"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.
09.22.21
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS MEDIA
- Jen Psaki's quote is not newsworthy as long as it is not reported.
It has been tough for the press lately regarding the border and the inhumane insurgency taking place, all while needing to keep the president cast in a positive light. There have been images of thousands packed beneath a highway overpass, the FAA working to stop drones from recording footage, and then CBP agents supposedly whipping immigrants, which the journalists leaped to detail only to realize they had to demonize the Border Patrol while never uttering Biden by name. IT'S BEEN A ROUGH WEEK!
Adding to their dysphoria was an exchange at the White House Press Briefing when Jen Psaki was rattled, once again, by Peter Doocy. This time, the Fox correspondent asked about prioritizing Covid restrictions on European travelers while being completely hands-off regarding the thousands streaming across the southern border. Psaki tripped over her tongue.
Peter Doocy asks why vaccine cards are required for foreign travelers but not migrants at the border.
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) September 20, 2021
Psaki: "They're not intending to stay here for a lengthy period of time. It's not the same thing." pic.twitter.com/NLA8G8fT2s
The media are content to let this comment settle, as she explains tourists with a return ticket are going to be here longer than thousands seeking to relocate into this country. It is amazing there is still a TV signal this deep into the rabbit hole.
Gilded Reframe – SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
- Proof we cannot abide positive Coved news.
For weeks we have been inundated with horror stories out of Florida about the elevated numbers in Covid cases, in Covid deaths, and how Ron DeSantis is strictly responsible for these spikes. What the press has been eager to do is completely ignore details that just about every state has seen the same rise in cases simultaneously, as this August wave is matching that seen last year at the same time.
What has interrupted this hysteria is that Florida has shown sharp declines in the numbers the past few weeks, without any dramatic change in policies and this inconvenient record interrupts the narrative. Fear not, as local paper The Sun Sentinel is here to ignore the science and the medical data in order to properly place The Sunshine State back into a state of anxiety.
Don’t let the COVID slide fool you. The virus is here for the long haul. https://t.co/nuJ2epHULF pic.twitter.com/o7SeSIQRj5
— South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) September 20, 2021
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – THE DAILY BEAST
On the topic of Ron DeSantis, yesterday, Florida's governor held a press conference where he introduced the state's new Surgeon General, and right on cue, the unhinged responses in the press to anything DeSantis does arrived. At The Daily Beast, they lambasted the decision, all because the appointee promoted a healthy lifestyle while not being a mask-Nazi, and also stating that the vaccine may have risks for certain low-risk groups.
This was enough to set off Kana Ruhalter, who tore into the new arrival by stipulating that some of the comments made were "baseless." Recall how often the media has screeched about those who ignore medical experts and refuse to follow the science – as we see someone who is listed as a "Breaking News Intern" insulting a Surgeon General who is a Harvard Medical-educated doctor and a medical professor at UCLA.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled his pick for the next surgeon general of the Sunshine State on Tuesday and it’s a doozy... https://t.co/M9vkUxzrkC
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) September 21, 2021
Reporting on the Mirror – NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO
As the Gabby Petito murder investigation unspools, the folks at NPR join in the media chorus of those decrying the "missing white girl" phenomenon. If unfamiliar, this is the outrage at the media for always being drawn in when a young, white female goes missing, but they turn a blind eye and deaf ear on the multitude of similar cases involving POC individuals.
"Media coverage around the death of 22-year old Gabriel Petito looks racist," according to...the media outlet.
The media's focus on the Gabby Petito case has been frustrating for some people — who point out that the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women doesn't get nearly the same media attention.https://t.co/CAEI82oXrL
— NPR (@NPR) September 21, 2021
Artisanal-Crafted Narratives – ASSOCIATED PRESS
After taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban forces have been doing everything from murdering dissidents, killing those who dare to protest, searching out any American allies, and completely clamping down on the culture and daily activities of citizens.
But the AP is here to inform us this is also a possibly evil group – because they are not woke and diverse in setting up the new government. In what sounds like a complete surprise to the news syndicate, the AP declares the new regime that has been gunning down women in the street for not dressing appropriately has not appointed any females to prominent government positions.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban announce list of deputy ministers, fail to appoint any women, doubling down on all-male, all-Taliban government.
— Michael Tackett (@tackettdc) September 21, 2021
