"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.
06.10.22
DNC PR Firm – THE NEW YORK TIMES
Today, Joe Biden spoke in California about the economy and delivered his usual conflicting monologue. While addressing what the administration desperately calls "Putin's tax" on food and gas, Biden also tried to sell the fable that he has things moderating over the past months. Clearly written before today's horrid inflation figures were released, the issue is that he cannot blame Putin's invasion as the cause AND claim things have been improving…since that same invasion.
Attempting to bail out President Softserve, Peter Baker of The New York Times rides in to explain the real downside to these numbers – they become something really negative for Joe Biden.
The rise in inflation deepened the political challenges for Biden and his economic team, who have sought in recent weeks to reassure wary Americans that the specter of price hikes was beginning to fade. @jimtankersley https://t.co/4tCQnKkEAQ
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) June 10, 2022
Pathological Media Amnesia – NBC NEWS
The recently dispatched-to-streaming Chuck Todd has made his debut this week on the NBC News NOW service, and by the looks of things, it has not led to improvements. Zack Brown, communications director for Rep. Don Young of Alaska, relayed how he had to decline an interview request from Todd.
Not that the congressman was ducking a tough interview – it is just that making him available is made more difficult with the fact that Young passed away this Spring.
NBC News' Chuck Todd Continues to Flounder as His Show Attempts to Book a Member Who Passed https://t.co/2vABwVLEii
— RedState (@RedState) June 10, 2022
This oversight is embarrassing enough, but it looks even worse when you see they paid tribute to Young on Todd's own program when he passed away.
Legalized Press-titution – CNN
- Like when nerds at ComiCon cannot understand why everyone else is not excited.
Like so many others in the media complex who have been positively vibrating with excitement over the primetime J6 Hearing, Chris Cillizza managed to humiliate himself with his giddiness. Chris manages to overlook the component of his comment; "in Washington" is the revealing detail, as polls show that over the course of a year of Capitol riot coverage, fewer people are blaming Trump or the Republicans for the violence seen that day.
This is a HUGE night in Washington. Get ready.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) June 10, 2022
Matching Media Memorandum – THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Times went into great detail to explain all of the magnificence in the new hearing shown on numerous networks, making it sound like it was must-see-TV. While gushing over what all of this could mean for the Democrats, we also get treated to some of the communal and ebullient results of the televised event.
- "Democrats have met with networks about carrying the hearing live in prime time. Activists have scheduled more than 90 watch events in various states, including a 'flagship' event at the Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon in Washington, where a large screen will be set up and attendees will get free ice cream."
As it tries to deliver the equivalent of the Watergate hearings for the streaming era, the Jan. 6 committee is tentatively planning to play video of the Capitol attack and testimony clips from high-profile witnesses like Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.https://t.co/ZhoBr2m8uA
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 7, 2022
First Amendment Strike Force – TWITTER
- It is a violation to show how things have happened.
Seth Dillon, who recently struck a business deal to support the owner of the Libs of TikTok following the attack by Taylor Lorenz, announced that the account has been locked down by Twitter. The TOS crime – they displayed instances of cross-dressing events where children were being groomed.
Twitter has denied Libs of TikTok's appeal. pic.twitter.com/b5SO58HLn5
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) June 9, 2022
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – BLOOMBERG
- Your solution to digging out of inflation debt – record nothing.
In a story that can either be inspiring or discouraging, Ashley Carman reports that there is a groundswell of accounts on Spotify that have monetized recordings – of noise.
- "Relatively new to the podcast scene, the tranquil programs have names like 'Calming White Noise,' 'Best Noise Labs,' 'Relaxing White Noise' and 'Deep Sleep Sounds.'
Todd Moore, a Florida Keys resident, quit his cybersecurity job in 2009 to focus full-time on an app, which he named White Noise. Moore says that his white noise show now gets around 50,000 listens per day — a figure that would rank in the top 25 percent of all podcasts."
NEW: i took a look at the world of white noise podcasters, the people who share box fan sounds or static. most use spotify's free anchor hosting to monetize their show & one person is making ~$18K a month through ads! another gets ~100K listens PER DAY! https://t.co/qhHUHFgAKc
— Ashley Carman (@ashleyrcarman) June 1, 2022
