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Demonizing Whistleblowers, and Suddenly Parents Are Permitted to Have Rights According to the Press

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  May 19, 2023
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

05.19.23

Both Kinds of Standards – MSNBC

  • They are either heroic truth-tellers fixing this nation, or else they are criminals.

While we know it is a fool's errand to expect the press to adhere to a set of standards, it is still amazing at times to see them go 180 degrees out of phase with items strictly dependent on the party being served. Take the topic of whistleblowers.

When people come forward with inside information that exposes problems or misbehavior found on the right or with entities that meet disapproval, those folks are heralded, and we get reports that they should not face retribution for telling the truth. Look at examples like Rebekah Jones, Alexander Vindman, or even porn star Stormy Daniels. 

However, if someone reveals things that make the left uncomfortable, those individuals are looked at as troublesome and possibly in need of accountability for their actions. Look at how the Twitter Files have been received, as Matt Taibbi and other reporters exposing the inner workings are vilified by journalists. Now, we have another example taking place in D.C.

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Whistleblowers from inside the FBI are exposing the corruption long suspected in the halls of the federal police force, but because their testimony is seen as helping Republicans, there is deep resistance to reporting on their information. Nicolle Wallace has taken perhaps the widest of swings of this pendulum, declaring these folks are guilty of insubordination, with guest Harry Litman calling them "political operatives."

Glossary Over Things – CNN

Also working to disparage these insiders is CNN. There appears a need by the press to reclassify them as something else, and in this manner, their message does not need to be reported on or heard. 

Rep. Jim Jordan got into a verbal tussle with Rep. Stacey Plaskett over the classification of the witnesses. (She was the politician who described Matt Taibbi as a "so-called journalist.") Plaskett wanted to insist that these individuals exposing malfeasance in the FBI have been deemed not to be whistleblowers. Her proof? That was the insistence of the FBI. Jordan, meanwhile, was referring to the definition of the term in the law, not the agency that was upset with becoming exposed.

CNN took the lead of the Democrats, reporting on the issue and referring to the witnesses as "self-described whistleblowers." 

Low Octane Gas Lighting – NBC NEWS

It has been this week's dose of racial strife in the press. For days, there has been outrage because a white nurse in New York was filmed while in a disagreement with some young black men over a rental Citibike. After days of her being labeled a racist and incurring punishment from her employer over the incident, the news has come out that she has receipts showing that she had, in fact, properly rented the bike in the dispute. This means the black men were the ones in the wrong.

NBC News has not issued any changes to the story, despite other news outlets reporting on the new development. Instead, the reporter behind the article has instead protected her account to shield her from critics.

Gilded Reframe – MSNBC

  • We are sorry, but getting a lecture on the sanctity of parental rights from this group is simply impossible.

Chris Hayes garnered his share of attention for going after Ron DeSantis and declaring it is hypocritical of Republicans to violate parents' rights by looking to make it illegal to apply "gender-affirming care" to underage children. Just keep in mind, getting a tattoo is something reserved for adults because it is regarded as a serious decision for an adult to alter your skin – but removing breasts and genitalia is considered a sound move for those underage.

Why the media battle so hard for the ability of kids to have drastic operations based on confused thoughts is a mystery, but add Mr. Hayes to the list of pro-surgery journalists.

While I'm sure he thinks this is a good "gotcha" on the GOP, what he misses is that he is part of the same press corps that has spent over a year lecturing us that parents have no say in what goes on in classrooms. The big difference is that Republicans are concerned about the permanent physical alterations to children, while the Democrats meanwhile shrieked that it was out of line for parents to want to see an elementary school reading list.

Anti-Social Media – POLITICO

Think back to how many times you have heard the wife of a governor being a fixture in the news. The fact that Ron DeSantis treats his wife as an important component of his life seems to have the press particularly prickly. It is rather evident that the fact he keeps a very small and tight circle of advisers and that leaks and press access are extremely controlled bothers the journalists. Michael Kruse, writing for Politico Magazine, has a lengthy exploration of Casey DeSantis and her deep involvement with her husband's career and his leadership:

In the DeSantis political project, she is unusually important and uncommonly involved. The DeSantis inner circle is too small and remains so, they say, not only because he constitutionally doesn’t trust people but because she doesn’t either. 

The amusement is that this extensive profile relies on the impressions and intel fed by political operatives who are regarded as Republican voices but are in reality DeSantis opponents. Take Roger Stone, for example, who is tabbed for information. After years of declaring him a stark threat to our nation for supporting the reviled Donald Trump, here he is regarded as a reputable source in order to deliver a critique on Florida's first lady.

"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage on 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.