MacFarlane Gets Candid
Scott MacFarlane sent shockwaves through the media industry last month when he abruptly announced his exit from CBS News, where he served as the network’s Justice correspondent.
This week, we caught up with MacFarlane for a candid conversation that will air in full on Friday’s episode of Power Lines. (Subscribe on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.)
Now the chief Washington correspondent for MeidasTouch, MacFarlane spoke with us about the uneasy optics surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, including journalists and executives toasting the First Amendment alongside Donald Trump and other figures who have waged an unrelenting war on the press.
He also discussed his decision to go independent, what it’s like operating outside legacy media, the backlash he’s faced from the White House, and his broader critique of how major outlets handle misinformation and political power.
Below are excerpts from our wide-ranging conversation. They’ve been lightly edited for clarity.
What are your thoughts on reporters and media executives toasting the First Amendment together with Donald Trump?
I’m not keen on it. This is not happening in a vacuum. The president has sued media organizations. He has sued them for millions, if not billions of dollars. He has menaced reporters, name-called reporters. He has executed a media strategy that demeans journalism… What’s more, his defense secretary has executed a media policy that has literally become a federal case. This is in federal court and being challenged by reporters who believe it’s onerous, especially at a time of war, and it has led to people being moved out of the building, literally. So, it feels a little bit odd to be celebrating the First Amendment and championing education of young journalism students by having an event that has guests of honor of that sort.
Do you think it’s a good idea for Pete Hegseth to be seated at the CBS News table for an event honoring the First Amendment?
I think it’s a bad look. At least it’s distracting. I think you’d agree, charitably, it’s a distraction. And I know the sentiment of journalists can be somewhat all over the map. We’re not a monolith. We are a very diverse group. But I am noting that…
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Donald Trump attends a state dinner at the White House. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Status Scoop | Washington’s Dinner Dilemma: Journalists across Washington are trying to determine how to respond if Donald Trump derides the press at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Status has learned. “There are lots of discussions about it,” one high-profile Washington journalist told me Thursday. The journalist continued dishing, saying…
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