"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.
10.31.22
DNC PR FIRM – CBS NEWS
- We have no evidence that this was the cause, so we need to ban these ads now.
The Paul Pelosi home invasion attack continues to tie the press in knots. They are absolutely convinced (and just as likely, trying to convince their audience) that this attack was motivated by Republican narratives. Of course, interrupting their case is the facts – or the lack thereof. Nothing at all pins the man who attacked Pelosi to any political party, but there is ample evidence that he was a strung-out local with a history of unhinged behavior. The conflicting facts from the police are not helping their cause.
On "Face the Nation," Margaret Brennan was clinging to the GOP being the motivator behind this localized violence, and she has the solution: The Republicans have to suspend all of their political ads as a result of this idiotic story.
.@TomEmmer calls out the media for trying to blame Republican rhetoric for the Paul Pelosi attack.
— Mike Berg (@MikeKBerg) October 30, 2022
Why didn’t they blame Dems when a Bernie Sanders supporter shot Steve Scalise? pic.twitter.com/Ko6iTLZ4UM
Legalized Press-titution – POLITICS INSIDER
Another outlet straining mightily to make Paul Pelosi's unplanned social gathering the fault of the Republicans is The Insider. Somehow a nudist commune-dweller from the Castro district in San Francisco is so obviously a GOP operative that Insider writers Erin Snodgrass and Warren Rojas may have pulled ligaments while making the connection.
These two apparently see how questioning the election in 2020 led to the 82-year-old husband being attacked with a hammer by someone in his underwear.
- "In the immediate aftermath of the attack, many Republicans posted supportive messages online, stating that 'violence is never acceptable,' 'enough is enough,' and condemning the 'un-American' behavior. Among those well-wishers were GOP lawmakers who supported overturning President Joe Biden's lawful victory."
Attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband prompts Republicans, including many who defied the 2020 election results after Capitol rioters hunted her on Jan. 6, to denounce political violence https://t.co/NGML2g0yKP
— Politics Insider (@PoliticsInsider) October 28, 2022
Pre-Written Field Reports – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- The "Too-Good-To-Verify" Brigade was out in force at Twitter headquarters.
With the press in a full-blown panic attack that Elon Musk is liberating Twitter, it seems almost inevitable now that many journalists would be easily duped by the appearance of "fired" employees outside the company's front lobby. A pair of workers appearing with termination boxes were flooded with sidewalk interviews, and it was amazing just how many news outlets ran the story.
Just a small list of the news companies who fell for the hoax perpetrated on them is impressive: NBC News, Reuters, CNBC, Bloomberg, and even Getty Images were among but a few who rushed with the "news":
$499 to buy the Rahul Ligma photo 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/nI2sVLdqxM
— Gene Park (@GenePark) October 28, 2022
Gilded Reframe – THE INDEPENDENT
- The thirst to slam DeSantis leaves a reporter going hungry.
As a lesson in just how eager some in the press have been to land a hit on Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis, there is this object lesson in the foibles of the rush to judgment and not even asking if you should be judging in the first place.
The Independent "broke" a big story that Ron DeSantis met with Clarence Thomas on June 23, allegedly the day before SCOTUS handed down its repeal of Roe v. Wade. Just on the surface, the import of such a story is dubious. So what if they had? The decision was likely well written and rendered by that point; it was just not yet officially announced. DeSantis was not about to change the mind(s) of any justice(s) at that stage. But in his zeal to run this report, Eric Garcia missed one small but deeply significant detail – the meeting on the 23rd took place in 2021.
To his credit, Garcia came clean and was fully apologetic in his recognition of the error, but of course, the fake news that the press is always so ardently wailing against was spread across the social media framework already.
I am legitimately so sorry. I was not trying to mislead. I am legitimately embarrassed and humiliated. I never wanted to do anything malicious. I am so apologetic. I should have double-checked the dates. https://t.co/bDoYdUYGtF
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) October 28, 2022
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- One would think Jose Biden being subjected to racist laws would be a big news item.
As we have covered, the Georgia election is showing record turnout, something that is a complete surprise given all of the talk about how the revamped election laws in that state were racist and specifics such as requiring a photo ID at polling places were said to be enforced to keep minorities from exercising their right.
Well, here is the president, Jim Eagle himself, casting his ballot in Delaware, a state that already had these hateful and intolerant restrictions in place – as seen when Biden gleefully showed his ID this weekend.
Here is Joe Biden eagerly showing his ID before voting in Delaware.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 31, 2022
Jim Crow 2.0? pic.twitter.com/9g1iX86scW
