My new CJR column is on the media’s tendency to construct simplistic stories about President Obama’s political standing. Here’s how it begins:

Journalists rightly seek to tell compelling stories, which can bring abstract or dry topics to life, but the need to create a compelling narrative can be dangerous in politics. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, the focus on storytelling over analytical precision pulls the media toward overstated claims, false binary choices, and simplified narratives, especially when it comes to the presidency.
The most recent example is the current cycle of media overreaction to Barack Obama’s difficulties…

Read the whole thing for more.