Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage on the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation. We'll look to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.
06.29.21 (Update)
Both Kinds of Standards – REUTERS
Tucker Carlson has sent some shockwaves out with his recent claim that he has an inside informant telling him that he has been tracked back by the National Security Agency. The response to this as seen across the media landscape has been curious, for a couple of reasons.
A whistleblower is saying that a government agency might be spying on a journalist – and the press reaction has mostly been dismissive. "Psssh, where's your proof?!" has largely been the reaction. This is a sharp departure from the norm seen in the press.
Eric Ciarmamella, Alexander Vindman, Christine Blasey-Ford, and Rebekah Jones are just a few names recently tied in with the label of "whistleblower," and all were taken as serious sources of vital intelligence. Also at play is not only the prospect of a journalist being threatened, but done so by a government agency. All would be the needed elements to get the press in a feverish state, but suddenly there is a muted response when it involves a conservative voice.
Tucker is making serious accusations with no proof and is basing corroboration on a story he allegedly is working on that none of us know about.
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) June 29, 2021
Maybe his comms were picked up. We know DOJ collected comms of journos during Obama and Trump presidencies. pic.twitter.com/JQCYuURNpt
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS
This morning, the White House announced that Joe Biden would be making a trip to South Florida to visit the site of the condominium collapse. This was in direct opposition from the official word – of the White House. It was only 18 hours earlier when Jen Psaki declared he would not visit the location and put a strain on the emergency services on site.
This follows a growing list of examples when official positions have been completely contradicted, sometimes within days. This is an administration that appears at times unsure what it is even doing, yet there is no harsh criticisms to be found in the media complex.
It used to be an administration in this level of disarray would have the press frothing with outrage.
— Brad Slager - In Trouble More Than Pres. Biden (@MartiniShark) June 29, 2021
These days they hide, coddle, and deflect from the glaring issues.https://t.co/zXatlbjmff pic.twitter.com/4DmrhAWbV4
Anti-Social Media – DAN RATHER
- When will the man learn to avoid discussions on the truth??
The former CBS icon the Deposed Dan renowned for falsifying news reports, was out last night once again spouting about lies and people who tell them.
Let’s be clear. There was a fertile field of lies that allowed the Big Lie to take root. And for years, William Barr helped till the soil and plant and water the seeds of bad faith, false equivalence, and, ultimately, injustice.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) June 27, 2021
Here is where the disgraced journo has yet to learn his lesson. Take the second sentence in his message there, and replace "William Barr" with "Dan Rather," then note how it becomes ten times more accurate as a result.
Reporting On The Mirror – FOX NEWS
- The only thing left is to have a screenplay made for the animated special.
Fox insults Brian Stelter, Stelter writes a book about Fox, Fox covers Stelter's antics as a result, Stelter obsessively collects all the Fox mentions, now Fox covers Stelter covering Fox.
This is what logrolling in the cable news sphere looks like.
I’m watching a Fox News segment on CNN’s coverage of Fox News. tonight….Meta. pic.twitter.com/kVn1nzXlSr
— Claire Atkinson (@claireatki) June 29, 2021
Body Checking The Fact Checkers – WASHINGTON POST
It could be argued that one of the jobs that became tougher under the Biden administration would be that of a fact-checker. Sure, Trump gave you a volume of work, but the manner in which Joe Biden can wander off the reservation in a discussion would lead down some odd rabbit holes. The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler, who basically abdicated from the duty for the current president, selectively picks when to enforce the facts on Joe.
Glenn decided this was a good time to look into the vérité of the president: "The Second Amendment, from the day it was passed, limited the type of people who could own a gun and what type of weapon you could own. You couldn’t buy a cannon."
Well, long column short, Glenn gave this his grade of 4-Pinocchios. Now we can probably expect the next phase of this discussion when Biden adopts the Obama method and declares we can all own cannons, he'll just see that it is impossible for us to buy cannonballs.
06.29.21 (Original)
Reporting On The Mirror – ARIZONA REPUBLIC
The changes coming over the Tribune Company have left many in the press outraged. No one is cheering on the loss of jobs, and those lost in journalism are obviously felt around here, but at the same time, there is a measure of accountability to be considered. Following a bailout takeover by a hedge fund, there have been scores of journalists accepting buyouts from the new Tribune ownership across a number of newspapers. Noting this reality was Arizona reporter Rebekah Sanders, who cites a report showing newsrooms have become truncated by -40% in the past three years.
A fellow journalist from her state weighed in on the matter.
I know people don't generally like journalists, but what other industry could suffer job losses of this magnitude due to a corporate buyout and not get any attention or concern from the public?
— Chase Hunter B. (@Chase_HunterB) June 25, 2021
The lack of self-awareness while referencing themselves is something to behold. This is the same industry that was dismissive when coal miners were getting laid off in droves. This past January, when thousands lost work overnight when the Keystone pipeline was shut down, they flippantly suggested they move into the green energy industries – which have not exactly ramped up production.
Maybe the general public would be more understanding of the factors that have fed into the distrust and caused people to walk away from journalism outlets. The first sign of repairing this would involve a long look in the mirror, but instead, they look to the public for non-existent sympathy.
Anti-Social Media – CNN
- Rep. Mo Brooks delivers the perfect method in handling the media.
There may be no way to actively measure just how mentally impacted he is, but Jim Acosta posted an embarrassing exchange he had with a politician as if it were a hit piece. For his dwindling weekend show, Acosta had a quasi-ambush interview and wanted to get Rep. Mo Brooks to answer some questions as he approached the politician outside the Capitol Building. Brooks was having none of it and gave a pat response repeatedly, leaving the CNN fixture to stand on a sidewalk appearing neutered.
Only Jim Acosta would ask a politician to go on the record to explain why he would not be willing to go on the record, but this is the man who recorded himself shouting questions at Donald Trump from the back of a banquet hall as if he had committed an act of journalism.
Coming up later this hour… we tried to speak to GOP House members about their bogus January 6th conspiracy theories. Congressman Mo Brooks would not comment and rode off on his bicycle… pic.twitter.com/LMSedEhUDi
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 26, 2021
Reporting On The Mirror – CNN
- Now we know, if you want to get a response from Chris Cuomo, bring up onanism.
I guess this is one way to distract away from wearing skulls on your clothing while on scene covering a tragedy involving numerous deaths.
Most people on social media are wise to know that if you are being trolled by someone with a reference to masturbation, you just move along. But we are discussing Chris Cuomo here, so wisdom does not exactly factor into things. While CNN raved on how he has been covering the tragedy of the condo collapse on Miami Beach, one Twitter account made a disparaging remark about the man.
Cuomo, when taunted with a line about self-abuse, felt the need to respond and did so with a self-aggrandizing pic. To say he invited a flood of non-complementary replies is an understatement.
That how this happened?! Hahahaha. Come on, baby, dont hate - facilitate. You can do better than this petty bs. https://t.co/pN84VyzDdz pic.twitter.com/0R5H7LSggV
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) June 28, 2021
Both Kinds Of Standards – WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Post's resident "conservative" columnist Max Boot came out to heap scorn on Tucker Carlson for his recent comments about General Mark Milley and took the length of his column to paint the GOP as a crowd of hypocritical military-hating extremists. Trump figured prominently in this rant, of course, because this is a Max Boot column, after all.
- "These right-wing blowhards — most of whom have never served a day in uniform — now feel free to revile decorated combat veterans such as Milley. Imagine what kind of hissy fit the right would throw if a member of 'the Squad' called a four-star general a stupid pig."
Things turn amusing, though, as he brings up instances of Trump insulting the military (repeating the proven lie that he supposedly called fallen soldiers "losers"), calling it his "odious battle with the military." But Boot becomes completely neutered in his condemnation – by himself.
While he says Trump was wrong to call military leaders "dopes and babies," or Carlson for calling Milley "stupid," Max forgets another political figure who referred to military leaders in a derogatory fashion.
Ronny Jackson is pulling a Mike Flynn: another once respected general officer has become a right-wing kook.
— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) May 15, 2020
More evidence for what I wrote in ?@PostOpinions? about the dangers of our hero worship of the military: https://t.co/K7Ez2kORQx https://t.co/dJWJxvP0e1
And behold, the man chastising Tucker and slamming Trump for disrespecting generals had no qualms referring to Trump's generals as "villains" while calling a number of those in Trump's Cabinet liars.
The military has villains as well as heroes. Trump prefers the former.
— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) May 11, 2020
Mike Flynn lied to FBI and took $ from Turkey & Russia. Pompeo abandoned Yovanvotich and plays fast and loose with the facts. Esper has been a “yes man” for Trump’s unethical orders. https://t.co/K7Ez2kORQx
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – USA TODAY
One of the dumbest offshoots of the racist activism movements is the concept that food is an indicator of the intent of someone's heart. Not only is it ridiculous to claim one culture is being appropriated when you enjoy its cuisine, but there is also the charge that food can be considered racist. This brings us to James Corden and "The Late Late Show." The host plays a game with guests called "Spill Your Guts Or Fill Your Guts," where he will ask challenging questions and his guest can decide to either answer or elect instead to eat a disturbing serving of food.
One person on TikTok regarded this as problematic, so, of course, it had to be blown up into a problem.
- "[The host] confirmed he will be adjusting...following a Change.org petition calling to remove the bit. The petition, created by TikTok user Kim Saira, garnered over 45,000 signatures and said food Corden used, like chicken feet or a fertilized egg dish known as balut, are not 'disgusting foods' and are 'regularly eaten by Asian people.'"
The host, of course, buckled over this tempest in a bamboo steamer and now will be using non-offensive food that is offensive to the senses but not the sensibilities of some.
Stealth Story Evolution – THE HILL
- The social media editors must go home by 9 pm.
When punctuation fails you. The good thing is they did end up catching this and making things right.
It was an honest mistake, just made more glaring considering the subject matter.
— Brad Slager - In Trouble More Than Pres. Biden (@MartiniShark) June 29, 2021
They removed and repaired this eventually. pic.twitter.com/vJuwo7gx4s
