In defense of CBS News hiring former Trump official Mick Mulvaney

Politico

"Being a scoundrel isn’t disqualifying for a journalism job," says Jack Shafer. "If reporters and editors had to be pure to serve, newsrooms would be populated with kittens and bunnies instead of a bunch of flawed mortals pounding keyboards." He points out that many politicos have entered mainstream media, from Tim Russert to, reportedly Jen Psaki. "What grates some reporters the hardest about the Mulvaney appointment in specific and the hiring of other nonjournalists for journalism jobs, in general, is that it corrodes the idea that in order to be a journalist, one must have experience in the field, or at least a journalism credential, in order to succeed," says Shafer. "This, of course, is wrong, even though it might hurt some reporters’ feelings. CBS News’ desperation to improve its conservative and Republican sourcing by hiring a tarnished Trump toady does not speak well of its recruitment practices and its editorial development programs. There’s a vibrant conservative news establishment, with respectable magazines, sturdy websites and Substacky blogs from which deeply sourced and wildly intelligent journalists could be hired. If you think you need conservatives, get off your duff, CBS!"