Making Accuracy Great Again

Jack Newfield would have been proud.

On the evening of June 14, the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College hosted a program entitled “Reporting on Trump’s Washington: Investigative Reporting in the Jack Newfield Tradition,” featuring 2018 Pulitzer Prize recipients Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt, both of The New York Times. The setting was appropriate: as Hunter College President Jennifer J. Raab wittily pointed out, the Roosevelt House was the Trump Tower of President Franklin Roosevelt’s time.

Haberman and Schmidt are two of the most distinguished reporters following President Donald Trump, who has an uncanny ability to keep his name in the news on a daily basis. While Trump rails about what he likes to call “fake news,” these reporters are well known for their accuracy, depth and fairness.

Haberman and Schmidt are also conspicuous presences on cable news broadcasts. In fact, after he left the Roosevelt House, the tireless Schmidt appeared on two segments of Brian Williams’ MSNBC show beginning at 11:00 p.m. On the subject of “The Fourth Estate,” the Showtime documentary series about The New York Times, the reporters said the film gave the public a good opportunity to observe the process of delivering the news. Haberman said: “Most people don’t understand what we do.”

Newfield’s legacy hovered over the proceedings. A distinguished proponent of “advocacy journalism,” he chronicled New York City politics and culture for The Village Voice as well as many publications. Newfield, who died in 2004, was also a Hunter College graduate.

The audience, consisting of well-informed, mostly senior citizens, hung on every word during the 90-minute program. Truth be told, Schmidt, who is so analytical and thoughtful that it would not be inaccurate to call his delivery “scholarly,” had the buzz of a double Pulitzer winner this year.

But at this gathering, Haberman, modern journalism’s “It” Trump-whisperer, personified the intellectual version of the kavorka — that sort of ineffable quality, made famous on an episode of Seinfeld, which speaks of someone who has a charisma that is impossible to resist.

Beyond her terrifying work habits and natural ability, Haberman has flourished because she has an uncanny understanding of what makes Trump tick, much like “Fire and Fury” bestselling author Michael Wolff (though Haberman might not appreciate the comparison). Haberman learned her craft in the rough and tumble New York City tabloid newspaper atmosphere that helped spawn Trump in the 1980s and 1990s.

“She gets Trump in a way that we don’t,” Schmidt said admiringly.

Haberman noted that Trump’s ability to dazzle a large number of voters, early on, stemmed from a force outside of politics: his glamorous turn on the television show “The Apprentice.”

“I’d go to Iowa and they’d talk about ‘The Apprentice’ like it was a documentary,” Haberman said.

Haberman also indicated that Trump, who has dismayed many Americans and foreign leaders by embracing dictators in North Korea and elsewhere, may be even bolder in his official proclamations. Speaking of Trump’s feelings about his command of the office, Haberman said: “He believes he has figured it out.”

Haberman and Schmidt were careful not to issue any predictions about the fate of Trump’s presidency while Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III investigates Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and other issues.

Schmidt stressed that the Trump press corps does its best to explain the day’s events. “The hardest part for us is the financial side,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt also pointed out that working in the age of Twitter, where the media are being judged in “real time,” presents a major challenge.

It was nice to see the mutual respect, even affection, shared by Haberman and Schmidt. At one point, Haberman asked him, “How do you decide what you write?”

Schmidt shot back: “I call you.”

With just a few well-chosen words, Haberman and Schmidt captured the essence of the underbelly of Trump’s inner circle. On the subject of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has recently made headlines for acting as much like Trump’s attack dog as his spokesman, Schmidt pointed out that Giuliani is “having a lot of fun,” to which Haberman nodded and added, “True.”

It’s fascinating to try to guess what Jack Newfield, who prided himself on keeping politicians honest, would make of the Trump presidency. But one conclusion is likely: He’d have tremendous respect for Haberman, Schmidt and any other journalist who works hard and smart and tries to get at the truth every day.

Jon Friedman, who teaches journalism courses at Hunter College and Stony Brook University, wrote MarketWatch’s Jon Friedman’s Media Web column from 1999 to 2013.