My friend Matt Taiibi accepted an award the other night

Washington DC for the work he did on the Twitter files,

the expose that showed the nexus between the spy agencies,

big tech and big media and how dissenting voices,

dissenting journalism is all being censored now.

He said, I believe journalism began to lose its way

when we lost touch with what it is we actually do.

This was once more a trade than a profession.

Reporters reflexively looked at things from the perspective

of the general public because they were the general public.

They identified with cabbies, nurses, teachers, plumbers,

hardware store owners because that tended to be where they came from.

They once thought people who couldn't afford K street lobbyists,

the people who had the least representation needed to press the most.

Those audiences tend not to want special treatment

because they're not getting it.

They'll settle for the truth.

You get that for us.

We'll buy your paper.

That simple deal made things easy.

The stories of the boss.

We were supposed to follow facts wherever they led,

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