"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.
As much as it pains to add to the maelstrom that is the reactions to Friday's SCOTUS decision to send the abortion issue back to the states, we need to address some imbalanced journalistic reactions.
We will feel a little bit dirty, but once it is out of our system, we can get back to pounding on the press over the numerous other examples of professional media malfeasance.
06.27.22
Pre-Written Field Reports – NBC News
Recommended
- When a media expert struggles with the function and the history of SCOTUS.
Quoting their own Pete Williamson following the announcement of the Court decision on Dobbs, NBC kicked off the stunted thinking from the press throughout the weekend.
Pete opens by saying the Court took away a right it formerly granted. No. Not how the Court works. It is set to protect rights from Government and may change a prior ruling by the same Court. This has happened a number of times previously, to which the esteemed journalist Williamson appears oblivious.
Plessy v. Ferguson was later overturned by the Brown v. The Board of Education ruling. Most recently, the decision in Bowers v. Hardwick (1982) was overturned by Lawrence v. Texas (2003), a ruling that is seen as leading to the Obergfell v. Hodges case that legalized gay marriage.
But otherwise, a lucid quote from Pete Williamson.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.@PeteWilliamsNBC: “This is the first time the Supreme Court has ever granted a Constitutional right … and then took it away. A popular right that was widely recognized.”
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 24, 2022
Presentation Paradox – MSNBC
- When the experts cannot get the basics correct while reporting on history.
The Court does not dole out rights, as stated above, but also Andrea ignores the recent overturning of a case that recognized sodomy between consenting adults is not criminal. But she could not even get the particulars about the makeup of the Court accurate.
Ms. Mitchell stated there are four liberal justices, and it is generally recognized that there are three. But also, Roberts joined the others for a 6-3 ruling, even though he was milquetoast enough that, at best, it might be considered a 5-1-3 ruling.
Chief Justice Roberts voted with 4 liberals dissenting in this 5 to 4 decision. Alito writes this will not affect other rights like contraception, same sex marriage but this is the 1st time SCOTUS has taken back a constitutional right previously conferred - nearly 50 yrs ago
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) June 24, 2022
Matching Media Memorandum – ESPN
- I suppose if you have horrid sports opinions, horrid social opinions are just as valid.
For reasons that defy common sense, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network decided to weigh in on the SCOTUS decision Friday, which had no bearing at all on sports or entertainment.
Considering they decided to dedicate airtime to the repeal of Roe v. Wade, we were left to search for sports scores on the Hallmark Channel or the Lifetime Network.
On Roe v. Wade: pic.twitter.com/L9q9ufiWJJ
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 24, 2022
Low Octane Gas Lighting – NATIONAL REVIEW
Following the Roe-reversal, most people were in agreement about one detail: This was the result of Trump placing his picks on the Court.
Supporters of the ruling praised his selections, while those becoming unglued over it were claiming his picks were illegitimate and we are being ruled by an invalid minority opinion or some such blather.
Yet one group of holdouts is refusing to credit the man at all – those infernal sufferers of TDS from the True-Con™ set. The Never Trump intelligentsia are struggling to find ways to explain a result they might have wanted at some point in their political past, but they maintain the need to avoid giving their accursed target any credit. Kevin Williamson contorts like a yoga teacher to explain that Trump was merely lucky at his job. He then goes on to cite Trump's social positions from nearly a decade ago to explain how he was correct.
Of course, small matter that while insisting the guy stumbled accidentally across things, Williamson lists off a number of wise decisions Trump made – including hiring names from his own news outlet.
- "Trump signed Paul Ryan's tax bill, he took up the Club for Growth's deregulatory agenda, hired a couple of National Review editors for economic-policy advice and, critically, delegated his judicial selections to the Federalist Society — because he did not really have any choice as a matter of political reality."
The fact that something dumb worked out in a fortunate way does not mean that the thinking that went into it wasn’t irresponsible. | by Kevin D. Williamson https://t.co/RRC3HAQVNX
— National Review (@NRO) June 25, 2022
Pathological Media Amnesia – THE BULWARK
On the other side of the Never Trump spectrum, the gang over at the S.S. Bulwark is not pleased with the Court rescinding Roe v. Wade – because nothing instills your credentials as principled "Con-servatives" better than being upset at limiting abortion.
Bill Kristol highlighted an entry from Admiral Charlie Sykes that described the ruling as a case of radicalism born out of demagoguery and extremism. Basically, it comes down to needing to condemn the decision as it was delivered on the decisions of justices placed by the reviled Donald Trump.
So anyone who backs this result must be the type of low-minded drone with a selection of MAGA hats in their pickup trucks. Or, they might be named Bill Kristol or Charlie Sykes.
Understand that sending a decision to the states to comport with federalism is resorting to 'radicalism'.
— Brad Slager ???????? Lifetime Subscriber to CNN+ (@MartiniShark) June 27, 2022
Also - Will Kristol thinks anyone wanting to peel back RvW is dealing in demagoguery and extremism -- such as, William Kristol. https://t.co/bprKicQS2T pic.twitter.com/vuIg7rZuRV
News Avoidance Syndrome – THE ATLANTIC
- David French sees the celebrations and claims to have been on the team the entire time.
One other version of revisionist thinking on the matter is the way David French is joining in with the revelry of applause for the Friday decision. He comes off sounding like those people who see a sports franchise winning a championship and then claim they have been a season ticket holder for years while wearing a jersey that still has the price tag on it.
This is a great day for American justice. A grievous wrong has been corrected. This ruling was decades in the making, through long and patient legal, political, and cultural advocacy.
— David French (@DavidAFrench) June 24, 2022
But this fight is not over. Far from it. The struggle to build a culture of life continues.
Of course, Dave here hopes you forget that he has been a rabid anti-Trump gasbag and was campaigning against the man in 2016, but sure, French – decades in the making or something.
Prose & Contradiction – OPRAH DAILY
Days like this past Friday are tough on many a conservative with vacillating positions on politics. Exemplifying this struggle as much as anyone is CNN's revisionist conservative S.E. Cupp. She explains essentially how she supports any approach to abortion, which comes off as handing you an empty glass and telling you all of the drinks she could pour for you but never actually serves.
Writing at Oprah's outlet, Cupp lays out her opinion on the matter, and she ultimately takes a firm stance in support of not having a position on the matter.
- "Importantly, my version of pro-life accepted fully that Roe v. Wade was settled law. It indeed appeared to be, as Supreme Court justices over many administrations upheld it."
When she strives to be seen as pro-life while ultimately making a pro-choice stance that is ultimately pro-abortion, she sounds like someone who is on Prozac.
I wrote about the overturning of Roe for ?@OprahDaily?, and how politics gets this debate all wrong. ???????????? https://t.co/XU4h3JoUHD
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) June 24, 2022
