Michael Cohen pointed to MSNBC’s Katy Tur as one of the reporters close to him who has covered stories for Trump.
Read: Kristi Noem Is Banned From 20% of South Dakota.
Court exchange during Cohen’s cross-examination:
Cohen agreed that, yes, if it was a “New York Times-style” story, he would give Haberman tips, scoops.
Why do you want to record the motorcade with reporters? Blanche asked.
To take notes, Cohen said. Reference process response later. It’s that simple.
— Tyler McBrien (@TylerMcBrien) May 16, 2024
During Cohen’s earlier testimony, Maggie Haberman was revealed as Trump’s puppet/stenographer, along with Katie Toole, who Cohen said was also someone close to him.
Michael Cohen later explained that he wanted to develop close relationships with reporters because it would help him shape the paper in the most pro-Trump way.
What Cohen described in court was corporate media access to news. Cohen would provide favored reporters with scoops and information in exchange for positive coverage of Trump.
In a recent interview, Nancy Pelosi called Toole a Trump apologist.
Tur rose to prominence on MSNBC for his coverage of Trump’s 2016 campaign, and Michael Cohen’s testimony made Nancy Pelosi appear to be right.
Journalism should not be a quid pro quo. Journalists should research and report information, but should not develop relationships with sources that influence their coverage. Trading scoops or information for positive coverage is not journalism, but the practice does explain why so much corporate media still tilts their coverage toward Donald Trump.
A special message from PoliticusUSA
If you are able to make a donation purely to help us keep PoliticusUSA’s doors open during a critical election year, please do so here.
For 14 years, we’ve been honored to put your interests first because we answer only to our readers, and we won’t compromise on PoliticusUSA’s fundamental core values.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press corps and a congressional reporter for PoliticusUSA. Jason holds a BA in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, particularly social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of Society of Professional Journalists and American Political Science Association
