Shepard Smith’s denunciation of Trump is even more courageous and important than Edward R. Murrow’s denunciation of Senator Joe McCarthy in the early 1950s. Murrow was denouncing a demagogue with great power, but the subject of his historic words was not the President. He was a Senator.
Unlike Smith, Murrow also had the backing of a supportive news organization. Murrow was a media giant of his age. Murrow knew that he could move the country. Smith is one of manys of semi-famous news anchors. His position within the news industry, and especially within his organization was not secure. He could not be certain of the fallout from his act of bravery.
Murrow stood against a dangerous man, but as powerful as he was, McCarthy was only a Senator. Smith was calling out a demagogue with even greater power, the President of the United States. Smith did so from within an organization run by an oligarch, and master propagandist who has consistently supported Trump. Smith knew that he was talking to an audience that would largely be antagonistic to his views.
This post was published at Wall Street Examiner by Lee Adler ‘ February 19, 2017.
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