The vicious cycle of modern political journalism

5 trends eroding trust between the media and politicians

Longleaf Politics is back! I wasn’t planning to get back to it so quickly, but your overwhelmingly kind response to my column last week has filled me with energy. So here we go again. Look for Longleaf Politics in your inbox every Monday morning with a column, quick takes, short blurbs and a new “Memes of the Week” feature. 

On with the show:

The vicious cycle of modern political journalism

Jim Morrill is retiring after four decades at The Charlotte Observer, including 33 years of political reporting. It’s cliche to call retirements the “end of an era,” but in this case it’s true. Jim was the last of the old guard in North Carolina political media. What’s left would be unrecognizable to the press corps of 1987, when Jim entered the scene. 

A bit of disclosure: I worked with Jim starting as an intern on the business desk of the Observer. Jim invited me over to his home, treated me with respect and showed me the ropes. When I came on the paper full-time, Jim was always a friend.

When Jim cal…