THIS IS "MEDIABUZZ."
VIRTUALLY ALL THE PUNDITS
THOUGHT ROY MOORE WOULD EKE OUT
A WIN BUT SEEM TO BE RELIEVED
WHEN DOUG JONES SCORED HIS
VICTORY.
MEN *, AND RUTH MARCUS.
HAS THERE BEEN A PERCEPTION THE
MEDIA IN THIS COUNTRY WERE AT
LEAST RINGING THE ALARM BELLS.
MOLLIE: 52% OF THOSE POLLS DON'T
TRUST THE MEDIA.
ROY MOORE WAS PITTING HIMSELF
AGAINST NOT JUST THE ELITE OF
WASHINGTON BUT ALSO THE MEDIA
ELITE.
HAVING TALKED TO REPORTERS WHO
WROTE THE INITIAL STORIES OF THE
IT WAS NOT RECIPROCATED BY THE
REPORTERS DOING THE ACTUAL
HOWIE.
HOWIE: I SAW A CELEBRATORY UNDER
TONE TO ROY MOORE'S DEFEAT.
HEADLINES SAYING "SANITY
REIGNS."
MOLLIE: I THINK IT SPEAKS TO THE
STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF
JOURNALISM.
IF THIS STORY HAD COME OUT 5,
10, 15 YEARS AGO.
THAT HE DIDN'T AND HE ALMOST WON
SPEAKS TO THE CREDIBILITY
PROBLEMS THE GENERAL MEDIA
ESTABLISHMENT HAD.
BUT THE STRENGTH OF THE STORY
HELD UNDER UNDER SCRUTINY UNLIKE
OTHER PEOPLE TROTTED OUT BY
UNDER SCRUTINY.
BUT THE DANGER IS THAT BECAUSE
IT WAS EVEN THIS CLOSE SHOWS
PEOPLE AREN'T TRUSTING THE
MEDIA.
OF JOURNALISM IN THE MODERN
WORLD.
THERE IS MUCH MORE DISTRUST OF
THE MEDIA.
BUT I WOULD THINK HIS FAILURE TO
WITHDRAW WHEN THE ORIGINAL
ALLEGATIONS CAME OUT.
PEOPLE LIKE ME WERE BRACED FOR
BILL CLINTON TO QUIT WHEN THE
MONICA LEWINSKY STORY CAME OUT.
IT PROVES IF YOU STICK IT OUT,
YOU CAN STICK IT OUT.
PROBABLY MORE INDICATIVE TO ME
OF LESS CONTROL OF THE PARTY OF
ITS OWN ACTORS MORE THAN THE
STATURE OF THE PRESS.
HOWIE: YOU MENTIONED "THE
WASHINGTON POST" WHICH
ONE LATER WENT ON TV.
YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ONLINE
STORY ABOUT JOURNALISM.
LET'S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THAT.
TEENAGED GIRLS.
BACKFIRED RUNNING AGAINST THE
MEDIA?
LIBBY: STEPHANIE DID NOT GOING
DOWN TO ALABAMA LOOKING FOR DIRT
ON CANDIDATES.
SHE WENT DOWN THERE TO FIND
FOUGHT WHY THEY WERE SO INTO
THIS CANDIDATE AND WHY THEY HAD
BEEN SUPPORTING HIM AS A JUDGE.
YOUR JOB AS A REPORTER IS TO DIG
INTO IT, AND SHE SAYS SHE WAS
SO SHE DUG A LITTLE MORAL AND
CALLED AN EDITOR AND SAID I
TRUTH.
HOWIE: YOU HEARD SOME OF THE
REPUDIATION.
DO YOU THINK THE PRESS IS
PORTRAYING THIS AS A HUGE HIT
FOR DONALD TRUMP?
MOLLIE: THIS WHOLE RACE ABOUT
CHILDREN --
HOWIE: ALLEGEDLY.
I THINK THE MEDIA DIDN'T DO A
>> I HEAR YOUR POINT.
I READ A LOT OF GOOD STORIES
ASKING VOTERS ABOUT THE IDEA AND
THE HOWS.
PARTICULAR.
>> I THOUGHT WHAT WAS
POST AFTER ROY MOORE LOSES.
AND NOW IT'S NOT ABOUT MOORE,
IT'S ABOUT TRUMP.
LIBBY:
RUTH: ORIGINALLY THE WHITE HOUSE
POSITION WAS NO SENATE SEAT WILL
HAVE A PEDOPHILE OR CHILD
MOLESTER.
THEN IT WAS IF TRUE, IT
COMPLETELY SHIFTED TO IT'S
CONCERNING BUT IT'S MORE
GO TO ALABAMA.
MOORE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A SHIFTING
GOAL POST.
THE CANDIDATE LOST.
IT'S AMAZING THAT A DEMOCRAT
COULD WIN.
MOLLIE: MITCH MCCONNELL
INTERVENED IN THE RACE DURING
THE PRIMARY AND AND TALKED A
MOORE WAS THE PREFERRED