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.
07.09.21
Gilded Reframe – MSNBC
It used to be there was a time when the press opposed the idea of the government targeting journalists. You may have a gauzy recollection of this, as it was way back to just a few weeks ago. Today, however, when Tucker Carlson announces he has been the target of surveillance by the NSA, the media reaction is to...defend the spying?
On "Deadline: White House," Nicolle Wallace hosted a panel on the matter, and all of the skepticism and cynical approaches are aimed not at the government but Tucker. One guest suggests Tucker was covering for reaching out to a Russian agent when attempting to secure an interview with Vladamir Putin as NBC News had recently. Said another, "He wanted to use this for his own purposes and to sow distrust, which is so anti-American."
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This is a remarkable short timeframe, to move from government spying of journalists being a threat to our democracy to now calling it a threat against democracy to dare question the sanctity of the NSA.
Pounce Of Prevention – NBC NEWS
At least give reporter Sahil Kapur credit for consistency. He cannot help but promote any of the latest spins from the White House. The latest is the attempt to sell the farce that Republicans are the force behind "Defund the Police." The Dems have come up with a new rash of spending proposals in an attempt to back away from demonizing the cops for the past year. Then Kapur gives us the tired trope of deflecting from bad news for the Left by focusing on the GOP reaction being the bigger story.
- "Republicans are seizing on rising concerns about crime to try to recapture control of Congress next year. A USA Today/Ipsos poll released in March found that just 18 percent of Americans supported the 'defund the police' movement."
Those dastardly Republicans. They want to defund the police, then point at the rising crime rates to blame the Democrats.
Get ready for a fight over who wants to defund the police w/ @sahilkapur https://t.co/OxVMpbFpzI via @nbcnews
— Shannon Pettypiece (@spettypi) July 8, 2021
News Avoidance Syndrome – NBC 6, MIAMI
As answers continue to be sought concerning the tragic condominium collapse in the Miami Beach area, one common thread we have covered is how blame was attempted to be foisted onto Governor Ron DeSantis. First, he was said to be lax with emergency orders. Then a licensing issue was blamed, and now a code enforcement law being repealed is possibly an issue. That none of these hits on DeSantis were factual was later revealed.
The current issue being looked at is the engineering problems that were delayed or avoided, and these are said to have possibly been influenced by the rollback of a law requiring regular engineering structural reports. That repeal was from 2010, but the revealing aspect is what is not revealed in this report. The governor of Florida behind that decision was Charlie Crist, the Democratic House member who is targeting DeSantis in next year's gubernatorial race.
Collapsed Surfside Condo Could Have Been Repaired Faster Under Repealed Fla. Law, Experts Say https://t.co/C3oLmiMHrw
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) July 8, 2021
Both Kinds Of Standards – SALON
Just yesterday, we covered how CNN was posturing with disdain that Marjorie Taylor Greene would dare invoke Nazi imagery, despite their own history of doing the same during the Trump years.
Now, Salon arrives with the same outrage, and the outlet becomes ensnared by their own history of references it today declares offensive.
It never fails to deliver amusement when these outlets show an inability to do basic research – within their own archives.
Donald Trump is being treated like a normal politician. So was Hitler in Weimar Germany https://t.co/ZSHF3kxNu6 pic.twitter.com/aCivxRbkLj
— Salon (@Salon) June 1, 2016
Blue-anon – NBC NEWS
For an industry that so reviles conspiracy theories, in their words, the press sure is reliant on weaving these tales. The latest is focused on the opposition to Critical Race Theory, and seeing the pushback happening not just in select pockets but in districts across the country has the media scrambling for excuses.
And they have one at the ready. This uprising of pushback against school boards and teachers' unions is the result of Qanon infiltration. That journalists cannot see the idiocy of demonizing Qanon as crackpots while unleashing crackpot Q-theories at the same time will never fail to amuse.
In the wake of Donald Trump's 2020 election defeat, many QAnon followers have hatched a plan: Run for school board or local office. @oneunderscore__ reports:https://t.co/xKC35003km
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 8, 2021
Anti-Social Media – WASHINGTON POST
It sent a few ripples this week when it was revealed that Rupert Murdoch has a plan to create his own weather network, serving as a direct competitor to The Weather Channel.
At WaPo, resident yuckster Alexandra Petri weighed in with a caustic response. She drew up a satirical program schedule for the upcoming channel, and the rest – as the cliche goes – writes itself. Just a few of the offerings:
2—4 a.m.: Dangerous Hurricane Now Making Its Way from Foreign Waters to Your Home Because Joe Biden Isn't Strong Enough
4—6 a.m.: Cloud Caravan Shaped Like All Your Worst Nightmares Is Almost to Your Neighborhood
1—2 p.m.: It's Not Raining Anywhere We Have Sent Correspondents! America Is Doing Much Better Than Other Stations Would Have You Believe!
5—5:30 p.m.: Rainbows: Fine in The Privacy of Their Own Homes But I Don’t Need One Over My Workplace
so much programming to choose from! https://t.co/fmRCwl4dI6
— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) July 6, 2021
