Addicted to war porn

On The Kicker this week, we discuss White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s job performance to date. Spicer’s gaffe in comparing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Adolf Hitler was only the latest in a string of controversies emerging from behind the lectern in the Brady Briefing Room. Then, we have some fun imagining the life of a journalist in 2027. The impetus for the conversation was a recently published Associated Press report on the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism. Finally, Todd Gitlin, author and Columbia Journalism School professor, talks with Dave about the media’s love affair with war. Gitlin is a fierce critic of the manner in which journalists—both in print and especially on television—report on events like last week’s missile strike in Syria. He and Dave discuss the historical context for this concern, and how the media could better cover military action.