"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.
11.22.22
Both Kinds of Standards – CNN
- Democrats: "Heroic." Republicans: "Retaliate."
At CNN, there was a panel to discuss the Republicans beginning to recalibrate the committee assignments in the House since they have taken the majority. John King looks over the decisions behind the rather common practice of the ruling party installing their own on the committees and declares the Republicans are doing so merely out of spite. He states the Republicans are retaliating for the Democrats removing Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar.
King makes the declaration that they were justified to be removed "after doing some pretty egregious things." Ilhan Omar, Adam Schiff, and Eric Swalwell – the Intelligence Committee member who slept with a Chinese spy – are blameless innocents who never did anything objectionable to justify their removal.
On CNN's 'Inside Politics,' John King suggests Dems had a POINT in stripping "egregious" Republicans of committee assignments, but whoa, Ilhan Omar, they "think she's too liberal and they don't like her, they think she's anti-Israel." They "think" she's anti-Israel?? pic.twitter.com/vt9AKkn0zI
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) November 21, 2022
Reporting on the Mirror – THE NEW YORK TIMES
This weekend saw the debut in theaters of "She Said," the dramatic retelling of The New York Times investigation into the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal. We tell you this because...nobody saw this thing. Playing on over 2,000 screens, the film made a paltry $2.25 million this weekend. That comes out roughly to about ten people per screen. Yikes.
The story focused on the two reporters who chased down the victims, and the reasons behind this disaster are numerous. It could be people tiring of the media. It could be that Hollywood is trying to sell a story that its own industry permitted for decades. It could also be that The New York Times had killed the Weinstein story years ago when it was brought to the editors more than ten years prior, and they killed it off.
Why 'She Said' bombed at the box office with a miserable $2.25 million debut https://t.co/BF8eaBHxTB
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) November 21, 2022
Matching Media Memorandum – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- The Word-A-Day email blast has been sent out.
Over the weekend, there was a coordinated response to the Colorado shooting. Not only has everyone from members of Congress, media outlets, and various social media accounts all been blamed for the shooting (47 culpable sources is just the rough estimate) but there is an applied term many are employing in order to assign blame – "stochastic terrorism."
This bit of desperation has sprung up like mushrooms for those who want to cast blame on political foes and/or wish to sound authoritative when they, in fact, are grasping to place guilt on others. It has even been legitimized by a political dictionary source. Go use it freely now in full confidence!
Stochastic terrorism is a noun, meaning "the public demonization of a person or group resulting in the incitement of a violent act, which is statistically probable but whose specifics cannot be predicted." https://t.co/QUI8PCosSQ
— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) November 20, 2022
Pathological Media Amnesia – WASHINGTON POST
- Cut her some slack, that was nearly one month ago…
We have all the proof that not even Jennifer Rubin reads columns written by Jennifer Rubin. The Doyenne of the Post takes on Governor Ron DeSantis… but only after dismissing Governor Ron DeSantis previously.
JENN IN OCTOBER: Ron DeSantis is basically a non-factor nothing burger who will fade like the cover of an unsold dime novel.
JENN TODAY: Ron DeSantis is the largest threat to the planet whose evil eclipses that of Trump!
Jen Rubin, one month apart pic.twitter.com/HnYPOYDk8u
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) November 22, 2022
Democrat Custodial Services – CBS MORNINGS
- Does this mean it was no longer considered a heroic accomplishment?!
In September, there was a threat of a rail strike in the country, but Joe Biden stepped in at the 11th hour and brokered a deal that saved the country. At least, that was the general reporting of things before the election. Now that we are past that inconvenient event, the press can get down to actually reporting on the story in-depth, and things do not look good after all.
Interesting how that plays out, but the reporters were probably preoccupied with all that election stuff at the time, and now they are freed up.
There are new concerns about a possible rail strike, as four of 12 unions rejected a deal that was negotiated with the help of the Biden administration in September.
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 22, 2022
A strike could cost an estimated $2 billion a day. https://t.co/WbwoIOaEZh pic.twitter.com/Xjbdym8nZQ
Legalized Press-titution – NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO
- I wonder if we will get radio reports done in a puppy-dog voice?
In Georgia, NPR's beat reporter Sam Gringlas is gushing over a new Raphael Warnock ad where he describes Herschel Walker as a liar while walking the beagle that is not, in fact, his own dog.
Gringlas states that he now favors political ads only with dogs because candidates detailing their policies and platforms is not all that important. He posts the ad on behalf of Warnock because there is a dog in it, you understand.
Beagle Alvin (I think?) is back!
— Sam Gringlas (@gringsam) November 19, 2022
New rule: I will only watch campaign ads if there are dogs https://t.co/gXReqze2jb
