"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.
06.14.22
Pathological Media Amnesia – MSNBC / MORNING JOE
- "Good thing that congressman ignored my stern advice!"
As Spencer detailed earlier today, on "Morning Joe," the namesake Scarborough was agreeing with relief along with Steve Rattner over the comment that inflation would be monumentally worse had Senator Joe Manchin not voted against Joe Biden's monstrous "Build Back Better" spending bill.
Joe Manchin finally gets the credit he's due for stopping Biden's bloated "build back better" spending bonanza from Joe Scarborough and Obama adviser Steve Rattner, of all people. pic.twitter.com/r5hjGuTjtI
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) June 14, 2022
What moves this exchange from a curiosity to laughable dialogue is that Scarborough had not only recently been in support of the BBB agenda, he delivered a lecture on how Joe Biden should treat Joe Manchin to get the $6 trillion spending package passed.
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Interesting how @JoeNBC is pretending he’s always been on the side of common sense — when in fact as recently as January he was giving Democrats advice on how to get BBB passed. pic.twitter.com/Sl96dbtXa4
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 13, 2022
Gilded Reframe – CNN
- Even when Fox News does as commanded, Brian Stelter is STILL mad at them.
Last week, Brian was in a snit when Fox News announced they would not run the J6 Committee hearing live on the network. The outlet was running it and covering things with news anchors on the Fox Business Network, but this did not meet the approval of CNN's media maven.
Then yesterday, the network broadcasted the second day of the hearing live – and not shockingly, Mr. Stelter was still unsatisfied.
- "Is it possible for a network to carry more than two hours of live hearing coverage and yet seem totally disinterested in the content of the hearing? Because that's what Fox's daytime coverage was like on Monday. The network aired the hearing, yes, but its on-air analysis glossed over the glaring examples of Donald Trump lying despite his inner circle's attempts to tell him the truth."
Escaping his critical eye was the detail that former Fox political editor Chris Stirewalt testified and scorched the network during their broadcast. Also not addressed was the focus of the committee on election night news coverage, a big departure away from the scope of investigating the riot that took place months later.
Anti-Social Media – WASHINGTON POST
- A business needs to be rendered over political donations.
We apparently need to accept that our journalism complex operates with the belief that they should police political activism in business. Not that we should accept that behavior, but it is becoming apparent that news outlets operate with the belief that companies that do not comport to their preferred political narratives need to be outed and pay a consequence for their social inequities.
The new example comes from Washington Post, where they discovered a bread company owner made a personal political donation to a candidate, so his business needs to suffer as a result.
- "Thousands of restaurants rely on the breads and buns produced by Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, a family-owned wholesaler based in Pennsylvania. But whether big or small, restaurant owners were being asked to surrender their allegiance to Martin's widely popular products after recent reports showed the family behind the company is a supporter, financially and otherwise, of Doug Mastriano, the controversial Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania."
Sure, asked to drop allegiance – by the Washington Post. After highlighting one chef who said he was dropping the use of Martin's bread, another was cited as joining the boycott, only to declare he left no such message. So WaPo called on a number of other of Martin's famed customers, only to be rebuffed from receiving comment.
- "The Post tried reaching several chefs, pit masters and publicists for chains that, according to Martin's site, buy from the wholesaler. Their reluctance to talk could reflect a genuine business-moral dilemma for operators. As one restaurant owner explained anonymously because he was not authorized to speak: 'I don't think I've read one thing that hasn't had nice things to say about the product.'"
The boycott calls stem from James Martin's support for Doug Mastriano, a right-wing candidate for Pennsylvania governor. https://t.co/jtHSNTiaG6
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 10, 2022
Anti-Social Media (Pt. 2) – THE NEW YORK TIMES
As the NCAA softball season concluded, Times writer Billy Witz attempts to force the hand of the NCAA to move the annual championship out of Oklahoma. That is, if the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade and if the state takes further abortion action. Also, this will happen IF Witz can get anyone else to join his cause.
The headline states that Oklahoma's Abortion Law Raises Questions, but the writer appears to be the only one raising the question. The NCAA declined to comment, most of the coaches at the series refused interviews, and the one who did speak did not address the topic.
- "How Roe v. Wade's repeal might impact female college athletes was a topic that few participants in the softball World Series were interested in discussing."
Oklahoma is the epicenter of softball. But with the nation’s strictest abortion law recently enacted, for how long? https://t.co/sMiIZkaeQj
— Billy Witz (@billywitz) June 11, 2022
Reporting on the Mirror – THE DRUDGE REPORT
- As he backs away from his namesake site, the famed reclusive muckraker is turning to pop culture.
The rumor was a couple of years ago that Matt Drudge sold out his longtime media site, and the shift in tone – as well as the drop in traffic – seems to prove that out. In the meantime, Drudge is developing into more of an entertainment figure. A book about the web titan was written by Matthew Lysiak in 2020. Last fall, he was portrayed by Billy Eichner in the FX Network series "Impeachment." Now, this week it has been announced that not one but two films about Drudge are going into production.
"The Drudge Revolution," based on Lysiak's book, will be made by Prospect Park Productions. Also announced is a second Drudge project to be made by Cross Creek Pictures, from a spec script that was seen on Hollywood's buzzed-about Black List.
EXCLUSIVE: Cross Creek Pictures has acquired ‘Drudge,’ the Black List spec script by Cody Brotter about internet reporter Matt Drudge’s rise to power. Cross Creek’s Tyler Thompson will produce and Ryan Smith of Streamline will be exec producer https://t.co/BuCwfitTgH
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 8, 2022
Pre-Written Field Reports – CNN
CNN sounds rather excited by the announcement that soon, you will be able to purchase cans of Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola pre-mixed cocktails. This is considered to be huge news…if you have not really ventured out to a liquor store in years.
The combination of the Tennessee whiskey and cola has always been featured in aluminum for generations, but the branding specifically with Coke in this instance is apparently enough to be considered newsworthy.
Hardly news - this has LONG been available.
— Brad Slager ???????? Lifetime Subscriber to CNN+ (@MartiniShark) June 14, 2022
The difference is the branding with Coca-Cola. https://t.co/y3MnQ5Tzlw pic.twitter.com/NLXQ78Guy9
