Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Phil Williams: In reporting on hate and extremism, 'while the attacks are personal, so is the cause'
Phil Williams: In reporting on hate and extremism, 'while the attacks are personal, so is the cause'
"Journalists like myself have a choice: surrender to the fascist mob that wants to intimidate the truth-tellers – or rededicate ourselves to doing what’s right no matter the cost."
Posted 1:41 PM, Dec 26, 2024
By: Phil Williams
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rarely in my nearly 40-year career as a journalist have I felt the target on my back as continuously and intensely as I have in the last 15 months.
Frankly, those are words that I hesitated to type. After all, we live in a time when some of the subjects of my investigations want me to feel that pressure. They want me to be intimidated. They want me to be afraid.
But you — as people who trust me to be a truth-teller in an age when truth can be elusive, as people I call my neighbors and friends — deserve to know what it is like to be in my shoes.
To be clear, this is not a plea for sympathy – far from it. I made a conscious decision to confront white supremacists, QAnon conspiracy theorists and other forms of political extremism. That was my choice — no one ordered me to do it — and I would make the same choice again because, in my view, it is important work for our democracy.
/snip/
I write so that you will see me and other journalists as fellow human beings who strive every day to tell you about who’s pulling the levers of power in your government.
Just like you, we are not perfect.
/snip
"Journalists like myself have a choice: surrender to the fascist mob that wants to intimidate the truth-tellers – or rededicate ourselves to doing what’s right no matter the cost."
Posted 1:41 PM, Dec 26, 2024
By: Phil Williams
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rarely in my nearly 40-year career as a journalist have I felt the target on my back as continuously and intensely as I have in the last 15 months.
Frankly, those are words that I hesitated to type. After all, we live in a time when some of the subjects of my investigations want me to feel that pressure. They want me to be intimidated. They want me to be afraid.
But you — as people who trust me to be a truth-teller in an age when truth can be elusive, as people I call my neighbors and friends — deserve to know what it is like to be in my shoes.
To be clear, this is not a plea for sympathy – far from it. I made a conscious decision to confront white supremacists, QAnon conspiracy theorists and other forms of political extremism. That was my choice — no one ordered me to do it — and I would make the same choice again because, in my view, it is important work for our democracy.
/snip/
I write so that you will see me and other journalists as fellow human beings who strive every day to tell you about who’s pulling the levers of power in your government.
Just like you, we are not perfect.
/snip
Phil is a fine example of a local news reporter (he works for WTVF in Nashville, TN) whose specialty is exposing RW extremism. I recommend reading the whole story - he's a fascinating guy and one hell of a reporter!
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
