Political reporter addresses civility in media today

by Katherine Desmond and Alena Masterson

Hillary Chabot said that politicians using media as the enemy isn’t new.

Chabot is a political reporter and host of Boston Herald Radio. She spoke to the Presidency and the Press program on Wednesday afternoon.

“The idea of using media to salvage your own political reputation or to use the media as an enemy isn’t new,” she said.

Chabot shared her own experience with incivility, after being verbally attacked for reporting on gang violence for The Somerville Journal. The mayor was unhappy with the reporting Chabot had done on the mayor’s response to an MS13 gang attack.

“I want to be seen as a reporter who’s doing her job, even if the questions make [politicians] angry,” said Chabot.

She emphasized that it’s up to the readers to form their own opinions. “All you can do is take what you reported on and present it,” she said.

Chabot doesn’t agree that President Donald Trump should be singled out for causing incivility.

“Trump is such a singular figure, I don’t know why, but he seems to get away with a lot of things that other politicians can’t,” Chabot said. “I think that this is a moment in history, and there’s actually been moments like this before with the media.”

She spoke of how she deals with criticism and overcomes it, and how she uses each situation to improve her journalistic skills.

“You have to get used to it,” said Chabot. “You will daily face an onslaught of people trying to undermine you, and you have to be willing to risk public embarrassment and endure tactics to shut you down.”