Matt Lauer's widely panned performance as moderator of NBC's "Commander-in-chief Forum" last week is symptomatic of a larger problem: NBC and much of the TV industry favoring show business over journalism when it comes to covering presidential politics.
TV journalism is a hybrid of the two. After all, we put on makeup to talk about the news. But great journalism can be done within that hybrid.
Unfortunately, that's not what usually happens at NBC and elsewhere.
That was my position in a lively discussion on CNN's "Reliable Sources" Sunday. Brian Stelter is host. The other guests: CNN commentator Tara Setmayer and Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of "The Nation."
Check out the video.
Let me know what you think.