While not every reporter out there is liberally biased, a hell of a lot of them are and it shines through daily in their reporting, whether it be on a cable news network, a print newspaper, or an online outlet or social media platform.

Not surprisingly, a growing number of understandably fed-up Republicans have moved more and more towards accommodating alternative and independent news media sources, something we saw happen with increasing frequency during the Trump administration and most recently with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who triggered some traditional media outlets Friday when it was discovered which reporters were granted press passes to cover the state Republican convention, as we previously reported.

Exhibit A:

Been intrigue around which media outlets were given credentials (many were not) to cover @FloridaGOP convention

Got my hands on the press list.Looks way different than the past

The credential process was broken down by what someone can cover: Sunshine Summit & Victory Dinner pic.twitter.com/CCNh2rYFdp

— Matt Dixon (@Mdixon55) July 23, 2022

In response, panicked journalist David Freedlander from New York Mag’s Intelligencer responded by writing a lengthy piece in which he chided Republicans for shunning the press, and seemingly wondering what has changed from “six years ago” when Republicans like Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz were, in Freedlander’s view, given gracious coverage by the media:

This view — that approval from the mainstream press isn’t just unnecessary but actually suspect — is one that has come to dominate GOP politics in the Trump era. And while railing against the so-called liberal media has long been a part of the Republican playbook, more than a dozen GOP campaign operatives, senior Hill aides, and political reporters from major news outlets say the past few years have brought something new: actively courting the media’s scorn while avoiding anything that may be viewed as consorting with the enemy.

[…]

It wasn’t just Paul, Cruz, and Rubio [in 2016]. Take a look at any of the prestige- and Establishment-media outlets from around this time (including this one), and all of their pages were graced with the Jeb Bushes, Chris Christies, John Kasichs, and other contenders who were making up an already overstuffed presidential-primary field.

We are at the same point now in the 2024 election cycle, and again two fistfuls of Republicans are making noises about running for president. But that kind of long look at the life and career of the contenders has been all but absent so far this election cycle.

Though Freedlander spent much of his piece (which was also picked up by Vanity Fair) pondering what’s changed and why for Republicans and why they are more likely to sit down with a non-traditional media outfit than they are a “major” media outlet, he answered his own question midway through, as noted below in a tweet that succinctly paraphrased what he wrote:

enjoying this piece on why republicans don't talk to the press as much anymore. first guy says "reporters are mostly democrats who hate us" and then the author responds with "well, what could republicans even tell us anyway? they're awful" pic.twitter.com/g0YREYtan1

— Joe Gabriel Simonson (@SaysSimonson) July 26, 2022

I’d say that, in a nutshell, pretty much says it all.

At this stage in the game, Republicans know they are unlikely to get a fair shake from the mainstream press (and, for that matter, the Presidential Debates Commission), which is why many of them have changed the way they’re operating going forward.

Good for them. This is not about getting fawning coverage from the MSM; it’s about getting fair and balanced treatment. Period.

Flashback: Ron DeSantis Wins Again After ‘News’ Outlet Shamed Into Correcting Viral Fake News Story