The Oldest Newspaper Dies

The scribes attempt to sell the concept that conservatives are weaving a conspiracy to silence their viewpoints, all while needing to ignore that none other than Jen Psaki had declared from the White House Press room podium the need for the administration to work with social media to silence dissent. Uh, we mean "disinformation."

But it gets better. The Times gives an example of the kind of vaccine misinfo they intended to halt, and in the process, delivered wildly inaccurate information:

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It is being overseen by Judge Terry A. Doughty, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump and has previously expressed little skepticism about debunked claims from vaccine skeptics. In one previous case, Judge Doughty accepted as fact the claim that "Covid-19 vaccines do not prevent transmission of the disease."

This is staggeringly poor reporting, given that we have long known that the vaccinated have been known to be able to spread the Covid virus. This is The Times – delivering misinformation in the name of battling misinformation.

The case involving the Biden administration's interactions with social media platforms is a flashpoint in conservatives' effort to show what they say is a liberal conspiracy to silence their views. The outcome could shape the future of First Amendment law. https://t.co/NcKczLD6TF

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 6, 2023

Stealth Story Evolution – GQ MAGAZINE

• Taking a harsh step to preserve a future film project?

In an entertainment piece that has led to severe drama, GQ Magazine on July 3 printed a scathing takedown of Warners-Discovery CEO David Zaslav – and in a matter of hours, the piece was completely memory-holed.

After facing criticisms from the company, GQ edited the piece, which led to disagreements between the editors and writer, and then the outlet removed the article completely. Normally, this is a move done when it might be a case of plagiarism or the sort, but this was a call made by the magazine's Editor In Chief (EIC). 

It later was seen that the EIC has a current movie production deal with…Warner Brothers Studios. This one is kind of amazing.

Publishing Intrigue: Did GQ Magazine Kill a Warners-Discovery Hit Piece Due to a Movie Deal With the Studio? https://t.co/FF89NMSjQE

— RedState (@RedState) July 6, 2023

Anti-Social Media – CNN

• Thousands of lives spared is…bad news...?

The tone and information about the new Texas abortion law delivered (pun intended) by CNN certainly sounds like bad news. In a follow-up report nine months following the implementation of the stricter abortion law, the outlet finds that upwards of 10,000 more births took place. It seems unmistakable that this is positioned as a negative result, and the words from a spokesperson included in the piece only add to their dismay:

"Texas is really unique in that it is one of the states that had one of the higher abortion rates – and, because of the population size, a relatively large number of abortions," said Suzanne Bell, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University and co-author of the research. "At first blush, seeing the number was higher than I might have anticipated or hoped it might be. But our results suggest that not everyone was able to overcome those barriers, and many were forced an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy to term."

Dammit. Those precious lives of infants sees CNN lamenting the death of their narratives.

Somebody should alert @CNN that one does not usually mourn "the gain of life". https://t.co/dSWIGCZh6e

— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) July 6, 2023

Anti-Social Media – THE GUARDIAN

• The arrival of encouraging crime statistics means this can only lead to…bad news?

In keeping with the theme of bemoaning that lives are saved, The Guardian reports on some encouraging and impressive statistics coming out of El Salvador, where that country's leader has taken a harsh approach to drug cartels and gang violence in his country. It turns out that President Nayib Bukele's efforts to curtail violence in his nation have led to a -90% drop in homicides. It has also led to this being bad news, according to the outlet:

They also say the fall in crime is unsustainable – with good reason. Previous hardline drives in the region have ended badly, followed by surges in offending. They do nothing to tackle underlying causes such as poverty and discrimination. They breed resentment and enable the recruitment and hardening of those not entrenched in gangs. Many of the criminal organisations that now terrorise parts of Latin America were born in prisons. As one critic observes, the real success story is not of the defeat of gangs, but the perpetuation of Mr Bukele’s power. 

So it needs to be seen as a negative that the citizens of El Salvador are safer because this can lead to positive PR for Bukele.

Why One Liberal Outlet Says El Salvador Reducing Murders By 90 Percent Is Problematic https://t.co/Ik50htQwUq

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 6, 2023

Reporting on the Mirror – WIENER ZEITUNG

• Are the paper boys up for retirement age?

In a bit of staggering publication news, a new law passed in Austria has impacted the newsprint industry. As a result, the world's oldest newspaper will have to cease the physical printing of its editions as it moves strictly to digital.

The paper has been in print – literally – for more than three centuries.

World’s Oldest Daily Newspaper Halts Publication After 320 Yearshttps://t.co/EaxsVDH6kD pic.twitter.com/ldwPV53TYb

— Forbes (@Forbes) June 30, 2023

"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage of the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation, where Brad Slager looks to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.