CNN’s Brian Stelter invited Los Angeles Times columnist Jackie Calmes on his weekly media program on Sunday to declare that journalists need to stop covering the country's two political parties equally because the modern Republicans don't "really care if government works well."

"I want to dive right into your argument about what both-siderism is and why it’s failing the public," Stelter said of Calmes, whose column on the subject won praise from liberal journalists. "Is it that we're treating Democrats and Republicans equally and ignoring GOP radicalism, is that the heart of the problem?" 

Calmes said that was "in a sense" correct.

"There's no question that journalists are recognizing the radicalization of the Republican Party," Calmes said. "I think what’s changed a little bit is that, since Trump left office there is more of a sense that maybe we’re back to normal."

Calmes then declared "this is not a new problem or a new dynamic" but insisted that she has personally been fair throughout her career. 

"I think I'm a very fair reporter and give both sides of the story, but what started to happen back in the mid-'90s with the takeover of the House by House Republicans – and in particular Newt Gingrich – was a new, nasty," she said. "I mean, his byword was 'be nasty' and norm-busting and obstructionist sort of governance. Well, you couldn't really call it governance that sort of was a precursor for Trump."