Glenn Greenwald explains why so many of his liberal critics think he's too soft on Fox News — and why he's not apologizing to any of them [audio]

Sarah D | 3:37 PM on November 22, 2021

Despite being a well known leftist, Glenn Greenwald has the unusual distinction of being labeled by other leftists as a Republican, conservative, right-wing apologist.

And that’s in large part because, unlike so many of his contemporaries, Greenwald is willing to turn a critical eye toward the liberal media.

In a recent interview, Greenwald was asked to explain why he’s so intent on calling out liberal media malpractice instead of just sticking to bashing Fox News like pretty much everyone else.

There's apparently a shortage of people who criticize Fox News — contrary to my belief that billionaire-funded groups like Media Matters, CNN and MSNBC and digital liberal outlets do little else — and Democrats have united with "leftists" in an urgent call for me to do it more.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 22, 2021

Greenwald’s answer is certainly very illuminating, but it also just plain makes a lot of sense.

Listen:

For the union of Dems and AOC-leftists who have decided it's urgent that I use my platform to copy CNN, MSNBC, NYT, Media Matters, Daily Beast & basically every liberal digital outlet by spending my time discussing Fox, here's my 3-part answer to a critic who asked on @GetCallin. pic.twitter.com/W9tMlRIMPN

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 22, 2021

Here's Part 2 (excuse the choppiness: I mistakenly spoke where the connection was weak). Basically, it’s about how I chose to use my journalistic platform. From the time I began writing, I focused on what was being under-covered, not echo what everyone was saying (Orange Trump!). pic.twitter.com/Zfdjm77rMI

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 22, 2021

And finally Part 3. The easiest path in journalism is to echo the consensus. It creates popularity, generates invites and applause, avoids being attacked. I could’ve spent the last 5 years being @acosta: screeching about Trump and Fox. That's not why I went into journalism. pic.twitter.com/M0T1usdTEO

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 22, 2021

That’s ostensibly not why a lot of the MSM’s so-called journalists went into journalism, but it’s safe to say that it’s why so many of them are in journalism today.

Everyone can benefit from venturing outside of their echo chamber once in a while. What a shame that Glenn Greenwald is only one of a handful of journalists willing to do it.

Finally: that I cater what I say to staying on TV is moronic. If that were true, why did I spend 2016/17 saying all the things that would inevitably alienate me from MSNBC & CNN? If being on TV were my goal, I'd have been a fanatical Russiagater and Trump-is-Hitler hysteric.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 22, 2021

Conservatives have plenty of issues on which they’re likely to disagree with Greenwald. But one thing on which they can unequivocally agree is that the mainstream media is broken and seemingly only intent on doing further damage to themselves.