"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.
01.28.22
Blue-Anon – CANADIAN BROADCAST COMPANY
- The Canadian truckers bring out another "Russian" deflection effort, but it does not bring evidence.
The convoy of outraged Canadian truckers who chased Prime Minister Justin Trudeau into hiding has politicians and media tied up in knots. On the one hand, they declare they are little more than a fringe group, but on the other, they want to put the clamps on the movement because of the threat they pose to the public. The Canadian Broadcast Company showed just how desperate things have become as they had on a government official who tried to explain what was actually behind this protest – it's the Russians!
The CBC suggests "Russian actors" are behind the #TruckersForFreedom convoy. Seriously. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/a6sQyWtKkx
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) January 29, 2022
So, just like the Hunter Biden laptop story that was blamed on "Russian disinformation," here they can blame "Russian actors," and the press is content with the explanation. No evidence needs to be presented; the accusation is sufficient.
Artisanal-Crafted Narratives – THE ATLANTIC
At The Atlantic, Spencer Kornhaber was not impressed by "Saturday Night Live's" approach to the Russian threat on Ukraine. He reports that the satire in the opening sketch, set in the Oval Office, lacked any landmark discussion on the thorny geopolitical conflict that is brewing. Instead, the show simply told jokes.
- "So perhaps some viewers were comforted by Saturday Night Live's response to such a confusing and terrifying situation with the exact same kind of comedy it always does. The world may be on the brink of a major new conflict, but Lorne Michaels can still assemble his actors for an Oval Office cold open featuring a hodgepodge of one-liners that aim less for insightful political satire than for proof that the show's writers read the internet."
Looking for significance in the content of a comedy show might be something those weaned on getting their news from "The Daily Show" would come to expect. But what Kornhaber is missing is that the show has long been trending into unfunny territory for the very reason that it strives to do what he is suggesting; the need to deliver pointed and serious insights in the comedy sketch show.
On last night’s "SNL," anxieties about war hung palpably over the generally forgettable episode, @skornhaber writes: https://t.co/M6Bv9ny1HM
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) January 30, 2022
Presentation Paradox – THE NEW YORK TIMES
The New York Times details the news of a Tennessee school board deciding the graphic novel "Maus" should be removed from the curriculum for certain grades. While giving some brief space for the administrators to explain, the bulk of the article concerns the intolerance toward the subject matter. The author, Art Spiegelman, is given lengthy passages to condemn the decision, and a Democratic politician in the area gave grave concerns over the censorship.
Except the board was not seeking to pull the subject out of classrooms, they were citing the specific content that was adult-oriented and instead wanted to find books on the subject that were appropriate for the grades being taught.
- "To the contrary we have asked our administrators to find other works that accomplish the same educational goals in a more age-appropriate fashion. The atrocities of the Holocaust were shameful beyond description, and we all have an obligation to ensure that younger generations learn of its horrors to ensure such an event is never repeated."
A school board in Tennessee banned the Holocaust novel “Maus,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel, because it contained swear words and the depiction of a naked character, according to minutes from the meeting. https://t.co/X8fOljurpz
— New York Times Books (@nytimesbooks) January 28, 2022
Gilded Reframe – WASHINGTON POST
- It appears the characteristics of Covid can shift based on state geography.
Note how the media is always screeching over Covid misinformation…from others. Their own misinformation and convenient evolutions on the topic are never a cause for concern, understand. At WaPo, they have come to declare that Covid spikes may be considered a seasonal occurrence, with a variety of factors feeding into the transmission rate. This is a rational and understandable explanation, except for one niggling detail.
It was just a few months ago when Florida was experiencing such a spike that Governor Ron DeSantis made this very statement, but the very same newspaper declared that he was misleading on the matter – by citing the very same data.
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) January 30, 2022
Low Octane Gas Lighting – MOTHER JONES
For months now, the press has pretended that it is not a plurality of senators opposing some of the new legislation but only Senator Joe Manchin. Over the past year, Joe has been blamed for derailing President Biden's agenda, threatening to end democracy, and even killing the entire planet. The man is basically a Bond villain!
Mother Jones has arrived to add to the imbalance hysterics. The leftist outlet joins in on the Manchin-hate in the press by boldly declaring that everyone on Earth hates Joe. But, it is on the record that not everyone hates him. It turns out a rather important group of people seem to be rather happy with the senator – his own constituents.
Joe Manchin's approval nearly double Biden's in West Virginia as he opposes Dem priorities https://t.co/OJ9WMi72qv
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) January 14, 2022
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – THE HILL
The University of Nebraska has descended into the woke mascot swamp by issuing the order to redesign the school's athletic symbol. Herbie Husker is the caricatured image of the Nebraska farmer, replete with a cowboy hat and a pair of overalls emblazoned with a bold letter "N," clutching a football with a large ear of corn protruding from his pocket. If you are wondering what the offense is here, you may want to sit down, lest your knees become weak.
In his free hand, Herbie was making the "OK" gesture, which has been attributed to white supremacists. One spokesperson explained:
- "'That hand gesture could, in some circles, represent something that does not represent what Nebraska athletics is about,' Henrichs said. 'We just didn't even want to be associated with portraying anything that somebody might think, you know, that it means white power.'"
This should go far in explaining the level of education at the university since it's incapable of learning that the whole thing has been a hoax started on 4Chan as a joke.
University of Nebraska mascot's hand gestures revised to avoid connection with white supremacy https://t.co/yh6gDhFYzB pic.twitter.com/8mvcKTH8tv
— The Hill (@thehill) January 31, 2022
