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Low-Octane Gaslighting – FOX-11 NEWS LOS ANGELES
Maybe give your field reporters the narrative script before cutting to their live remote.
The press loves to dress themselves in glory by saying they have a need to fact-check Republicans in real-time. They dress this up as their civic duty, to save democracy – even if they do not have facts on their side. This is a trait that has apparently filtered down to the local level.
In reports of the devastating fires in Southern California, this local affiliate was speaking with former GOP mayoral candidate Rick Caruso who was giving his outraged take about firefighters facing the reality of hydrants that are not producing water for their efforts.
The anchor felt the need to step in and “correct” Caruso, by declaring no firefighters have informed them that this is true. He then cuts instantly to his reporter on the scene of a fire who promptly opens her report by stating firefighters are running into the problem of hydrants with no water.
This news anchor tried to come to the defense of elected Democrats by claiming that Rick Caruso was wrong about firefighters not having water to put out fires but then the reporter on the ground jumps in to confirm that there’s NO WATER.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 9, 2025
This is criminal. pic.twitter.com/dzDMrXIy00
Reporting on the Mirror – ABC NEWS
Clearly, Muir did not have time to take his gear to a local tailor.
“ABC Nightly News” anchor David Muir had to go on scene to report on the events in the Los Angeles area. Makes sense, getting local information for his national audience, sure. Less clear however is why he needed to be seen fitted in a protective fire suit – with the network logo emblazoned on it, when he was filming in front of an area that was not engulfed at the moment.
The best though is as he turns to reference some of the area, you see a clothespin affixed at the back, in order to make the garment more form-fitting and make Muir appear more camera-pleasing.
Nice Jacket Bro. Glad you look nice and svelte with those clothes line pegs, while our city burns to the ground. @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/bGQ3zvF6lr
— Jack Osbourne (@JackOsbourne) January 9, 2025
Democratic Custodial Services – WASHINGTON POST
Those damned Republicans blaming the people in charge are interfering with their deflecting the blame!
Along with there being limited water resources to battle fires, there are other realities of leadership foibles contributing to this disaster. You have the mayor of Los Angeles in Africa, for some reason, a massive cut in the budget of the fire department, hiring practices and layoffs due to vaccinations leading to a manpower shortage, the lack of clearing dead scrub in fire regions, and a host of other issues have been noted.
Of course, this being California, when talk of civic leaders comes up, you are discussing Democrats by default – which then means they cannot be at fault. (As witnessed in the Channel-11 segment above.) So, since we cannot blame the Democrats running the city, the various departments, nor Governor Newsom, WaPo’s Philip Bump is here to straighten us out on the matter: This is entirely and solely caused by global warming.
Why has the right rushed to politicize the LA fires? In part because attention is the currency and attacking the left a guaranteed money-maker. But in part because saying "climate change" is interpreted as a political assertion from the left. https://t.co/bHxb92a1vm
— Philip Bump (@pbump) January 9, 2025
Pounce of Prevention – POLITICO
In times of political fallout during a crisis, you have to fall back on the standby method.
Sure, you can say that blaming things on climate change is a lazy journalism tactic, but when looking at undeniable Democrat incompetence there is an even lazier method – point at the Republicans for noticing!
At POLITICO, this is the tried and true tactic, and for the "pounce!" routine they come up with a new GOP verb for the lexicon: “Republicans Unleash!”
Republicans are blaming Dem policies for the catastrophic wildfires tearing through Los Angeles. 👉 https://t.co/pp7CimBTaI pic.twitter.com/AR97OkuAJq
— POLITICO (@politico) January 9, 2025
News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS
Wouldn’t this make the late Jimmy Carter a white supremacist?!
We need to harken back to late November when the press began to type furiously on spittle-covered keyboards about Pete Hegseth being a white nationalist sympathizer because he has the Jerusalem Cross tattooed on his skin. They tried selling the fable that the insignia that has been a religious staple for centuries has been co-opted by racists, so today, that is the ONLY way it can be interpreted.
We recall all of that because today, President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest, and we see that during his funeral, his casket was resting on top of that hateful, intolerant, racist, exclusionary symbol inside the cathedral.
Has federal law enforcement done sweeps of our churches? Because Jimmy Carter was laid to rest on “a white nationalist” symbol this morning. https://t.co/SEp6f14MrO pic.twitter.com/zgvcclxgYM
— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) January 9, 2025
Newseum Gallery – CNN
Our first artwork to hang in the virtual gallery of journalism masterpieces.
In his lengthy digital diatribe against the move to eliminate fact-checking on Facebook, Brian Stelter has revealed quite a lot about his desire for limiting expression. In one of his frothy posts he let slip his true mindset – getting rid of fact-checking will allow conservatives to post their opinions. Yes, he actually posted those very words.
Hang it in the NEWSEUM... pic.twitter.com/k6Xk5n0aiB
— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) January 9, 2025
