Can The Media Stop Giving That White Supremacist Nobody A Megaphone?
What’s the point of all of this? What goes through an editor’s or producer’s head when, in the wake of a neo-Nazi terrorist attack, they reach out to a neo-Nazi for comment? The pathological “both sides”-ism that infects our journalist class is uniquely unsuited for these times. Much like NPR’s institutional refusal to call Trump’s most egregious lies lies or the New York Times’ desire to contrive goodin Trump’s first 100 days, the desire to seek out white supremacist voices on the subject of white supremacist violence is at best, morally negligent, and at worst, fascist propaganda.
Trump’s War On The Press: A Poorly-Scripted Melodrama
This president hasn’t got the self-discipline to lead a coup, and the great majority of his followers are far too comfortable watching the televised spectacle in their recliner chairs to take to the streets. Only a steadily shrinking minority believes the president’s “witch hunt” rhetoric, and not very strongly. As I say, it’s poorly-scripted melodrama.
‘Fox & Friends’ Issues Clarification After False Smear Against ‘NY Times’
Fox & Friends was forced to clarify on air a flawed report from the weekend edition of the show blaming The New York Times for the U.S. military missing a chance to capture ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Fox & Friends Saturday co-host Pete Hegseth uncritically repeated a claim that a general told a Fox correspondent, saying, “We would have had al-Baghdadi based on the intelligence we had, except someone leaked information to the failing New York Times in 2015 … and as a result he slipped away.” President Donald Trump subsequently attacked the Times on Twitter following Fox’s report.
Sean Spicer’s Six-Month-Long Road to Resignation
The reported reason for now former White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s resignation Friday was President Donald Trump’s naming of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director, according to The New York Times. But it’s quite obvious that Spicer’s exit had been building over the past six months.
Kremlin Scandal: Did Sessions Lie About Meetings With Russian Ambassador?
Last year, when he was still a Senator, Jeff Sessions met with the Russian ambassador — twice. But he failed to mention those meetings when questioned about Russia during his confirmation hearing.
White House Excludes Media Outlets From Press Briefing
On the list were Trump-friendly outlets such as Breitbart News, the Washington Times, and OANN. Off the list were some of Trump’s favorite targets, including The New York Times and CNN. The Los Angeles Times was also excluded.
Russian Government Launches Western ‘Fake News’ Tracker
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the page from its official website, featuring five reports from U.S. and British media. The publications are dramatically shown on the site, stamped with red text “Fake” above a Russian language disclaimer stating: “This material contains data, not corresponding to the truth.”
Danziger: With Fear And Favors
In an alternate universe imagined by Danziger, there is a bizarro New York Times — perhaps known as The Trump Times — that publishes only the kind of “alternative facts” pleasing to the president: Massacres in Bowling Green, terrorist refugees in Sweden, millions of fraudulent voters, and gigantic inaugural crowds. Just be happy you don’t live there, yet.
While New York Times Editors Bickered, Trump (And Putin) Got Away
Now that the horses have left the barn, trotted out the front gate, and are galloping headlong down the county road, editors at the New York Times have taken to public bickering about who left the stalls unlatched. Not that it’s doing the rest of us much good.
NY Times Embroiled In Controversy Over Its Coverage Of Russia And Trump
New questions have been raised about the Times’ decision late in the campaign to sit on the story that Russian officials may have compromising information on Trump. The Times public editor Liz Spayd suggests that the reason they didn’t run with the “explosive allegations” was that journalists didn’t think Trump was going to win the election, and the paper didn’t want to risk sparking a controversy by reporting on the dossier.
Justice Department: Trump Son-In-Law Kushner Can Serve As White House Adviser
The Justice Department said the president has special hiring authority that exempts White House positions from laws barring the president from naming a relative to lead a federal agency. However, if Trump chooses to officially hire Kushner and also give him security clearance, then conflict-of-interest laws would apply.
Meryl Streep, Trump’s Attack On A Reporter’s Disability, And Reality
Trump lies habitually, so unwinding the rationale behind any particular falsehood is difficult. But the result is a news environment in which facts become unstable, reality is constantly under attack, and both journalists and news consumers are unable to process new information within a coherent collective framework.
It’s Time To Banish ‘Trump Says’ Headlines — They Don’t Work
Lazy, misleading headlines play right into Trump’s strategy of routinely lying while also being historically inaccessible to reporters. Within that sphere, I’d suggest there’s a very specific headline problem — the “Trump says” formula. Solution? Ban uncritical, context-free “Trump says” headlines. It’s a good first step.
First Amendment Watch: November 2016
Following is a list of President-elect Donald Trump’s attacks on the media — and demonstrations of disregard for the press — from Election Day through the end of November.
5 Deeply Obnoxious Things We Learned About Donald Trump This Week
Donald Trump spent Thanksgiving week leaking his potential cabinet picks, making Mitt Romney grovel, and turning down security briefings.
Are Donald Trump’s Tweets Igniting A Culture War?
Twitter became a potent tool for Trump because it dovetails with the demands of today’s political environment: delivering brief, blunt statements that because of their pithiness seem authentic — truthful or not.
Don’t Lock Her Up? Conway Confirms Trump Won’t Pursue Clinton Probes On Email, Charity
Addressing the report in an interview with MSNBC, senior Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway did not deny it and indicated it was correct.
Complaining About ‘Nasty’ Tone, Trump Cancels Meeting With New York Times
“I canceled today’s meeting with the failing @nytimes when the terms and conditions of the meeting were changed at the last moment. Not nice,” Trump said in a Twitter post.
Trump’s Transition Signals He Will Continue To Be Incredibly Hostile To The Press
During the campaign, the Committee to Protect Journalists declared Trump an “unprecedented threat” to free press. So far, his transition has indicated that won’t be changing anytime soon.
How False Equivalence Ruins Trump-Clinton News Coverage
News outlets covering the presidential election have made the mistake of treating Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as two equally flawed candidates. That false equivalence has made it harder for voters to understand the categorical differences between their options on November 8.
‘Civilized’ Nation Can’t Justify Torture
Chances are you haven’t thought about Guantanamo Bay – that American gulag – for a long time. Not everyone has the luxury of forgetting.
Experts: Trump’s Legal Threat Against New York Times ‘A Pure Loser’
Donald Trump’s threats to The New York Times for reporting allegations that he committed sexual assault are legally far-fetched and provide a troubling portrait of how a Trump administration would handle the press.
Two Women Tell New York Times That Trump Touched Them Inappropriately
CBS showed clips from its show Entertainment Tonight in 1992 with Trump addressing a group of 10-year-old girls, telling them he would be dating one of them in 10 years. He was 46 at the time.
Excerpt: Behind The Secretly Funded Right-Wing Attack On The Clinton Foundation
For conservative funders seeking to take down the most formidable Democratic presidential contender, Schweizer offered not just audacity and experience but his own nonprofit. As president of the Government Accountability Institute in Tallahassee, Florida, he could accept millions of dollars in tax-exempt funds for research, promotion, and expenses (including his $200,000 annual salary) from foundations and individuals. And unlike the Clintons, who had disclosed decades of tax returns and more than 300,000 foundation donors, Schweizer didn’t have to reveal any of his funders.