How Journalism Became a Dirty Word

It happened during the third Republican presidential debate in Boulder, Colorado, as the line of questioning veered between vacuous and combative. Within 15 minutes, the moderators had asked the candidates to explain their “biggest weakness,” quizzed Donald Trump on his “comicbook version of a presidential campaign,” and prodded Jeb Bush about his falling “stock” in the race. By the time CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla turned to Ted Cruz with a question about his problem-solving ability, the Texas senator was ready to unload. “Let me say something at the outset,” Cruz fired back. “The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media. This is not a cage match . . . The questions that are being asked shouldn’t be trying to get people to tear into each other. It should be, ‘What are your substantive solutions to people who are hurting?’”2 As Cruz delivered his punch line, a focus group of prospective voters turned their reaction dials in unison—a very good sign for Cruz. A dial-test