"Riffed from the Headlines" is 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.
08.30.21 (Update)
Presentation Paradox – LOS ANGELES TIMES
- California's paper looks into a former charity of Larry Elder, not Newsom's real estate scams.
It is pretty clear who the LA Times is backing in California's recall election bid. The paper has been going hard at potential replacement Larry Elder, and it came up with a new scandal – sort of.
The paper dug into a charity Elder ran, demanding to know where all the money ended up. It was basically conceived as an afterthought, with little in the way of operations and having taken in barely $20,000 over a 16 year period, finally shutting down six years ago. The average of $100 monthly went to filing costs and legal fees.
Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom had failed to report on an eight-bedroom estate he received as a gift, then cashing in when he refinanced it months later for over $2.7 million dollars. Somehow, a governor receiving a free mansion, millions in cash, and failing to disclose that fortune on government filings does not rise to the level of "scandal" for the LA Times.
Artisanal-Crafter Narratives – SUN-SENTINEL
- Next, Covid will have a Netflix movie in time for Halloween.
The press loves themselves some Covid-porn, we all know; the direr the bad news on the pandemic they can churn out, the better for them. But now, they might be crossing over from porn to the horror genre, as the South Florida Sun Sentinel has Covid playing the role of a slasher movie villain. More than just being infectious, the virus now is actually "stalking" its next victims.
COVID stalks Florida teens in crowded school hallways, packed lunchrooms. Those cases fuel the surging virus https://t.co/2lXkzuMP1E pic.twitter.com/GhMrOHxngK
— South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) August 28, 2021
First Amendment Strike Force – DAILY BEAST
- "He needs to go! And then...uh...not, be gone..."
Among those who have been routinely targeted for de-platforming as a result of anti-vaxx/anti-mask/anti-narrative commentary has been Alex Berenson. He has been called a dangerous voice on social media, and last night, Twitter permanently banned him from its platform.
Then right on cue, there was Justin Baragona of The Daily Beast, now complaining that since he has been banned – as called to happen – he is going to benefit from it.
This is exactly what he wanted. Now he can spend every other night on Tucker's show urging people to subscribe to his substack to get the TRUTH about covid that the DEEP STATE is trying to suppress https://t.co/r7anniQYCC
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 29, 2021
Reporting on the Media – MEDIA MATTERS
- One media analyst to another – "We do not like when the media behaves like the media."
If you want to come close to falling into the joules self-analysis looking glass, it is whenever Eric Boehlert of Media Matters appears on "Reliable Sources" with Brian Stelter. Boehlert came on to continue with the defense of Biden and declare that the press has been too harsh on the dear man over the Afghanistan withdrawal, and in so doing, he makes an observation that is beyond amusing.
Try not to laugh when you hear Eric declare how it is improper seeing the press getting married to a narrative.
the media's biggest Afghanistan sin? it got married to a narrative; @ReliableSources pic.twitter.com/SIZWvnnQcd
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) August 29, 2021
DNC PR Firm – POLITICO
- For the record, if you noticed Biden being choreographed, you are "freaking out."
When Joe Biden finally was propped up on Thursday and spoke about the Marines killed in Afghanistan, he took questions from the press for the first time in over a week. He turned to his notes and then actually stated that he was being instructed on which journalists he was going to be calling on.
Many people picked up on this revealing and disturbing detail, but Meridith McGraw of Politico takes exception to anyone who noticed his admission.
People can stop freaking out over Biden saying he was instructed to call on a certain reporter. Trump would at times call on specific reporters from a list or just called on his favorites. Of all the things from that press conference to fixate on, that's not it.
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) August 26, 2021
Her Trump deflection aside, her point might be that there were serious issues to be concerned over, what with the suicide bombing, terrorist takeover, and American lives in the balance. But it feels odd to have to instruct a journalist that the very gravity of those topics makes it all the more disturbing to see evidence that the leader of the country is possibly being controlled.
08.30.21 (Original)
Artisanal-Crafted Narratives – THE WEATHER CHANNEL
- The Legend of Jim Cantore takes a hit.
As a Florida resident and one who has endured his share of tropical tempests, I am forever baffled by the need for reporters to go out and report live inside a hurricane. What is actually served in these self-aggrandizing segments? Nobody is confused by the reality that a hurricane is bad weather; there is no need to go out and subject yourself to those elements on camera.
But out of the crowd of these meteorological martyrs, one name stands out – Jim Cantore. The Weather Channel's star storm chaser is so renowned that people know they are screwed when he arrives to do a remote in their location. However, while getting pummeled by intense winds for a live spot yesterday, Jim was undone by some on-site distractions.
There are a number of times reporters have been exposed as over-dramatizing hurricane effects. There was Anderson Cooper reporting from a flooded ditch while his camera crew was standing in ankle-deep water. Then there was the "Today Show" reporter supposedly piloting a canoe in a huge flood when two residents walked into frame, trudging through her puddle. Now, Cantore has his own moment.
While he was well away from the camera, Cantore, with a protective baseball helmet, was giving a live report while being assaulted by fierce winds, barely able to remain standing. However, what he had done was find a narrow alley that was channeling the wind. We know this because, during a couple of his segments, some of the emergency electrical crews trotted into frame and were performing cartwheels in the supposedly oppressive conditions.
Power worker from Missouri performing behind Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel in New Orleans this evening pic.twitter.com/GhKIFGCvcV
— Mike Fleming (@mfleming143) August 30, 2021
Meanwhile, you have someone doing a cartwheel behind Jim Cantore as he does his live coverage of Hurricane Ida. ??????? pic.twitter.com/AYYbeNA148
— Tyler Roney (@TylerJRoney) August 29, 2021
Both Kinds Of Standards – CNN
Chris Cillizza saw the announcement that Herschel Walker will try to run for a Senate seat in Georgia. Chris called this "an absolute nightmare for Republicans" because he has such concern for the success of the GOP. Uh...yeah.
The problems Cillizza sees are that Walker only recently became a resident of Georgia (something that did not hinder Senator Hillary Clinton of New York), that he has not previously held public office (something that did not hinder Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, nor current star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), but it is the final problem that is most curious. It is said that years ago, Walker may have said threatening things to his spouse. Walker is set to challenge current Senator Raphael Warnock – who managed to recently win despite doing threatening things to his spouse.
A Herschel Walker candidacy is a total nightmare for Senate Republicanshttps://t.co/OM8mDmf2iQ
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) August 26, 2021
Reporting On The Mirror – THE ATLANTIC
In linking to a recent New York Times column on President Biden's issues, Caitlin Flanagan actually had a dose of journalistic self-awareness...almost. She makes an admission that the press had built up Biden into something bigger than he is, but then could not help herself and lapsed into the practiced blame for her behavior.
- "We told ourselves a fable that Biden was competent because we were rightly desperate to free ourselves from Trump."
This is the same press that lords information over us while speaking in condescending fashion because they are so wise and urbane – but they are powerless against that crazy idiot Trump. Caitlin is making a desperate deflection here because she was the same deep-thinking and analytical journalist who was positively gushing over Biden this year for the way he removed his sports coat.
You had 5 decades of Biden incompetence to learn from.
— Brad Slager - Focused On Lasers (@MartiniShark) August 29, 2021
Your entire takeaway was this assessment, where you sounded like you were backstage at a boy band concert. https://t.co/XG1l8298S8 pic.twitter.com/qrzYR8zncn
Body Checking The Fact Checkers – CNN
- Daniel Dale fact-checks a headline that was covered in the article.
In the recent meeting between President Biden and the Prime Minister of Israel, during their discussion, Biden is clearly seen on camera appearing to have nodded off for over half a minute, to the curiosity of many, including the prime minister.
Fear not; the press is here to run to the rescue!
This "Biden asleep" stuff is nonsense. Full vid https://t.co/1jC9JjOXag shows: 1) Biden talking; 2) Biden looking at Bennett; 3) Biden looking downward, his hands moving, starting right when Bennett mentioned this week's "difficult days"; 4) Biden immediately replying to Bennett. pic.twitter.com/dJ9dLsoiTY
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 28, 2021
Of note here, Dale offers no explanation as to just what was transpiring on camera. It is plain to all who watch this that Biden bows his head and is uncommunicative for the duration. We might buy that he is not asleep, but what is taking place? The optics of this are terrible.
But further, note the first article Dale claims to address is from Bonchie, writing at our partner site RedState. He claims to dispel his article, but it is rather obvious he did so without reading it, as Bonchie not only allows that Biden was not asleep – in both his text and the headline – but he also addressed this specific behavior from Dale.
- "To appease the fact-checkers, I'll note that I can't tell for sure that he's asleep here. Perhaps he's just resting his eyes? I don't know, but what I do know is that there's nothing normal about Biden hanging his head for 30+ seconds this way, instead of having his attention locked on the head of state he's ostensibly there to speak with. At one point, the video zooms in and you can see that his eyes are closed."
It is rather revealing when a fact-checker manages to miss that a writer specifically makes reference to the fact-checkers in getting the details of a story lined up correctly...and then claims it is a false story as a result.
News Avoidance Syndrome – VOX
- We have to guess Democrats increased the value of impeachments and calls for resignations…
One sure way to know if there is validity behind a policy is if Aaron Rupar of Vox opposes it. His consistency in being wrong on matters is nearly unblemished. His latest is that he is looking over a letter from Rep. Madison Cawthorn that calls on the administration to invoke the 25th Amendment and have Joe Biden removed as president. Sure, it is a posturing move on Cawthorn's part, but note the outrage from Rupar over this move.
Republicans are cheapening impeachment, presidential resignation, and now the 25th Amendment https://t.co/qVtw1rwOK0
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 27, 2021
Aaron here needs you to ignore that Democrats impeached Donald Trump twice – once over a phone call – as well as spending all of the years he was in office calling to have him removed via the 25th. But those were not cheap stunts; those were deeply valid attempts to preserve our democracy.
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – THE NEW YORK TIMES
All this time, PBS has been trying to kill the planet! For most of a generation, we have been schooled that cotton tote bags were a solution to planetary decay. Instead of the toxic plastic sacks, tote bags are safer, reusable, and made from a renewable source.
NOPE! These things are deadly planet-killing curses! The Times informs us.
- "It turns out the wholehearted embrace of cotton totes may actually have created a new problem. An organic cotton tote needs to be used 20,000 times to offset its overall impact of production. That equates to daily use for 54 years — for just one bag. 'Cotton is so water intensive,' said Travis Wagner, an environmental science professor at the University of Maine. It's also associated with forced labor, thanks to revelations about the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China, which produces 20 percent of the world’s cotton and supplies."
Wow, that's horrible! We need to immediately begin calling out all the hateful, insensitive companies selling these deadly tote bags – starting with The New York Times.
The @NYTimes shows how horrible the cotton tote bag is for the environment. These items are a drain on resources and encourage slave labor.
— Brad Slager - Focused On Lasers (@MartiniShark) August 30, 2021
Also, you can purchase any one of a dozen branded tote bags in the New York Times store.https://t.co/L8bAkTne5Hhttps://t.co/nuvptw5IzG
