NOTE: This episode contains bad words.

On the latest episode of Editor in Grief, Jim and I sat down with journalist and columnist Brian Karem to talk about the state of journalism today. Brian, a veteran reporter and host of Just Ask the Question, pulled no punches as we discussed what he calls "bend over and take it in the a** journalism."

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The Problem with Decorum Journalism

Jim kicked things off by defining what he calls "decorum journalism," where reporters avoid asking tough questions to maintain access, keep sources happy, or avoid backlash from fellow journalists. Brian took that further, arguing that the real problem is a mix of inexperience, access journalism, and corporate consolidation. The old model—where seasoned reporters asked tough questions and held power to account—is fading fast. Instead, we have newsrooms filled with younger, less experienced reporters who are hesitant to challenge authority.

Brian pointed out that his mentors, Sam Donaldson and Helen Thomas, instilled in him the importance of asking questions—whether or not they get answered. “It doesn’t matter what the question is. It doesn’t matter if they answer it. It just matters that you ask it. That way you’ve put the issue on the record.”

The White House Press Room: A Case Study in Groupthink

We talked about how the White House press briefings have become performative. Brian recalled moments where reporters would speculate about what an official meant rather than just reporting what was actually said. That speculation would then turn into anonymous sourcing—one journalist repeating another's educated guess as insider information.

He also shared stories about how institutional knowledge has vanished from the front row of the briefing room. Where there used to be decades of experience, there’s now a fraction of that, and it shows. “The problem in that briefing room is not just a lack of education, responsibility, and experience,” Brian said. “It’s the idea that you’ve never covered a beat before. You don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”

The Real Cause: Corporate Consolidation

One of the biggest threats to journalism, according to Brian, is the monopolization of media. Six companies control 95% of what Americans see, read, and hear. “We don’t have real journalism today. We have cheap entertainment.” He pointed out that newsrooms used to be filled with reporters who broke major stories, but corporate ownership and cost-cutting have gutted those institutions.

Jim and I agreed. In our own experiences, we've seen vulture capitalists strip newsrooms for parts, cutting experienced reporters to save money while chasing profit margins that aren’t sustainable. The result? More clickbait, less investigative work, and a public that’s increasingly misinformed or disengaged.

How Do We Fix This?

Brian had a few ideas, and none of them involved waiting for billionaires to save us. He argued for breaking up media monopolies, providing tax incentives for local journalism, and supporting new models that prioritize actual reporting over entertainment.

Local journalism, he stressed, is key. “There are 45% of the counties in this country that don’t have a single local news outlet. That means no one is covering city councils, school boards, or local government corruption.” Without local journalism, there’s no accountability, and without accountability, democracy suffers.

The Bottom Line

This conversation reinforced what many of us in journalism already feel—our industry is in trouble, and it won’t fix itself. The corporate owners of media don’t care about informing the public; they care about turning a profit. And as long as we continue prioritizing access over accountability, entertainment over investigation, and groupthink over independence, the situation will only get worse.

Brian’s book, Free the Press, digs deeper into these issues. If you care about the future of journalism, it’s worth a read.