simple, straight-forward questions that cannot be answered by inept politicians.
katie couric: "governor palin, how many fingers am i holding up?"

sarah palin: "you know katie, i'm sick and tired of this gotcha journalism."
by bun September 30, 2008
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An expression used by desperate Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin in an effort to cover up/minimize embarrassment regarding Palin's weak and uniformed answers to simple political questions posed from the media.
Yes, it is agreed I don't much about current issues, but in this day and age of "gotcha journalism", ..is that a pizza place ?
by ChaChaChamp October 2, 2008
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1. Scornful, guileful, and otherwise inappropriate techniques used by top modern journihilists such as Katie "Jumbotron colonoscopy" Couric, Dan "Bushgate" Rather, and Perez Hilton to create "news stories" that will infotain their audiences and chip away at national decency.

Techniques include hiding out in the bushes of rape victims to "scoop" their competitors, revealing allied war plans on national television, and denouncing anything that does not involve fostering national ignominy or deviance.

Note: "News stories" is in quotes because while journihilists are taught things such as the "I believe in journalism" creed as freshman, they quickly turn on the principles of objectivity and fairness, lest they be marginalized by their peers.

2. A way to shield the midstream media's preferred political candidates from criticism by calling opponents "racist" (see 'Journolist') or deriding ordinary citizens (see 'Anderson Pooper').
1. Journalist: "Can your football team win the SEC again?"

Tim Tebow: "Uh, maybe."

Press pool: "Rabble rabble rabble."

Journalist: "Tim Tebow, are you a virgin?"

Tim Tebow: "Yes, I am."

Press pool: (Awkward silence)

Journalist: "Gotcha."

2. KOMU: "Take off that flag pin if you want to report here."

Intern: "But they just destroyed the twin towers and flew a plane into the Pentagon."

KOMU: "Gotcha journalism. We gotta keep our image."
by Hopey Changey guy October 20, 2010
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a type of journalism that's used to draw people into revealing what they didn't want to initially release, leading to the "gotcha"/"aha!" moment when the info is released.
"This is gotcha journalism, but you know what? They're not gonna gotch me!"
-Dwight Schrute.
by poplocket4969 November 10, 2021
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