"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage of 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.
04.27.22
Both Kinds of Standards – WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION
This weekend is the return of the mourned magnificence of the Nerd Prom, the formerly annual White House Correspondents Dinner. After years of no president in attendance and a time of no dinner due to the pandemic, the Coronavirus is looming once again.
Many journalists have thrived on Covid panic and have decried every step toward reopening, returning to normal life, and even shrieking over mask mandates rolled back. Now, at this Saturday's dinner, the organizers are dismissing the attempt to safeguard the event, deciding they do not want extra features installed as a safety precaution against the virus.
SCOOP: White House Correspondents Association rebuffed offers to install, for free, devices to clean air at Saturday dinner.
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) April 27, 2022
Party planners worry devices will interfere with gala.
“The reasoning is not clear to me,” said one covid expert.
With @farhip. https://t.co/d1sC2VmP2m
DNC PR Firm – TWITTER
The stories of wailing and gnashing of teeth from inside the offices at Twitter over the purchase by Elon Musk have been good comedy. The main concern seems to be that if people are allowed to speak freely, then our freedoms will be threatened – somehow.
But there appears a far more revelatory reason for all the emotional meltdowns. In 2020, the political donations by Twitter employees saw they donated 90% of the time to the Democrats. In 2021, that number managed to rise to 99%, and that number has remained through the first months of this year.
The Need for Elon - Clear Evidence Exists of Near Uniform Support for Democrats Inside Twitter
— RedState (@RedState) April 27, 2022
https://t.co/wXNKt7mYB2
Low Octane Gas Lighting – MSNBC
- It is not people opposing Biden, the public wants oppression!
Pretty much anywhere you look, it is a dire sign for Democrats this November. Biden's approval numbers continue to erode, the voting prospects heavily favor the Republicans, and on independent measures, the president is underwater in 40 states.
On "Morning Joe," savvy host Joe Scarborough looks over this symmetrical evidence and comes to a bold conclusion – all of the data is incorrect.
MSNBC’s @JoeNBC: 2022 midterms not a referendum of Biden, inflation, the border, or the sexualization of education, but rather “the fascist strain in the Republican Party" pic.twitter.com/FlEGMXRT4Y
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 27, 2022
Joe is telling us that all the economic indicators and other hardships will not influence voters, but there will be an overwhelming desire for people to vote themselves into fascism. Well…okay then, Mr. Political Pundit.
Artisanal-Crafted Narratives – NBC NEWS
Joining the throng of news outlets opposing Elon Musk's Twitter purchase, NBC News wanted to prove it would deliver a bad result.
The Problem: they struggled to find industry experts to go on the record to support their claim that the social media platform will unravel under Musk's as-yet announced policies.
The Solution: Find people who DO agree with your theory, then after the fact, simply dub them to be "experts."
The Result: The technology authorities cited are a professor of law, famed Gamergate crank Brianna Wu, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has shown to be an expert at inaccurately trolling Musk about not paying his taxes.
Experts say Twitter’s trust and safety team could lose steam under its new owner. https://t.co/EM7RlSZIhJ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 26, 2022
Anti-Social Media – PUBLIC BROADCASTING COMPANY
- The natural progression when someone calls for more free speech is to assume they will exterminate puppies.
On the chatter show "Amanpour and Company," host Hari Sreenivasan spoke with CNN+ anchor Scott Galloway, and we were presented with all the reasons that the platform has already had its plug pulled. The two were discussing Elon Musk's purchase, and the charism-deficient Galloway came up with a conclusion that has all the earmarks of the bad decisions made at the CNN streamer.
- "I guess what we don't get is, what exactly does Mr. Musk want to do on a platform that he can't do right now? He's been profane around elected U.S. senators. He's accused an innocent man of being a pedophile. He's posted Hitler memes. You know, what does he want to do, Hari? Does he want to kill a puppy on Twitter spaces live?"
Hard to believe people would not be rushing to pay a premium for this type of punditry.
Blue-anon – MSNBC
- Disputing a stance by providing the example that proves it correct.
It is examples such as this that made it amusing when Nicolle Wallace had been floated as the possible replacement for Rachel Maddow. Joining in with the herd of media members who only see problems with people on the Right having more leeway on Twitter (left-wing voices are never extreme nor posting misinformation, you see), Wallace comes up with a cliched hysterical example.
- "What the Right has already seized is this ground that they're on the side of free speech. They're really not. They're for the political version of yelling fire in a movie theater."
Since this canard is not, in truth, an example of illegal free speech, her attempt means that those on the Right are, in fact, in favor of free speech, Nicolle.
