then now, most recently, has been with RootsAction. And I saw you operate at the Democratic Convention, I know you're filled with optimism and insight. And you know, if it were your Democratic Party, I'd be much more --
JC: One day it's going to be someone's -- yeah, one day it will be.
RS: Well, that's it for this edition of Scheer Intelligence. Our producers are Josh Scheer and Isabel Carreon. Our engineers at KCRW are Kat Yore and Mario Diaz. And here at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at University of Southern California, Sebastian Grubaugh has been the man on the board. That's it, see you next week.
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