OUT ON A LIMB: The media will never apologize for going all in on Jussie Smollett.

Not a single writer, or pundit, or CNN anchor, or MSNBC host, who pushed how grotesque this “attack” was will stare down the camera during one of their shows, and say “I was wrong — we need to be better.” They have had ample opportunity to do so. CNN’s Brian Stelter who once said both on air and on Twitter that no one was there, and “we may never know the truth of what happened that night” could have used his widely read (at least among his media cronies) newsletter to admonish his colleagues for abandoning journalistic ethics. But he did not.

Instead his toadie, Oliver Darcy, launched into an accusatory tirade against “bad-faith actors on the right” and Sean Hannity, for simply taking notice of their own screw-up. Darcy then fleshed this out more in a CNN piece: “How Sean Hannity and right-wing media personalities are using the Smollett verdict to attack the media.” If Oliver Darcy and his pals don’t want his worst nemesis pointing out their massive failure of journalistic curiosity, then perhaps they should stop proving their critics right.

Related: No Mea Culpa from Smollett’s Media Enablers.

As anyone who has ever been in a relationship can tell you, occasionally saying “I was wrong and I’m sorry” can go a long way. But the media can never say “We’re sorry.” Because then Republicans might pounce.

Consider this chart:

Eleven percent among Republicans? Thirty-one percent among independents? What media executive looks at this chart and doesn’t hear five-alarm sirens going off in his head? Answer: virtually all media executives, because becoming outspoken defenders of the Left has made the media very popular with Democrats, the cosseting and flattering of whom is now most of the media’s chief survival strategy. If no one trusts us except liberals, we’ll only say stuff liberals like to hear!

And then wonder how Trump happened. Or as Glenn wrote, right around this time six years ago: Choose the form of your destructor.