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.
07.20.21 (Update)
DNC PR Firm – MSNBC
As the administration continues to struggle with its messaging about targeting what it perceives to be dangerous sources of vaccine conspiracies, they sent White House Communications director Kate Bedingfield on "Morning Joe," and she managed to only pour more fuel on their messaging pyre.
Bedingfield said that on the issue of misinformation, that social media companies "should be held accountable." Then, after both Jen Psaki and President Biden have had to retract comments since Thursday, after tripping over their own tongues, Bedingfield managed to give the same type of messaging those two have tried to clean up.
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"There are conservative news outlets who are creating irresponsible content." It must be a relief to those left-leaning news outlets that the administration approves of the misinformation they are putting out.
Legalized Press-titution – THE DAILY BEAST
- Explaining away Kamala's totally not vaccine hesitancy.
With all of the built-up controversy about anyone opposed to getting vaccinated, the administration has a problem. Last year, Vice President Kamala Harris came out vocally opposed to the vaccine, all because of reflexive opposition to President Trump. As this is continuously brought up, the press is entangled. Today, in response to a report from John Roberts on Fox News, Justin Baragona attempted to run a cleanup mission for the VP's benefit.
This is a really disingenuous interpretation by Fox News' John Roberts on Kamala Harris' comments about the vaccine before the election.
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) July 20, 2021
Of course, the clip he plays excludes her saying she'd trust a "credible source of information" and just won't take Trump's word alone on it. pic.twitter.com/OrlIzG6lWT
Two problems here. First, Kamala was not asked about Trump when discussing it with CNN's Dana Bash. The question was, "So let's just say there is a vaccine that is approved and even distributed before the election. Would you take it?" The second issue – Justin's own outlet covered this very episode. Yet today, he is reduced to spinning this as something other than a political opposition to the vaccine – the very thing the press is busy demonizing today.
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) July 20, 2021
Gilded Reframe – WASHINGTON POST
THE PRESS: "Sean Hannity needs to quit denying the vaccines work – he's killing people!"
SEAN HANNITY: "Folks – go out and get vaccinated."
THE PRESS: "Well...that doesn't count, because we hate his network!"
Yes, Sean Hannity expressed support for vaccines. But it came in the middle of another of Fox's now-standard three-hour blocks of near-relentless efforts to cast doubt on the vaccines' efficacy. Receipts:https://t.co/OGw9bT7UME
— Philip Bump (@pbump) July 20, 2021
Artisanal-Crafted Narratives – BUSINESS INSIDER
Who says the press is obsessed with Donald Trump in exile? Answer: Anyone who watches the news.
Over at The Insider, they are still so addicted to anything Trump the outlet is in the process of compiling a complete oral history of the man who has barely been out of office for six months.
In the course of this not-a-problem-we-can-stop-covering-him-anytime-we-want-to dedication, they have broken open a huge bombshell of a story. On the famous day of Trump's announcement and he descended the escalator, THEY PAID PEOPLE TO CROWD AROUND AND CHEER!
We can only hope this exposé leads to the third impeachment of Donald Trump.
NEW: Another newsy nugget from the @thisisinsider Trump oral history project.
— Darren Samuelsohn (@dsamuelsohn) July 19, 2021
Corey Lewandowski acknowledges Trump 2016 did indeed pay actors to appear at the Trump Tower campaign announcement event.
https://t.co/18yinVQpvC
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- Trying to figure out the loss of support for these preening politicians.
There was another presser held today by the stunted cadre of Democratic state politicians from Texas who are staging their flee-ibuster in D.C. Looking over the picture, you see quite a few differences from the previous press conferences they held upon arrival.
Social distancing and masks at #TexasDemocrats presser at Washington Plaza hotel#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/sSE3eDbfrP
— Todd J. Gillman (@toddgillman) July 20, 2021
Everyone has masks, there is far less joviality seen from the members, and the swarm of press has dwindled to just a handful of reporters on hand. Funny how the energy of support has been drained by their incompetence, the public mockery, and the realization that these privileged authorities who flouted mask restrictions have become their own super-spreader event.
To date, six members of this group have tested positive for Covid-19, as has a member of Nancy Pelosi's office, and a White House staff member.
Funny thing, as they have generated fewer press articles, one thing many of the journalists have avoided entirely is the mention of their Covid outbreaks. WaPo last mentioned them on Sunday, and there were no viral mentions.
Texas Democrats aren’t planning to return home to Austin just yet. In fact, they intend to this week step up their protests against voting restrictions being considered by the Republican legislature in their home state. https://t.co/DkV9wrIINm
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 18, 2021
The White House will not, of course, take a position of condemnation, and Politico mentioned in sympathetic terms that the outbreak has been a drain on the efforts of their second week on the political lam. The outlet says the "outbreak sideswipes Texas lawmakers' D.C. tour," and that it was unfortunate how "Texas Democrats' drive to focus Washington on voting rights has been pushed off course."
Almost seems like you feel more sympathy for the journalists forced to confront the truth of this ginned-up posturing move by these simpletons.
The best thing about this entire thing is these professional hacks all just look away and not cover this and everyone sees it. Just absolute shamelessness, and they all know it. All of them. They all know how bad it looks and they all just look the other way. https://t.co/0JorIR3Oql
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 20, 2021
07.20.21 (Original)
DNC PR Firm – REUTERS
- Does the news syndicate have a deal struck as being an affiliate of her store?!
It is hardly a novel concept to see a politician selling branded merchandise. It is a common fundraising tool, always seen during election campaigns. (We still cherish our John Delaney bottle openers!) Over at Reuters, however, they appear to find that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez developing her own branded store merchandise is a novel concept.
?? AOC is now selling merchandise
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2021
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become one of America's most prominent progressive Democrats with her calls to tax the wealthy and spend heavily to fight climate change https://t.co/aw8GSyEQhB 1/5 pic.twitter.com/7MbXqdYFgo
Reuters is also visibly excited at this rollout. The news source repeatedly touted her new line of goods, to an extent that you need to wonder just how much of a percentage of any sales from clicking over it is receiving.
.@Reuters is officially advertising @AOC’s online store today.
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) July 19, 2021
They have tweeted this “breaking news” at least nine times today! pic.twitter.com/0oDrSDEb6H
Presentation Paradox – POLITICO
Currently, on the west coast of Florida, there is an issue with red tide, and in certain areas, they are dealing with the die-off of fish building up on beaches and waterways. In covering the issue, Politico zeros in on the work Governor Ron DeSantis is or is not doing.
Immediately in the piece, they concentrate on critics of the governor and his lack of response on the issue. One voice says the governor needs to take "immediate action" on this problem, while another claims "we are hearing nothing from the Governor, the same as with other crises." Certainly, it is simply a coincidence that these quotes derived from Charlie Crist and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the two Democratic challengers to DeSantis in next year's gubernatorial race.
It is only deeper in the piece that Politico gets around to revealing that these front-and-center critiques are dispelled by facts.
He formed a task force on the issue after he was sworn in and has allocated millions in the state budget toward combating the problem. As for immediate action, that too was already in place.
- "DeSantis on Monday said he had directed the state Department of Environmental Protection to respond with 'all hands on deck' and use funds he requested in the past to battle red tide along the coast, mostly by removing rotting fish. 'This is why we got that money in the first place,' DeSantis said. 'We want to be able to respond with full force. We are doing that.'"
Nice, though, of the news outlet, to be sure to get the complaints highly featured while not correcting the claims being made by the political opponents.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing a potentially new crisis as he readies his 2022 reelection: thousands of tons of dead fish https://t.co/QNOy6HjfBQ
— POLITICO (@politico) July 19, 2021
Low Octane Gas Lighting – CNN
- Since they were the first decades ago, that claim just carries over.
As we covered here yesterday, CNN is all abuzz about the announced rollout of its new subscription service being offered up early next year. While they are understandably excited about the venture, maybe they are a little too exuberant about the impact. On the "Strictly Business" podcast from Variety, CNN's chief digital officer Andrew Morse was on to hype the announcement. He was rather taken up in the excitement.
- "There isn't another news organization on the planet that could pull off what we're trying to pull off.”
We'll need to check in to see if this historical move of a news network creating a subscription service is being covered over at Fox Nation – that network's subscription service that was rolled out in 2018.
Stealth Story Evolution – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- Hey, it has already been six months, they easily forget in that time frame.
In a new glowing profile of White House Chief Of Staff Ron Klain, writer Mark Leibovitch opens with details about a huge party being planned, one that has all of D.C. buzzing with activity.
- "Plans for his 60th have become such a source of Beltway status anxiety that a small universe of Washington strivers is angling for details: Some have asked White House contacts whether a celebration is in the works and if invitations have gone out."
While this is itself not a huge announcement, it does defy some of the advance praise that had been heaped on the administration. Drew Holden shows a contradiction in play, namely that Joe Biden – in an indication of the adults supposedly stepping into power – was showing adherence to professionalism by putting an end to the laudatory glory showered on officials. Maybe that was a result of Covid restrictions, which have now been lifted.
Then vs. now re: Biden White House pic.twitter.com/EKZ9bTQGMo
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) July 19, 2021
Body Checking The Fact Checkers – POLITIFACT
- Correcting the important stories for our benefit.
With the opening ceremonies of the Olympics sort of taking place this week in Tokyo, there is growing news coverage of the games. The New York Post had one report from the Olympic Village, where the athletes are being housed during the depleted games. In an effort to encourage social distancing during a viral surge, it is said the athletes will find they are sleeping on unique prefab beds in their residences.
Thankfully, PolitiFact is on the case to correct a misconception about the sleeping arrangements; no, these are not specially-designed anti-sex cardboard beds, meant to curtail naked human contact in the sex-crazed athlete's areas after all!
The Olympics are not using cardboard beds to prevent the spread of COVID. Here’s the real reason why. https://t.co/FXAxPJodLp
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) July 19, 2021
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – CNN
- And we thought one of the few bright spots of the pandemic was the lessened exposure of celebrities.
Apparently, the return of normalcy to our lives in this vaccination era means that a new change has come over our society – we can obsess over celebrity gossip once again! – "I think a lot of it is people are so desperate to feel like everything's back to normal and what's more back to normal than caring about celebrity," said Cooper Lawrence, host of pop culture podcast the Cooper And Anthony Show.
Well, what sweet relief, we are free to occupy ourselves with the useless machinations of luminaries who, for the most part, resent our mundane existence. The real surprise is that we even allowed Covid-19 to impact our concern for the wealthy fame-whores of our society.
- "At the start of the pandemic last year, The New York Times pointed out that the world order had complicated our relationship to celebrities. 'Among the social impacts of the coronavirus is its swift dismantling of the cult of celebrity,' Amanda Hess wrote."
We can always look back fondly on the summer of 2020 when it was perfectly acceptable to not give a damn about the celebrities.
You: Jeez, with so much going on in the world, why tf does anyone care about Bennifer 2.0?
— Cooper Lawrence (@CooperLawrence) July 18, 2021
Me and @TheSandraG: It's ok to care, and here's why:https://t.co/m4RRrMQI7L
