"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. (For a VIP discount, drop SLAGER in the signup form.)
11.05.21
Pathological Media Amnesia – VARIOUS OUTLETS
It is understandable that so many in the press want to pretend the completely fabricated stunt at the Glenn Youngkin rally last week did not take place. Look at how many were lured in by the false flag operation of alleged white supremacists with tiki torches and later had to change the story, making the McAuliffe campaign appear inept and corrupt.
This blindspot is exposed, however, as they are highlighting words from Democratic operative James Carville today, as he lays the blame of the sweeping Democrat losses this Tuesday on the party embracing wokeness. The blindspot is because Carville himself was guilty of this very behavior – just seven days ago.
Recommended
It was last Friday when he sat in with Chris Cuomo and not only defended The Lincoln Project for being behind the faked event, but he was repeating the lie of Donald Trump calling the racist groups "very fine people."
“It was to illustrate a point that Youngkin has not denounced Trump saying there were ‘fine people on both sides’ in Charlottesville.” — Democratic Strategist @JamesCarville pic.twitter.com/tVRTjkNJIU
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 30, 2021
Both Kinds Of Standards – MSNBC
- The hardest part of rewriting Joy Reid's scripts is coming up with the new words.
Last night, Joy Reid was discussing racism she finds with conservatives and Republicans, keeping her streak of 127 consecutive shows intact. This time she was really on the mark – meaning, she was inanely off the target but hitting her preferred strawmen off to the side. First, she addressed the racist jury selection in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. Apparently, having a lone POC in the mix is a problem.
Leave it to Joy Reid to find the racism in the jury selection of mostly whites for a trial of a white man who shot...uh, other white men. https://t.co/mj3AHgnvfi
— Brad Slager - Gourd Of Thunder (@MartiniShark) November 5, 2021
Next, she and Michael Dyson were addressing the election victory of Winsome Sears in Virginia on Tuesday. An African American woman won a major state seat for the first time, so the two pundits were extremely happy, correct? Oh, wait, Sears is a Republican – this means she is actually a hated figure, and this permits these two to say any hateful and intolerant thing they choose without any backlash. And, just to save you the time searching, of course, they do not provide a single example of Sears delivering the message they claim she is sending out.
Actual quote from a @MSNBC guest:
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) November 5, 2021
“There is a black mouth moving but a white idea running on the runway of the tongue of a figure who justifies and legitimates the white supremacist practices.”
Shameful
pic.twitter.com/5Ox8sm2AWa
News Avoidance Syndrome – BUZZFEED
- Sooo...it was news for four years, but today it is inconsequential.
The main source behind the Steele dossier, BuzzFeed, does not seem at all interested in the fact that Igor Danchenko, the primary source of the now-ridiculed document, has been arrested over his spreading of that disinformation.
And still nothing about Danchenko from the website that released the Steele dossier to the world. This is journalistic arson pic.twitter.com/eVCrWJ1fq4
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) November 5, 2021
Prose & Contradiction – WASHINGTON POST
- You need to keep going with that particular thought, Glenn.
While other outlets did indeed make mention of the Danchenko arrest, one that probably should have backed away was the Washington Post, specifically their noted fact-checker, Glenn Kessler. Glenn saw the news of the arrest, which now brings to light the very problematic nature of the document that was the basis of the four-year collusion nonsense, and he had thoughts. They were not very good, nor complete thoughts, but he had them – and he shared them.
There's an old saying in journalism: You're only as good as your sources. Based on this stunning indictment, Christopher Steele's sources were really bad. https://t.co/mrHmjG9DUq
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) November 4, 2021
Um, Glenn?
The media complex relied on Steele and his fabricated document as their source for the years bleating about Russian collusion. You just indicted your entire industry. So, thank you.
DNC PR Firm – POLITICO
- So see, it is not all that impressive of a victory after all.
One of the fun stories to come out of Tuesday's election was that truck driver Ed Durr unseated longtime incumbent State Senate President Steve Sweeney while spending only $153 on his campaign, and that was mostly for donuts. Well, Matt Friedman is here to set the record straight that this was not all that impressive of a victory, as Durr actually split proceeds of $2,313.70 with two other candidates. So, not impressive at all.
Addendum: Durr's slate (His campaign + 2 Assembly running mates) filed an amended 11-day pre-election report late yesterday afternoon that showed they had spent $2,313.70 and raised $17,400. That is as of 11-days before the election. https://t.co/ckdhlHr6Tm pic.twitter.com/heky2q6Ctg
— Matt Friedman (@MattFriedmanNJ) November 4, 2021
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO
- We should applaud them for not including a Minimum Wage-15 segment, we suppose.
Over at NPR, they featured a study that discovered how much whales consume on a daily basis. The amount was much higher than previously known, and the high-minded reporters at our national news outlet put it into perfect perspective.
The biggest animals to have ever lived on Earth gobble up much more food than scientists thought, according to a new study of Baleen whales.
— NPR (@NPR) November 3, 2021
The amount of food is in the range of 20 to 50 million calories. That is about 70 to 80 thousand Big Macs. https://t.co/EaeWUJqFGf
