The Dallas Morning News picked a fight with the wrong person. Last week Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center would be used for COVID-19 patients last week. But the federal government informed his office that if the county did not accept the resource, it would be moved elsewhere.
The media didn't think the real story was juicy enough so they put a cute spin on it.
"Governor threatens to move emergency medical resources from Dallas County if they aren't used," the DMN's original headline read.
"Gov. Greg Abbott's chief of staff said that if Dallas County doesn't accept the facilities by 5 p.m. Monday, the federal government will have to relocate it elsewhere," the outlet reported.
Gov. Abbott couldn't believe what he was reading and told the editors that they should be "ashamed."
This is such fake news by the Dallas Morning News.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 6, 2020
The audio tape of this episode has been available to the press.
Federal officials told us those resources would be needed elsewhere if Dallas County didn't want them.@DMN should be ashamed. https://t.co/4s7M6gXN2Y
As the governor explained on Twitter, he's the one who set up the Convention Center for coronavirus care.
Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw could have destroyed the DMN for the misleading report with one of his signature clapbacks. But instead he simply and somberly noted that the media "has to do better."
The media has to do better.
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 6, 2020
Report the actual facts instead of looking for the most controversial and sensationalized spin. https://t.co/ShxNc7VYzw
Instead of embellishing reports, the DMN could have highlighted Abbott's exemplary leadership during this health crisis. He's overseen the launch of some innovative testing facilities, and helped roll back regulations so that physician assistants, medical physicists, respiratory care candidates for licensure, etc. can more quickly enter the workforce.