"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.
01.12.22
Gilded Reframe – CNN
- The great Pandemic rewrite continues.
There have been a number of details in the Covid saga since the breakout two years ago that led to speculation. One has been how many hospitalizations are considered valid when people were admitted for other reasons and were then found to be Covid-positive. This is a reality recently reported in one San Francisco hospital, where a study of the records of patients showed that 70% were admitted for other reasons.
Well, look who is now coming around on the matter – none other than Jake Tapper. Consider this; in 2020, had anyone dared come forward to suggest that we are recording Covid hospitalizations inaccurately, leading to inflated figures, you would have been branded as someone minimizing the impact, ignoring science, and probably causing more deaths. But today, in the Joe Biden era, it is just fine to question the totals.
CNN's Jake Tapper rips into "misleading" COVID hospitalization numbers.
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 10, 2022
"We're 2 years into this ... if somebody's in the hospital with a broken leg and they also have asymptomatic COVID, that should not be counted as hospitalized with covid, clearly." pic.twitter.com/rZhcANyYaW
Both Kinds of Standards – LOS ANGELES TIMES
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Michael Hiltzik has some harsh words toward those who are anti-vaccine. While he acknowledges that it is a dark activity to mock those who die from Covid, he then suggests it is also a needed practice, to deliver the message of how gravely important the vaccines are to our national well-being.
And in delicious fashion, we can place Mike on the list of hypocritical journalists who were initially against the vaccines when Trump's name was associated with their release.
Column: Trump is plotting a vaccine debacle for November, placing your health at risk https://t.co/gkOAnqncbN
— Michael Hiltzik (@hiltzikm) September 4, 2020
Stealth Story Evolution – Washington Post
The Washington Post wrote a piece somewhat critical of President Biden and his willingness to attend funerals of recently passed political figures. Colin Powell, Bob Dole, and recent Harry Reid garnered the president's attendance at their wakes. Some insiders told the Post they viewed this as not the best use of Biden's time and efforts.
After receiving some pushback from the White House on this approach, the paper went forward and deleted the tweets it sent out for the article. Also, the potentially critical text was scrubbed from the article, but there is no mention of the editorial changes.
Heel! Good boy. ?? pic.twitter.com/MXrbTLKjq3
— TheRightWingM ???? (@TheRightWingM) January 8, 2022
DNC PR Firm – MSNBC
- And just that easy, we no longer blame the president for Covid deaths.
We do not need to strain our memory too much to conjure up instances of those in the press who freely blamed President Trump directly for the deaths from Covid. Much of it is still being said today. This is a novel virus and led to a global pandemic, but Trump was entirely to blame.
Now…the blame is not so easily tossed around. Seems that granting the next president three vaccines only to see that lead to more deaths from the virus leads to a reinterpretation of culpability. On with Ali Velshi, Jennifer Rubin was discussing the prospects of Democrats in the face of broad issues, and she declares that Biden is basically helpless on the subject.
“Well if the economy is not better and covid is still raging, the Democrats are in deep trouble,” says @JRubinBlogger. “I’m not sure the President, who is going to be setting the tone for the election, can do a whole lot about either one of those.” #velshi pic.twitter.com/wEorgxBuOP
— Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) January 9, 2022
Presentation Paradox – BROOKINGS INSTITUTE
- Don't believe her words; believe my words about her words.
It is a constant amusement when you watch the notables trying desperately to reconcile their boisterous opposition to election cynics while also needing to defend Stacey Abrams. After all, there is ample explaining when they screech about Trump's 2020 denialism, yet they are on record cheerleading for Abrams since 2018.
The latest is from Benjamin Wittes, who desperately attempts to spin the constant Abrams' denials, claiming she conceded her election in a genteel manner. Except…he provided the text of her speech, where she very clearly states she is not conceding.
It has become a talking point among Trumpists and some non-Trumpist conservatives that @staceyabrams--like Trump--did not concede the race when she ran for governor of Georgia in 2018.
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) January 12, 2022
It's really not true. Abrams did not concede that the race was fair, but she did concede... pic.twitter.com/5sgigkZIVn
