Infamous columnist and
media critic Michael Wolff has garnered a reputation over his career for his
brash, loose style of reporting. Having worked for news and entertainment
outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair and USA Today, Wolff has
carved a name for himself with his unique approach to journalism and reporting
on subjects, often to the subject’s dismay.
In his latest work “Fire
and Fury,” Wolff has focused his aim at President Donald Trump and the
continuous controversy surrounding his administration and relentless criticisms
that he is unfit and unqualified to head one of the most powerful countries in
the free world. Like his other works, Wolff pulls all the stops in his explosive
tell-all account of his time reporting from within the White house. This
coverage features quotes and information Wolff claims come directly from White
House staff and people who have spent time close to Trump during his time as
President, such as much talked about quotes from Steven Bannon.
Wolff’s book and Trump’s
less-than pleased outcry over Twitter has launched him to the forefront of
recent media coverage and resulted in a cacophony of criticisms toward Trump as
well as Wolff himself. No stranger to criticisms of his work, often lamented
for his use of loose, sometimes-disputed information, Wolff stands by his
approach to journalism and the information published in his work.
“Fire and Fury” has come
under fire specifically from members of the Trump administration who claim some
information and quotes in the book are false or heavily fabricated. One such
instance in Wolff’s recent tell-all is a quote accredited to Trump’s friend
Thomas Barrack Jr. in which Barrack denies having said. The New York Times pointed
to several other widely-publicized pieces of misinformation from “Fire and
Fury,” such as Wolff’s claim that CNN broke the story accusing Trump of unusual
sexual practices with prostitutes, despite Buzzfeed having broke the story.
Wolff has written
tell-all investigative reports on major figures in the past as well, receiving
heavy criticism from the book’s subject and media critics then too. In 2008,
Wolff released the self-penned biography “The Man Who Owns the News,” a
biography about famed media powerhouse Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch publicly
expressed his disdain for the piece and Wolff’s book received criticisms from
media critics and reporters, such as David Carr and Jim Warren, for its various
instances of misinformation and errors.
Wolff’s approach to
reporting on public figures and issues directly affecting the public are
without a doubt controversial and polarizing. Owning up to the brash,
relentless caricature he has helped the media paint of himself and almost using
it as a means of propel his own agenda, Wolff does not seem the least bit
apologetic of the errors in his work or the hefty criticisms he has laid upon
the subjects of his work.
This kind of unrelenting
pursuit of the truth is supposed to be one of the basic foundations of
journalism and a journalist’s job as a government watch-dog. +Wolff’s tendency
to overlook his own errors and mistakes during this pursuit undermines the very
purpose of delivering the truth to the public, though. Wolff’s efforts are also
unhinged by a very-public contempt for the subject he is covering as well.
Journalists are supposed
to report the facts to the public unfiltered. Although the majority of Wolff’s
information and quotes may very well be sound and true, his history of brazenly
including pieces of misinformation and his reputation as a media piranha help
create a culture of distrust between him and the public as well as between the
public and the rest of the journalism field as well. While being loved by the
masses is not one of the biggest concerns, an element of trust is always
important to have between a journalist and the public they are serving their
information to.
Another ability of
Wolff’s that he is often praised for is his ability to find his way into
situations and environments rich with helpful and critical information. He was
able to secure exclusive access to sources and first-hand experiences when
working on his books on both Murdoch and Trump. In fact, he was allowed access
to report from inside the White House and conduct interviews even after
releasing his biography on Murdoch years earlier.
This ability of his to
successfully seek out the crucial information for his reporting is admirable
and he deserves credit. This ability would be more rewarding however if he did
not have a tendency to immediately burn the bridge between himself and
important figures by turning and exploiting the information found during these
important opportunities.
Wolff executes very
unique and effective methods of journalism and information gathering. His
efforts have proven to be very effective, despite the fact that his execution
is debatable and rubs people the wrong way often.
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