The press is lazy, culturally and politically incestuous, and above all competitive. But they don’t compete over accuracy or command of facts. It’s over who can flatter, abase themselves, and generally brown nose power to the greatest degree. To those worms will fall the golden interviews, plumb assignments, and anchor slots. However, it’s also done behind the scenes with an innuendo here, a rumor there, and most of all by a not too subtle manipulation of the language in a straight news piece. This New York Post Editorial Board’s description of the process is but one example. They are legion.
Media bias often comes down to framing, and the Associated Press just supplied us with a glistening example of how it’s done.https://t.co/JKTmMH9AJh [1]
— The Federalist (@FDRLST) July 24, 2020 [2]
NY Post: “If you’re wondering why so many distrust the media, a recent Associated Press story about Gov. Andrew Cuomo is a good place to start. In recounting the number of politicians calling on him to resign, the AP wrote:
‘The escalating political crisis has spawned an impeachment inquiry in an overwhelmingly Democratic state, and threatens to cast a cloud over President Joe Biden’s early days in office. Republicans have seized on the scandal to try to distract from Biden’s success tackling the coronavirus pandemic and challenge his party’s well-established advantage with female voters.’
This isn’t an opinion piece, or even one of those disingenuously labeled ‘analysis’ stories. This is a news story. One in which the writers inserted a biased, factually incorrect paragraph. For starters, Biden came into office with a COVID-19 vaccine already invented and being distributed. He’s ordered more, as any president would do, but how is that a success? He’s barely done anything to, for instance, get kids back into school. Next, ‘Republicans have seized.’ Funny how if a Democrat is mad about something, it’s reported straight, but Republicans are always pouncing or seizing — as if their actions are strictly motivated by politics. Perhaps they are simply outraged by Cuomo’s behavior. It takes a special kind of clairvoyance to think Republicans are motivated by Democrats’ ‘well-established advantage with female voters,’ which sounds more like a humblebrag than a legitimate point. One of the ways you can sniff out bias is by reversing a sentiment — that is, would a reporter ever write about the Republicans’ ‘well-established advantage with male voters’? Fat chance. Remember, too, that this is in a story nominally about how many Democrats have called for Cuomo’s resignation.
“Are they using the scandal to distract from the border crisis? Did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ‘seize’ on the scandals to criticize a moderate Democrat in favor of a more progressive replacement? These motives remain unexamined. This is how the liberal media shapes opinion, through framing and adjectives. Think what would have happened if Chris Cuomo, the anchor who fawned over his brother, was a Republican. He’d be labeled ‘the controversial CNN host’ as liberal coverage would openly call for an advertising boycott or firing.” Exactly. And the AP is the assignment editor for much of American news coverage. Reader beware.
This piece was written by David Kamioner on March 17, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette [3] and is used by permission.
Read more at LifeZette:
CNN’s Brian Stelter Blasts Tucker Carlson As The New Donald Trump – ‘Tapping Into White Male Rage’ [4]
HR 1 Could Depend on Manchin and Sinema [5]
Meghan McCain Smacks Down Joy Behar After She Tries To Defend Andrew Cuomo Amidst Sexual Misconduct Scandal [6]