Feeding the Rage

In a candid interview about being a conservative reporter, Weekly Standard senior writer Matt Labash explained to JournalismJobs.com why conservative media has become so popular. "Because they feed the rage," Labash said. "We bring the pain to the liberal media. I say that mockingly, but it's true somewhat. We come with a strong point of view and people like point of view journalism. While all these hand-wringing Freedom Forum types talk about objectivity, the conservative media likes to rap the liberal media on the knuckles for not being objective. We've created this cottage industry in which it pays to be un-objective. ... Criticize other people for not being objective. Be as subjective as you want. It's a great little racket." Former executive editor of George Magazine Richard Blow commented on the interview, "I suspect that liberals would rather calm angry passions than incite them, that they seek harmony rather than promote division, and as earnest as that may sound, I still think it's better."