"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.)
12.07.21
Legalized Press-titution – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- Nothing like wasting no time to disprove the most ludicrous of claims about the media.
As we noted yesterday, Dana Milbank made the most audacious claim this weekend when he tried selling the concept that the press has been tougher on Joe Biden than it was toward Donald Trump. There were lines outside ophthalmologist offices nationwide as a result of the severe eye-rolling that column produced.
The news outlets were rather gracious in the way they proved Milbank incorrect; they did not even wait 24 hours.
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At CNN, Brian Stelter's Boy Wonder, Oliver Darcy, delivered this nugget of intel regarding the Biden administration reaching out to the leaders in the journalism industry to help them out with messaging.
- "The White House, not happy with the news media's coverage of the supply chain and economy, has been working behind the scenes trying to reshape coverage in its favor."
That Darcy reports this with an uncritical eye says everything. It seems the White House is upset with reporting accurately on the realities in the economy, and Ollie here thinks it is just swell that this alliance is being formed between government leaders and the members of the Fourth Estate.
- "I'm told the conversations have been productive, with anchors and reporters and producers getting to talk with the officials."
Some news in @ReliableSources: Senior White House and admin officials have been holding briefings with major newsrooms over past week as they try to reshape economic coverage. https://t.co/s3tNP28Lae pic.twitter.com/REvVzLKlXv
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 7, 2021
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- Sounds rather collusion-like, going by the standards of the past four years.
President Biden had a video conference meeting with Russian leader Vladamir Putin, and things did not go fantastically, even beyond Joe having some self-induced tech issues on his end. Picture in your mind what the press reaction would be if Donald Trump closed off his meeting with Putin regarding a military build-up on a foreign border and kept the details away from reporters. The outrage at their treatment would be followed by days of insisting this was more proof of how he was in the back pocket of the communist leadership.
The start of their meeting was covered briefly by the press – that is, the Russian press. The White House shut out the American press from their discussion. The ensuing wailing from the scribes is not heard with any discernable volume.
"I hope next time we can meet in person," President Biden can be heard telling Putin on their video call.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) December 7, 2021
Russia allowed state media in for a short video spray of the first few moments of the call - the White House did not allow American press any access. https://t.co/KcBZwHdFQK
Gilded Reframe – AXIOS
In a story that received plenty of traction in the media circles, Axios details some troubling information. It turns out that conservatives have been calmly and quietly constructing a landscape of alternative media platforms. The horror!
Calling this emergence a conservative echo chamber, it seems that this is a bothersome reality, according to the very media that have long responded to charges of censorship and of targeting conservative messaging or accounts with the pithy retort, "If you don't like it, go build your own platforms." Well, now it has been discovered that is precisely what is happening, and the press does not like it at all.
- "Conservatives are aggressively building their own apps, phones, cryptocurrencies and publishing houses in an attempt to circumvent what they see as an increasingly liberal internet and media ecosystem. Conservative media has been a powerhouse for a long time, but this phase of its expansion isn't just about more or louder conservative voices — it's about building an entire conservative ecosystem."
Conservatives are aggressively building their own apps, phones, cryptocurrencies and publishing houses.
— Axios (@axios) December 6, 2021
Many are being backed by corporate figures and billionaires eager to push back against things like "censorship" and "cancel culture." https://t.co/vXMn7X7AH2
Body Checking The Fact Checkers – REUTERS
Two things needed to be in play for this gag to go viral; a remaining obsession with Trump and a heavy dose of confirmation bias.
Someone began circulating a Christmas card allegedly from Donald Trump, and social media jumped all over it. Grant Stern of Occupy Democrats was one of many blue-checks who bought into the obvious forgery.
I got punked by a Twitter trend :( https://t.co/wJtQ8DbMZS
— Grant Stern is vaxxed (@grantstern) December 6, 2021
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- The racism of community libraries is apparent to the editors at The Times.
A woman decided to place one of those trendy library boxes on her property for her minority community. One day, she noticed that a white couple was browsing some of the titles. This set off alarm bells, and naturally, the writer's mind leaped to a natural conclusion – this would lead to her town becoming gentrified!
Oh…kay then. Not only did the stunted editorial team allow this idiocy to get printed, but when alleging racism could be at play, maybe the writer should not have tipped her hand that this was all due to her engaging in cultural appropriation from the start!
- "About a year ago, I decided to build a library on my front lawn. By library, I mean one of those little free-standing library boxes that dot lawns in bedroom communities around the country. I'd spotted the phenomenon on walks through upscale, largely white neighborhoods around Los Angeles and immediately resolved to bring it home to Inglewood. Why not?"
Because it would lead to gentrification, naturally.
One day, @aubry_erin noticed a white couple perusing the books in the little library on her lawn. “What message do I hope they took from my library? The same message I wanted to send to the rest of my neighbors, my community: Black presence has value.” https://t.co/kSpB0cmNwg
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) December 5, 2021
Anti-Social Media – PRO PUBLICA
- Demanding social reality in our escapism entertainment.
So many people have turned to the frothy and ersatz Christmas movies on The Hallmark Channel over the years that it has exploded into its own cottage industry. Numerous channels produce their own versions of these recycled storylines, and even Netflix is dumping a satchel of these titles this year.
Yet, as many people turn to these offerings to turn off the social noise and get into the holiday spirit, Nicole Carr of Pro Publica sees a problem in her viewing. These buoyant holiday treacle fests filled with fake snow need to have far more reality injected into them – she is demanding that along with the visions of sugar plums, there should also be more pandemic pandemonium displayed!
Bothered by a new Christmas movie bc it doesn’t address COVID.I know it was shot during the pandemic,so are we pretending there’s no virus? We can’t get a script about how they’ve managed to have a big,maskless indoor party w strangers in 2021 & no vaxx or testing status convo?
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleFCarr) December 5, 2021
