Follow-up on Terry Moran
The Critical Reader called it: He's already on Substack
On Monday, The Critical Reader published an article based on former ABC News reporter Terry Moran’s tweets about Donald Trump and Stephen Miller. Moran was suspended by ABC a few hours after posting and then deleting comments about Trump and Miller’s penchant for “hatred.” ABC News called out Moran for posting opinions rather than facts.
The Critical Reader sided with ABC News, arguing that journalists have a duty to provide unbiased, fact-based information to their audiences, whether they're reporting on a news site or commenting on social media.
On Wednesday, ABC News announced that Moran would not be returning to the network. Later that day, Moran reappeared on Substack, previewing a newsletter aimed at addressing “the important work that we all have to do in this time of such trouble for our country.” We can assume that this “important work” involves scrutinizing the Trump Administration in ways he may have felt unable to pursue while at ABC.
Good for Moran for breaking free from what he considered to be a constraining situation. Not everyone is able to deliver the news evenhandedly without letting emotions or political leanings interfere. Now Moran can focus on what matters to him—and what he believes he is obligated to share with his followers.
The Critical Reader seemed to anticipate exactly where Moran would land after leaving network news. Substack has become a haven for a wide array of writers and journalists. It’s the favored destination for reporters who have found mainstream media too restrictive.
Moran will likely attract a large following on Substack, but it will mostly consist of readers who already share his viewpoint. While they can rely on his years of professional investigative work, they can also expect his reporting to focus on what they already disdain: the Trump Administration. Just as some reporters concentrate solely on the missteps of the Biden presidency, such one-sided reporting rarely attracts new, curious readers. Instead, it further deepens the divide between “left” and “right,” isolating those in the middle who prefer to view the news from multiple perspectives.
That said, Substack offers a cornucopia of perspectives and ideas, with hundreds—possibly thousands—of writers, reporters, authors, and citizen journalists exploring an endless array of topics. It takes time to sift through these resources, which is why balanced news coverage from TV, radio, and newspapers remains critical.
We need to see the whole picture in order to make informed decisions. We must be able to argue respectfully and learn from other viewpoints. Above all, we must be encouraged to see the world—not just our corner of it. (At the time of this writing, Israel and Iran were embroiled in conflict.)
Moran will likely thrive on Substack. He’s thorough, passionate and intelligent. Hopefully, another journalist will step into his former role at ABC and provide the balanced, well-rounded news coverage that Americans both rely on and desperately need.