Bill Maher’s panel destroyed conservative commentator Tomi Lahren on HBO’s Real Time on Friday, taking the once liberal, now right-wing bobble head to task. Maher started by asking the panel what would happen if Trump was black? With his behavioral problems, would it make a difference? “If a black guy ran for president and acted just… Continue reading “Tomi Lahren crushed by Bill Maher panel”
I read this Charlie Sykes column in the Times, and I related. Boy, did I relate. Because as we saw played out in the primary, knee-jerk skepticism about known facts (and how to interpret them) is not the exclusive hallmark of the right wing:
For years, as a conservative radio talk show host, I played a role in that conditioning by hammering the mainstream media for its bias and double standards. But the price turned out to be far higher than I imagined. The cumulative effect of the attacks was to delegitimize those outlets and essentially destroy much of the right’s immunity to false information. We thought we were creating a savvier, more skeptical audience. Instead, we opened the door for President Trump, who found an audience that could be easily misled.
The news media’s spectacular failure to get the election right has made it only easier for many conservatives to ignore anything that happens outside the right’s bubble and for the Trump White House to fabricate facts with little fear of alienating its base.
Unfortunately, that also means that the more the fact-based media tries to debunk the president’s falsehoods, the further it will entrench the battle lines.
My blogger friends and I have talked about this for a couple of years (the women, at least). We did very well at teaching readers to be skeptical about the media, but not so great at teaching them to be discerning consumers — i.e. learning when you can trust the media.
Being skeptical is easy; being discerning is hard. I know; I am constantly looking up sources and connected institutions to try to figure out where something came from. It takes a lot of time.
I just don’t need to have an opinion about everything right away. I make a mental note, and I come back to it.
Media critic Sarah Kendzior had no problems at all telling the press they should see this as a war when Trump calls you the enemy. And of course, outdated and perverse practices like the White House Correspondents Dinner should be avoided. Normally, any reference to the Nazis is not all the helpful, but Kendzior’s reference to… Continue reading “Kendzior: Press should stop acting like ‘botoxed Riefenstahls’”
Our Shadow-President Stephen Bannon would like to let “the media” know that he wishes they’d just shut the fck up and go sit in a corner somewhere for the next four years. In an interview with the New York Times, Bannon said, “The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just… Continue reading “Secret President Stephen Bannon says media should STFU, sit in the corner”
To kick off this week’s show, I lay out an entirely plausible scenario in which Trump — and unified GOP control of government — results in only manageable damage to the republic. It’s not a prediction, which would be pollyannish, but it could work out this way if decent people stand up against what’s coming. Then… Continue reading “Politics And Reality Radio: How fragile is democracy?”
After Madonna dropped a couple of F-bombs while being covered live on CNN and MSNBC, NBC analyst Mike Murphy tweeted this about the Women’s March protests. The lefty platform speakers almost never do these protest rallies any favors… – mike murphy (@murphymike) January 21, 2017 Brian Williams brought up Murphy’s tweet to MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell… Continue reading “We are clutching our pearls over Madonna’s F-word”
And so it begins. On the first rule day of the Trump regime, in an astounding press conference, the White House press press secretary shrilly attacked the press for insisting on facts about turnout.
And yesterday, the odious Trump minion Kellyanne Conway was all over the news, belligerently insisting Sean Spicer (aka Baghdad Bob) has “alternate facts.”
The White House is working with a merry band of right-wing extremists who have for a long time studied the uses of propaganda in authoritarian regimes. Now they get to experiment with the American psyche. What fun!
The media is not yet worthy of a martyr’s crown. They are showing some signs of life (CNN in particular gets props for refusing to broadcast the press conference) but if you watched coverage of the Women’s March, reporters carefully avoided any mention of the fact that it was a march against Trump. Instead, it morphed before our eyes into an “expression of positivity” and “assertion of girl power” rather than an angry march against a sexual assaulter. (Were all those pink pussycat hats and “Pussy Grabs Back” signs of female cat fanciers?)
It certainly had nothing to do with feminism. I didn’t hear the word once.
But we have to support them when they do get it right. Watch carefully. Let them know when they get it wrong — but support them when they get it right. (Follow them on Twitter so you can respond in real time.)
The Trump regime will divide us into groups: The ones who say “he’s lying,” the ones who say the president wouldn’t lie, the ones who don’t care if he lies, and the ones who can’t figure out who’s telling the truth. We need to move as many people as possible into that first group, because the more people can’t figure out the truth, the more likely they are to become politically detached. We can’t afford that.
This is a dangerous time. We expected it, and those of us who have been strategizing behind the scenes for the past year know where it’s headed. We need every single one of you to push back on every front, because they’re fighting a multi-front war, flinging crap in all directions.
Signing up here is also a good way to start.
Adult magazine Penthouse has received three claims for its $1 million offer to anyone who could provide real tapes of President-elect Donald Trump’s alleged and unproven sexual escapades at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow, the publication’s editor exclusively revealed to International Business Times Thursday. Penthouse editor Raphie Aronowitz said the magazine isn’t conducting a “witch hunt,” but… Continue reading “Penthouse might have proof of Russian ShowerGate”
![#Adolf Hitler gives a speech to supporters on the campaign trail during the 1932 German federal elections, which the Nazi Party led with 37% of the vote. (Behind him are Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Goering) [1090x770] #history #retro #vintage #dh #History](https://i0.wp.com/farm6.staticflickr.com/5463/30724959102_acdb8f8a5f.jpg?resize=500%2C353 "#Adolf Hitler gives a speech to supporters on the campaign trail during the 1932 German federal elections, which the Nazi Party led with 37% of the vote. (Behind him are Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Goering) [1090x770] #history #retro #vintage #dh #History")
I’d love it if every single cable host didn’t gush over her, for starters:
Whoa. The gloves are off at CNN. This panel followed Anderson Cooper’s interview with Kellyanne Conway in which she lied and complained bitterly about media coverage of Trump and particularly the whole golden shower-gate thing. Carl Bernstein is really done with Kellyanne Conway. CARL BERNSTEIN: Let’s talk about what reporting is. It’s the best obtainable version… Continue reading “Carl Bernstein: Kellyanne Conway is a ‘propaganda minister’”
My goodness, the Villagers were so upset about yesterday’s news about Donald Trump and his very special relationships with Russia and their sex workers. Can you guess what had them so upset? I knew you could!
They were upset that Buzzfeed published the original intelligence report.
Where to begin? First of all, a BBC reporter announced today he verified the story with a CIA source –and I’ve since heard more details about what kind of additional dirt the Russians are said to have on Trump. (If you’ve seen the pictures of Trump with young Ivanka on his lap, you can probably guess.)
BBC correspondent says there's more than one source, more than one tape & more than one date of allegations in Trump intel dossier. pic.twitter.com/4cXEz6g5C0
— Rogelio Garcia, Lawyer (@LawyerRogelio) January 11, 2017
Chris Matthews, who spoke at great length about the many possible crimes Hillary Clinton may have committed after James Comey released his last-minute letter, is in high dudgeon over Buzzfeed publishing the memo. Because journalism, damn it!
Well, just like with 2003 and the run-up to the Iraq invasion, journalism isn’t doing a goddamned thing to stand up to this creature. Once again, the dirty fucking hippies will do the dirty work and we not only won’t get any thanks, we’ll be ripped to shreds over it.
Must be time for another blogger ethics panel!
