Smile More? USA Today Champions Kaitlan Collins and the Brave Anti-Trump Women of CNN

Liberal media outlets like being aggressively liberal, and paint themselves as heroes for it. Liberal journalists are not asked to address how the non-liberal chunk of Americans feel they show obvious favoritism toward the Democrats and transparent loathing of President Trump.

USA Today TV writer Kelly Lawler profiled female CNN hosts on October 29 under the headline "How the women of CNN are taking on Trump, midterms and misinformation." She began by underlining Trump's apparent sexism:

Screenshot of USA TODAY video

Almost every working woman in American has probably heard it: You should smile more. But only a few have heard it from the President of the United States.

But that's exactly what happened to Kaitlan Collins, White House Correspondent from CNN and host of The Source, while trying to do her job. However, she doesn't feel alone in that highly unique experience.

"No woman likes to be told that," Collins, 34, tells USA TODAY. "Maybe it's not the President of the United States saying it to them in front of six television cameras, but that doesn't make the feeling of it any different. ... I don't ever want to get distracted or weighed down by stuff like that. We're just doing our jobs every day. When we get the opportunity to question the president, we will take those opportunities."

…Collins, and her fellow female journalists at CNN − including Dana Bash, Kasie Hunt, Laura Coates, Pamela Brown and Erin Burnett, who all spoke with USA TODAY − are determined to keep going. They have things to do. And they are all eager to spread the gospel of journalism, truth and the "Super Bowl" of political reporting: Election night.

The "gospel of journalism" and "truth" is how they describe relentless anti-conservative tilt. None of these women had to actually deal with the idea that people think they are unfair. No, they're honored for their commitment to doing The Work.

Dana Bash, who has been with CNN for three decades and now hosts Inside Politics and State of the Union, is not phased by the prospect of being in the public crosshairs. Her responsibilities are "the same," she says, "regardless if we're getting insults hurled at us or not. It makes me even more determined to do the job."

It's the same strategy for Burnett, anchor of Erin Burnett OutFront. "I prefer not to respond to attacks on our reputation," she says. "This may not always be the right move [but] we focus on doing our jobs as best we can."

That doesn't mean it's easy to weather an onslaught of negativity.

The obvious rejoinder to Lawler is that Team CNN generates a daily "onslaught of negativity" toward Trump and the Republicans. They can dish it out, but they can't take it. Instead, the pretend the negativity is a one-way street, and they're not negative, they're just doing Journalism. They are "taking on misinformation," not creating it. 

The reporter could ask them about going too soft on Declinin' Biden, Kamala Harris, Mary Peltola, Ilhan Omar, et cetera. Instead it reads like a whitewash that was drafted by CNN PR. It continues: 

Hunt, the host of The Arena, admits, "I've always viewed my job pretty optimistically. My optimism has been challenged in the Trump decade. I'm not going to sugarcoat that. It has definitely gotten more difficult. But it doesn't diminish the importance of the work. The biggest challenge is making an argument to people that it still can and should matter."

Laura Coates, anchor of Laura Coates Live and Chief Legal Analyst agrees, saying, "A lot of the time, people's anger and their hostility is misdirected, but … it doesn't mean that I am immune to criticism, and that some things don't hurt."

"As a mom and as a human being in this world," Coates adds, "I'm very, very sensitive to the peanut gallery that rejoices in people's misery."

So anyone who criticizes CNN for an anti-Republican/pro-Democrat tilt is "rejoicing in people's misery"? 

Lawler performed the same whitewash Brave Reporter profile for NBC Meet The Press host Kristen Welker on October 26. When Trump attacks her as a terrible journalist, he couldn't possibly have a point that Welker is far tougher on Trump than on Democrats she likes, like Abdul el-Sayed. She asks everyone "tough questions," not just Trump. Riiiiight. 

Welker shakes off the incident, and any criticism Trump may throw at her. "I have covered him since 2015. It's not the first time he's taken issue with my reporting," she says. "I certainly stand by my reporting, and I try to keep my head down and just stay focused."

"People have real questions about all of these issues, and to be able to help further that conversation and to ask the tough but important questions, it's just the greatest honor."