03.25.24
Both Kinds of Standards – "60 MINUTES"
Where do these conservatives even GET this position?!
On Sunday, Leslie Stahl had a segment on the esteemed news program on CBS about the poor state of misinformation monitoring on Xitter. She spoke with a researcher who monitors news and determines what is not accurate, but it seems Xitter only takes her advice less than a third of the time.
The accuracy and partisanship of who determines what is "misinformation" is always up in the air, but making this all the more amusing is that Ms. Stahl has a section where there is a complaint that conservatives are picking on these sainted fact-checkers. That would be from Leslie Stahl, who looked Donald Trump in the eye and said the Hunter Biden laptop could not be verified, on the program that pushed the Russian collusion lie for years.
Academics, who are flagged misinformation to social media, say there’s a campaign to discredit them – and it’s mainly coming from conservatives. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/467xGLzuNh
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 24, 2024
Presentation Paradox – NBC NEWS
Recommended
So…it is THEIR partisanship that is wrong?
The news of former RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel signing on with NBC News as a commentator has many at that network untethered. She was brought on "Meet the Press," but first, hostess Kristen Welker was basically apologizing to the audience and issuing a warning they could possibly hear right-of-center comments!
But best of all was Chuck Todd lecturing that she had poor credibility. Yes…Chuck Todd was the one saying this.
Pathetic Delusion - the Democrat Operatives at NBC News Wail When a Republican Joins the Rosterhttps://t.co/DX6saOTvT4
— RedState (@RedState) March 25, 2024
Legalized Press-titution – VANITY FAIR
Don't explore the deflection, just accept it.
During that "Meet the Press" interview, Brian Stelter was helpful enough to capture video and explain to us plebeians what it was we just watched. When McDaniel brought up fentanyl, Brian applauded when Welker corrected her that the drugs were not crossing the border illegally but were coming in through ports of entry. This is lame deflection.
The reason for this narrative is that it points to the fentanyl confiscated by officials at the ports. You cannot measure the fentanyl not captured by the illegal entrants not detained as they cross the border illegally. Also not addressed is how the fentanyl that comes into the country through the ports is not a problem, and how that wave of drugs coming in is not Biden's responsibility.
McDaniel recites GOP lines: "Crime is on the rise" and "we're seeing fentanyl come across our open border." @KWelkerNBC corrects her: "Just to be clear, though, studies show that crime actually is going down in major cities," and fentanyl gets through "legal ports of entry." pic.twitter.com/0nOIvYyEbq
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 24, 2024
DNC PR Firm – ABC NEWS
Try considering Karl asking these kinds of questions with a Democratic guest.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio sat in with ABC's Jonathan Karl Sunday and the discussion came around to the news that he was a possible short-list name for Donald Trump's vice presidential choice. Karl attempted a series of gotcha questions for Rubio, except the Florida Republican was, as usual, well prepared and diffused the attempt at ensnaring him by the host:
You are possibly under consideration to be Donald Trump's running mate. I don't put a lot of stock in this reporting right now — we're early. But you said it would be an honor to be offered a spot on this ticket — really?!
Yes, there is that unbiased and nonpartisan questioning from Karl, in his trademarked anti-Trump fashion. Rubio, to his credit, made Jon look rather buffoonish with his calm retort:
Yeah. I think anyone who's offered the opportunity to serve this country as vice president should be honored by the opportunity to do it — if you're in public service. I'm in the Senate because I want to serve the country. Being vice president is an important way to serve the country.
Marco Rubio Leaves Jonathan Karl Spluttering As He Lays Out Successes of Trump Versus Failures of Biden https://t.co/oua9gKQmsI
— Susie Moore ⚾️🌻🐶 (@SmoosieQ) March 24, 2024
Anti-Social Media – WASHINGTON POST
Displaying the typical journalist blueprint.
During the March Madness tournament – on the women's side – LSU head coach Kim Mulkey unloaded on the Washington Post in a press conference, announcing that she is aware of a potential hit piece coming from reporter Kent Babb. There is no way of determining how valid her accusations are of this being a hit piece (she says she has hired a defamation law firm, ahead of the release), but she brings up some details indicative of tactics we see frequently.
Mulkey described this as a long-term investigation by Babb but he reached out to the school to answer a series of questions only a couple of days before his deadline. He did so the very week the post-season tournament was to begin. Mulkey also said her coaches who were contacted for the piece informed her that Babb came to them stating the head coach encouraged them to speak to him when she had clearly made it known she wanted nothing at all to do with him.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey lashes out at Washington Post, threatens legal action https://t.co/fMcDnZL1AX
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 23, 2024
Both Kinds of Standards – THE DAN LEBATARD SHOW
Reflexively defending the journalist by saying Mulkey is being reflexively defensive.
Former ESPN host and former Miami Herald sports columnist Dan Le Batard leaned into Kim Mulkey for her news conference. He positioned Babb and the Washington Post as innocent players who were unfairly attacked by the LSU coach. Le Batard's defense was complete, declaring that Mulkey was being unfair and speaking from a bully pulpit, while there was no critical behavior at all from Babb and The Post:
When journalism is aspiring to do something that is fair, is objective, that is fact-based, and it gets torn apart by skepticism before you even arrive at the story - but someone who can then go to the megaphone to the ignorant…where people yell ‘fake news’ to undercut this. On one side - the reason this isn’t a fair fight - is because you got somebody aspiring to objectivity and fairness, and the other person is just fighting with brass knuckles and doesn’t care. One side is trying to fight fair, and the other side undermines it by not caring about fighting fair.
Look, we understand Le Batard wanting to defend the honor of his profession (sports journalism), but he is slamming Mulkey for complaining about an article she has yet to see, all while, his is full of praise and defending as fair and objective the work of this reporter – which he himself has yet to see. Somehow she is in the wrong, but Dan is perfectly fine declaring an unread article is above criticism.
"(Kim Mulkey) will NOT be able to sue them. She will threaten to sue them. She will make a lot of noise around suing them, but I assure you that the best lawyers in journalism for the Washington Post will make it so that the story is unassailable – ethically and legally." – Dan.… pic.twitter.com/nMkYTKVQA6
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) March 25, 2024
____________
"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature covering the nation's deeply flawed aspects of journalism, where Brad Slager looks to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.
