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.
07.01.21 (Update)
Matching Media Memorandum – ABC NEWS, TIME MAGAZINE
Further down this column, you will see that earlier we mentioned CNN raving about China celebrating its 100-year anniversary of communist rule. But as the Chi-Comms party like it’s 1899, more U.S. news outlets joined in the festivities. At ABC News, they apparently see nothing but frivolity in store.
PARTY TIME: China staged a night of political theater with a mass performance to sing the praises of the ruling communist party, ahead of the 100th anniversary of its foundation. https://t.co/ZFo60a5cir pic.twitter.com/LavMuH7rWI
— ABC News (@ABC) June 29, 2021
Just a guess, but there is a feeling that not too many Uyghurs were invited to the party. Then there is the latest issue of Time Magazine with a large insert section that is actually a paid advertisement from the outlet China Daily. The U.S. magazine was less coy about the small detail that it is a Chi-Comm funded news organ of the government.
Recommended
TIME magazine fails to disclose CCP funding for content in its latest print edition.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) July 1, 2021
The mag struck a $700k ad partnership with China Daily, the state-controlled propaganda outlet. @TIME has not responded to repeated inquiries about the non-disclosure https://t.co/hFLb9zyWC1
Seems like a curious dose of cozy business with a communist dictatorship involving a news magazine that spent years demonizing Donald Trump for his relationships with Putin.
"Donald Trump's many, many, many, many ties to Russia" https://t.co/IlXjzaZffn
— TIME (@TIME) February 17, 2017
Stealth Story Evolution – THE HILL
The state of Iowa saw a 23 percent rise in gun-related deaths, and The Hill spends the bulk of the article on this report mentioning the new gun law signed a couple of months ago that rolled back some restrictions on handgun purchases. It would seem a drastic detail and one that warrants all but two of the paragraphs being dedicated to this new legislation.
Except it is not drastic – the law has yet to be implemented.
The rise in deaths was measured in 2020. The numbers provided show this was not mostly due to gun violence, as 75 percent of those deaths were suicides. This would be likely due to a spike in emotional anxiety as a result of the pandemic, but The Hill, of course, settles on speaking to a gun control advocate.
- "'The direction Iowa is heading here based upon our research to me is very concerning,' said Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy. 'It sounds like a train wreck.'"
Based on the data, since he cites a probable rise of 25 percent in gun violence, that "train wreck" would amount to 20 additional deaths.
DNC PR Firm – TIMES UNION
The newspaper from upstate New York put out a piece on Elise Stefanik, attempting to illustrate how she is not truly supportive of police. It is the ongoing desperation of the Democrats and the press to paint the GOP as anti-police, all done to deflect away from the year so many on the Left proposed defunding the police, leading to the spikes in violence seen in many cities.
Alex DeGrasse, from Stefanik’s office, responded caustically to the article, and that provoked a response from the Times Union editor, Casey Seiler.
Thanks for including the link, Alex. Here's an additional link to the report from @NAPOpolice that gives @RepStefanik the lowest score among the NY House delegation. @chris_churchill asked for a response from her and received none. https://t.co/QMqlzbUv2m https://t.co/6o4TBXmC8F
— Casey Seiler (@CaseySeiler) July 1, 2021
Well, since Seiler appeared to be looking for a response, he received one from DeGrasse, in the form of a lengthy thread that dissected the claims made by the paper and made them look rather neutered as a result.
First, he listed off the more than two dozen police groups who backed Stefanik, against the number of those supporting Democrats – zero. Then he addressed the questionable import of the NAPO score, noting how the group awarded each member of The Squad with high marks. DeGrasse then gave the direct quotes of each Squad member where they called to defund the police.
This is a rather brutal takedown. The Times Union got their response, at least.
Thread: Casey, as you know. We don’t comment to your paper since you are sexist scum who publicly smeared Elise as childless under your masthead, then refused to apologize. #NY21 https://t.co/uy6DZiXstJ
— Alex deGrasse (@Degrasse81) July 1, 2021
Reporting on the Mirror – MEDIAITE
A new Morning Consult/Hollywood Reporter poll came out to measure the popularity of various news anchors on the cable networks. Not to suggest this is superfluous or anything, but we have always operated under the impression that ratings sort of took care of that mystery already. Anyway, Anderson Cooper was declared Prom King.
The more interesting details were seen in other metrics. Respondents to the poll were asked about a long list of names and given one of the four favorability responses. The revealing data was in the returns for those names people said: "Never Heard Of." Those in the bottom three were:
DON LEMON – 37 percent
CHRIS HAYES – 44 percent
And nearly half said they were unaware of
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL – 48 percent
Body Checking the Fact Checkers – SNOPES
Just in case anyone may have been misled by a photograph of actor Keanu Reeves eating an ice cream cone outside of a building, it has been determined that while it WAS Reeves in the picture, it was NOT related to the story on LinkedIn about the time he signed a receipt for an ice cream purchase for a fan.
As Snopes makes clear in their detailed analysis of the situation: A LinkedIn post conflated two different ice cream-related incidents.
The internet loves Keanu ... even when the stories aren't quite right. https://t.co/Yo1rYIaCNv
— snopes.com (@snopes) June 30, 2021
07.01.21 (Original)
Artisanal-Crafter Narratives – WASHINGTON EXAMINER
It has only been a week following the disastrous condominium collapse near Miami Beach, and the press continues to use that calamity to make political hits on Governor Ron DeSantis. The latest – following false claims that he dropped the ball on issuing an emergency order, and his deregulation led to the building failure – is that a fight has erupted between DeSantis and President Trump over a rally planned for the weekend on the opposite coast of Florida.
This report is choked with anonymous sources, all claiming there is a battle between the two GOP figures, but there is one small problem – it is all garbage. The governor has made no plea to have the rally stopped, and Trump is actually raising funds at the rally to go toward the relief effort in Surfside, Florida. There has been one source willing to go on the record, and it completely disputes the claims.
The word from the DeSantis office:
- "Governor DeSantis is focusing on his duties as Governor and the tragedy in Surfside, and has never suggested or requested that events planned in different parts of Florida — from the Stanley Cup finals to President Trump's rally — should be canceled or postponed. He wants all Floridians to enjoy the holiday weekend and celebrate Independence Day however they choose, while keeping the Surfside families and first responders in their prayers."
Add another garbage report to come out during this tragedy.
— Brad Slager - In Trouble More Than Pres. Biden (@MartiniShark) July 1, 2021
This piece has Democrat-fed talking points disguised as anonymous sources from Florida operatives. https://t.co/5mTXsi42eQ
Anti-Social Media – CNN
There has been a lingering and baffling dichotomy in the press when it comes to the approach toward enemy powers. Russia is instantly demonized as a problem and a corrupting force, but while China is perfectly exchangeable in any such discussion, it gets barely mentioned.
CNN goes further in some slavish praise over the Chi-Comms and their leader in announcing an anniversary. It seems rather odd that after five years of condemning President Trump because he was allegedly beholden to a communist dictator, the news network displays how it is beholden to a communist dictator.
The Chinese Communist Party is about to turn 100 but Xi will be the real star | Analysis by @Ben_Westcott https://t.co/RHOXSubMBo pic.twitter.com/7nB2O7TWEf
— CNN International (@cnni) June 30, 2021
Presentation Paradox – WASHINGTON POST
- When either "it's good, but," or "it's bad, but" can both apply.
The recent massive screw-ups witnessed in the New York City mayoral primary election have dominated the news, and you get the sense of how tough it is on the media. After months of bleating how pristine the election process is and how we all need to hold elections as sacrosanct events, the reporting on a massive foul-up in the largest city concerning a Democratic Party election is difficult, to put it mildly.
The best representation of this comes from WaPo, as they have both held the NYC up as a shimmering example and admitted its flawed effort, and both times it was not reflective on the nation...somehow.
The media definitely aren't the problem. pic.twitter.com/Yl4fHRMClF
— Bongino Report (@BonginoReport) June 30, 2021
First Amendment Strike Force – MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA
Normally Media Matters would be dismissed as the hyper-reactionary left-wing anxiety factory that it is, except, like in this case, it is a story that was picked up dutifully by mainstream outlets. Courtesy of a CNN newsletter, this MMFA report details how fringe groups and conspiracy nuts are coddled by the likes of Amazon because it leads to things like increased book sales.
While this is another example of wanting to stifle free expression by claiming the dangers of these examples, the predictable conclusion is that all of these dangers exist only on the Right. There are no problematic groups and conspiracy theories cited that are left-of-center. That's right, convenient outrage.
Viewers on right-wing YouTube channels are being directed to buy books on Amazon containing misinformation and conspiracy theories — and creators are using the e-commerce platform to subsidize their misleading content https://t.co/knlcjQmGHa
— Media Matters (@mmfa) June 29, 2021
Low Octane Gas Lighting – GQ Magazine
- Deeply serious assessment over a deeply unserious event.
Yesterday, Donald Trump made a visit to Texas and met with Governor Greg Abbott, holding an event and discussing numerous serious topics. Luke Zaleski witnessed something supremely disturbing, it seems.
- "We're living through an endless cycle of Republican abuse of power and obstruction of justice...They simply will not comply with the imperatives of government or institutions of justice."
So what was it exactly that shook the Conde Nast journalist to his core like this?
It turns out Luke feared for the very soul of our nation – after learning CNN's Jim Acosta could not go inside where the event was held.
TX Gov. Abbott and his staff are blocking press access to his event today with Trump. They’ve decided to turn their roundtable discussion into a “pool” coverage event. However, in addition to pool, Abbott’s team is selectively allowing certain non-pool outlets into the event. pic.twitter.com/9MNOvfLU1Z
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 30, 2021
Reporting On The Mirror – CNN
- Why just pull up a recorded news event on your computer when you can own it?
CNN is getting in on the new trend that is NFTs, opening a new store that sells limited-edition blockchain tokens of...news events...?
This had many at the network excited, as it was announced that Ted Turner made "history" by being the first person to buy the first NFT from CNN – one of 500 editions of his speech announcing the creation of the network. His employees sound downright giddy over the affair.
Wednesday night's newsletter is out – with scooplets about "Sedition Hunters," Ted Turner, @RubenGallego's new book, and @karaswisher's interview with @WHCOS... https://t.co/fQZPDHwUxz
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 1, 2021
Ted Turner, somehow still making more CNN history. https://t.co/56TW6pX2w8
— Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) July 1, 2021
Some news in tonight's @ReliableSources newsletter: The NFT of Ted Turner's speech announcing the launch of CNN sold out within 90 minutes. And Ted Turner was the first NFT buyer in CNN history. https://t.co/YHg2ma8dGT https://t.co/avBysiA1iP
— Emily Kuhn (@emkuhn) July 1, 2021
