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.
08.20.21
Low Octane Gas Lighting – VARIOUS OUTLETS
It has been the most-covered story of 2021 – the alleged "insurrection" that the press has claimed took place in January. So obsessed has the media been in pushing this fable they actually commemorated the six-month anniversary of the riot at the Capitol. Well, this has become a horrible week for that particular narrative.
First was the takeover in Afghanistan. It becomes much harder to sell the concept that a face-painted mook with bull horns was attempting to overthrow the government when we have been witness to an ACTUAL violent insurrection in that country. Now comes the second dagger to the storyline. Word is coming out that the FBI has not found any type of organized effort to actually overthrow the government on that day.
- "The FBI at this point believes the violence was not centrally coordinated by far-right groups or prominent supporters of then-President Donald Trump, according to the sources, who have been either directly involved in or briefed regularly on the wide-ranging investigations. They found no evidence that the groups had serious plans about what to do if they made it inside, the sources said."
The FBI has found scant evidence that the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials https://t.co/eFQa3BmZfn 1/8
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 20, 2021
Gilded Reframe – CNN
Chris Cillizza is upset. He has noted that a number of Republican politicians and conservative journalists have dared to ask about the mental health of President Biden. This bothers the CNN pundit.
- "This is the sort of gross, lowest-common-denominator politics that drive people away from public life. If Republicans have some sort of proof that Biden is declining, they should bring it forward. If they don't, they should stop doing what they're doing. Immediately."
It appears that this unseemly, tasteless, low-rent, debased political discourse has no place in our nation...today. It's funny how it was perfectly acceptable for Democrats to call President Trump's fitness to serve into question less than one year ago. But now, it is completely out of line to raise a question about Joe Biden's competency – as he finds following a sidewalk to be a challenge.
President Biden returns to the White House after spending time in Wilmington, Delaware pic.twitter.com/RopGCgStGR
— The Hill (@thehill) August 10, 2021
News Avoidance Syndrome – MSNBC
- Who has time for a geopolitical crisis when there is a game show controversy afoot?!
One of the slams against Fox News frequently seen from the likes of Brian Stelter and others is to feature the front page of their website and comment on what the network is NOT covering, to their critical satisfaction. Well, what can be said when we play the same game, but concerning the biggest global story taking place right now?
At MSNBC, they do not seem all that curious about the plight of Afghanistan and the abject fiasco that has been created with the U.S. troop withdrawal. In fact, they are not interested in it at all. After all, there are bigger stories out there that need to be covered – like the replacement host on "Jeopardy" being caught up in a scandal!
Anyone want to tip off MSNBC on news out of Afghanistan? The front page has no mention of it - they are focused on the host of 'Jeopardy'.
— Brad Slager - Gold Medal Loser in the Keg Toss (@MartiniShark) August 20, 2021
It barely shows in the Top Stories, BUT they did have a blurb Wed:
"The awkward Trumpy truth about Afghanistan's likely new Taliban leader" pic.twitter.com/yNbzkwLcpu
Reporting on the Mirror – CNN
- He won, but we don't like him, so it doesn't count.
Writing in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter today, Oliver Darcy grudgingly announced some surprising news on the late-night TV front. The new arrival on the scene, FoxNews' "Gutfeld!," has beaten the others in the ratings. This is borderline remarkable, given that the likes of Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert have had years of a head start, to say nothing of having a wider audience platform on broadcast networks.
Darcy, however, sees some issues to blunt the celebration that might take place.
- "'Gutfeld!' on Fox News 'finally beat every other late-night show — including Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' on CBS — Tuesday in total viewership and the advertiser-coveted age demographic of 25 to 54.' It's still not quite a fair fight since 'Gutfeld!' starts at 11pm ET and the network shows start later, and since his show is a different breed, but this is a ratings win Fox very much wanted to tout..."
Funny how that 30-minute head start never seemed to help Conan O'Brien, as he languished on TBS for years. Also, there is the small matter of Gutfeld beating others in the 11pm timeslot, like Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper.
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – NEW YORK POST
When opposing sides meet up, and a massive conflagration of anger and dispute explodes, it sends shockwaves across the news landscape and affects the citizenry in ways that cannot always be measured.
It may yet be too early to measure whether or not the confrontation of the U.S. and the Taliban will be eclipsed by the dustup we witnessed between Larry David and Alan Dershowitz on Martha's Vineyard.
Larry David 'screamed' at Alan Dershowitz at grocery store over Trump ties https://t.co/ULxbJghCqy pic.twitter.com/HFbAvcobHG
— Page Six (@PageSix) August 18, 2021
