"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.
08.19.22
Reporting on the Mirror – MSNBC
- It's a grand accomplishment that accomplished very little.
On "Morning Joe," the panel was very proud and excited about setting some kind of record. Host Willie Geist addressed the video-assembled panel that they had set some kind of record by producing a "ten-box" on screen.
That is, ten individuals were pictured on screen at once. What this accomplished, however, is another story. Barely three people spoke in total, and the lone woman featured had maybe one sentence spoken on camera.
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Subtraction through addition:
— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) August 19, 2022
Morning Joe is apparently very proud of this "record setting' use of a ten-box. All of three people managed to speak, and barely a few words from the lone female they squeezed in. pic.twitter.com/5qg2KbEhEW
Glossary Over Things – ASSOCIATED PRESS
Get out your erasers and Wite-Out once again, as the AP has another revision for the easily ignored AP Stylebook. They love to say how these changes are due to "the language evolving," except these evolutions always seem to follow leftist ideologies. This newest one is actually a case of regression, as it appears that the resistance by people to eliminate females from the birthing process has led to swinging back around on the matter.
It seems that all of the talk over the Roe v. Wade repeal led to too many getting strung up. So now it looks as if it is once again acceptable to say "pregnant women" or "women seeking abortions."
We now have guidance saying that "pregnant women" or "women seeking abortions" is acceptable phrasing.
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) August 17, 2022
Phrases like "pregnant people" or "people seeking abortions" are acceptable when you want to be inclusive of people who have those experiences but do not identify as women. pic.twitter.com/ljaabPxWak
Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – CNN
If you have been following the uproar over the Boston Children's Hospital controversy over providing genital removal surgeries to trans children, most of it is self-induced trouble. It all kicked off when Libs of TikTok was accused of targeting the hospital – for reposting videos from staffers who posted them on social media.
Now on "New Day," they tried to insist that the claims of these surgeries were misinformation. One small problem: You can go on the hospital website and see where they tout the procedures offered and the ages of those they provide them for at the hospital.
Low Octane Gas Lighting – THE NEW YORK TIMES
- The Unimpeachable Source of the Week
When Merrick Garland gave his (question-free) press conference about the don't-you-dare-call-it-a-raid on Mar-a-Lago, there was a detail that had much of the press vibrating with excitement. Donald Trump had wanted to have a note surreptitiously handed to the attorney general, asking how he could quell a national uprising. No one, of course, dared call this story into question, considering the origination of the tale.
- "The message Mr. Trump wanted conveyed, according to a person familiar with the exchange, was: 'The country is on fire. What can I do to reduce the heat?'"
Ah the corrupt Democrat media. Salivating and slobbering.https://t.co/eFY52mK0Qn
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) August 13, 2022
News Avoidance Syndrome – WASHINGTON POST
POLITICO found that a major name at the Washington Post was suspended by the paper. That Paul Farhi's punishment took place in March and is only now coming to light is the real issue. Apparently, Farhi was sent to his room over this tweet regarding Russian journalists having their bylines scrubbed.
Some internal news: In response to Putin’s threats against reporters in Russia, the @washingtonpost will remove bylines and datelines from stories produced by our journalists in Russia. Goal is to ensure staff’s safety.
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) March 5, 2022
Been around a while. Never seen anything like this.
This practice is usually due to a reporter being in an area where they would be imperiled over their reports, which Russia would certainly be considered after the invasion of Ukraine.
SCOOP -- The Washington Post quietly suspended longtime reporter Paul Farhi for five days last spring over, it appears, a tweet about how the paper was handling bylines from Russia.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) August 19, 2022
via @maxwelltani https://t.co/FD2GHLVUHi
Low Octane Gas Lighting – CNN
- Never was this category more perfectly filled!
While gas prices have ebbed from disturbing record highs in recent months, we are by no means in a position to celebrate the current per-gallon rates. Oh, wait, CNN is here to tell us we should be celebrating as we painfully slide our cards into the fuel pumps.
Next time you stop at a gas station, think of it as a $100-a-month tax cut. Or a maybe $100-a-month raise. https://t.co/7FOuCRfrJt
— CNN (@CNN) August 19, 2022
CNN attempting to dress up today's pricing as being a reward, compared to the pain of recent weeks, is akin to saying that since we are no longer sexually assaulted but merely harassed, it should be regarded as an act of love. Of course, for their lame sales tactic to even be considered, we need to overlook the fact that current gas prices are at record highs for the month of August.
