"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.
02.14.22
Blue-anon – VARIOUS OUTLETS
It was splashed all across the media last week – the DHS warned of an impeding Canadian-like convoy rolling up into Southern California and gumming up the works around the Super Bowl. Every headline had to mention the probability of this, despite the fact that the bulletin referenced was all about preparing law enforcement just in case something happened. The worst evidence of a trucker convoy blocking Inglewood over the weekend was some random chatroom chatter saying it would be a cool idea.
Now that the championship passed incident-free, the Monday morning quarterbacking sees the messaging shifting. The press did not get this wrong; it was just that the Republican-backed effort was a bust.
Media Claims of Truckers Blocking the Super Bowl Were Never Serious, Now the Press Tries Shifting the Blame https://t.co/XdUAoZ3b8o
— RedState (@RedState) February 14, 2022
Gilded Reframe – CNN
- The fear of losing the racial narrative creates the need to create more bad news.
Much was made of the Super Bowl halftime show, including the fact that many were celebrating that for the first time, hip-hop acts were the featured musical performers. Oh wait, did we say "celebrating"?! That cannot stand. See, the fact that some form of racial progress was made would curtail the need to have social grievance warriors appearing on camera for segments.
According to the crew at "New Day," the solution is to bring on social grievance warriors to explain how featuring mostly POC music acts was actually a step back for black issues in this country.
We are told putting these black performers before the cameras was a good thing, AND it proves that the NFL has a PR problem. It was an important event for black issues, AND it managed to set black issues back at the same time.
“It was a good night for hip-hop ... [but] it was a bad day for the movement. Because the NFL was able to successfully use Black performers to distract Black audiences from the issues that are important to them without making any meaningful change.” @marascampo @cjfarley pic.twitter.com/LmyL2NHQbf
— New Day (@NewDay) February 14, 2022
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – NEW YORK POST
On the subject of the halftime show, Snoop Dogg was one of the stars who performed. The Post has come out with a breaking EXCLUSIVE that is hardly either of those things. The man who built an entire career around his affinity for smoking pot was seen just before his performance – get this – smoking pot.
Snoop Dogg smokes weed right before star-studded Super Bowl 2022 halftime show https://t.co/OAASrB8z1U pic.twitter.com/APThhSBIav
— New York Post (@nypost) February 14, 2022
Anti-Social Media – CHINESE MEDIA AUTHORITIES
As the Winter Olympics were just underway, we gave you the oddly hilarious story of the Chinese authorities clamping down on foreign journalists. That Chi-Com censors decided to carry out their muzzling live on the air was a severe display of ineptitude on their part. Now, we have another example that is a bit more subtle but just as amusing.
There has been some consternation here in the States that American-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu has decided to participate as a Chinese athlete due to her mother's heritage. As a sign of her struggle to maintain the proper image for her adopted country, Gu decided to respond to charges that China silences people online and on social media. After she was asked how it was that she posted entries on Instagram when that platform was banned in China, Gu responded with a cheery answer that getting a virtual private network was very easy, offering this as proof that the Chi-coms were not as censorous as people claimed.
Soon after, Gu's posting was censored by Chi-Com authorities.
Eileen Gu's VPN comment reportedly censored on Chinese social media https://t.co/ZpJog4jTWv
— CNET News (@CNETNews) February 11, 2022
Body Checking the Fact Checkers – WASHINGTON POST
- The crack pipe controversy shows many in the press have been smoking something.
The story last week that Biden's HHS department was issuing a number of drug-related items to assist people in the name of equity has created a negative reaction and a source of challenges for his defensive press acolytes. The now-removed proposed smoking kits, meant to help people consume illicit drugs safely, has left fact-checkers like WaPo's Glenn Kessler scrambling for explanations.
After the Washington Free Beacon reported on a conversation with a spokesperson, Glenn debunked the story in his trademarked fashion. Kessler notes that although smoking kits contain various materials for smoking, it was debatable that a glass stem is included. After the paper asked if the kits were designed for safe smoking of crack or meth, the spokesman said, "I wouldn't limit to those two substances. It would reference 'any illicit substance.'"
Sooooo, they are technically not crack pipes because they could be used for other illegal drugs as well, and despite also providing syringes and other drug-use materials, it is wrong to consider this controversial. Well done, Glenn.
New #FactChecker --> Viral article that unleashed ‘crack pipe’ firestorm relied on assumptions https://t.co/XOMttXiF7Q
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 11, 2022
Both Kinds of Standards – TELEMUNDO
In the state of Florida, there is great mirth in watching Democrat Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried operating with the belief that she will unseat Governor Ron DeSantis in the coming election. Her not-at-all racist comment recently made not generating any media outrage is a sign of the propping up she will require to have a fighting chance.
As an example of her struggle with media, campaigning, and common sense, Fried sat for an interview with a local Spanish language affiliate, and she explained her technique with reaching out to Hispanic voters.
“I talk slow”, said @NikkiFried to Miami’s @Telemundo51 when asked about how she engages Hispanics in her #FLGOV primary campaign. ?? pic.twitter.com/iMga5ucvUB
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) February 11, 2022
Body Checking the Fact Checkers – REUTERS
- Nuance for me, but not for thee.
The press has a decidedly fluid concept when it comes to the N-word. While it is said that it is never appropriate to use, there is a level of permissiveness displayed depending on who says it. Reuters has shown this sliding scale in reference to a video circulation from years back when Joe Biden is on the record uttering the hateful word. Suddenly, when it involves the current president of the United States, nuance and context are suddenly used to excuse the clear speaking of the word. And despite Biden clearly being heard, there is supposition over whether he said it.
- "The alleged quote, which has been repeatedly used to discredit Biden, is missing context. During the two-day hearing, Biden quoted these words from a white legislator who opposed the Louisiana redistricting plan in 1981, a case that was criticized for being biased against Black people."
So, him saying it is in question, but even though he actually said it, the judgment is that it doesn't count, because even though it is never acceptable, this time it is acceptable because of context and nuance, and because shut up about it already!
