There had actually been jokes made for the past few days about the media applying a fact-check standard to the coming Republican national convention. Leave it to the punchline-ers at CNN to make a mockery their playbook.
The blueprint was laid out by Brian Stelter on his Sunday sit-com Reliable Sources, where he proposed what the news nets should do in addressing what they are assured to be mistruths presented this week.
“SHOULD TV NETWORKS AIR RNC IN FULL?” @BrianStelter advanced rationale for nets not to: “Television nets are going to have interesting choices to make…about whether to cut away if there’s this stream of disinformation happening live.” Promises CNN will cut in w/ “fact checks. pic.twitter.com/7GBgDSdiaI
— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) August 23, 2020
Remember all the times that journalists make the claim that they are an unbiased troupe who only presents what transpires for the public to become informed? This would be understandable had Stelter done the same for the Democrat telethon, except not only did he refrain from real-time fact corrections, Stelter played the role of PR agent.
Note this difference shown by Drew Holden — Brian was actually convinced that Michelle Obama’s speech was one for the ages…BEFORE she had presented it to the nation.
Oh my God @brianstelter did the same for Michelle Obama I’m done. pic.twitter.com/bFMcIiptno
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) August 23, 2020
Joining Brian on this unbiased crazy train was his guest Amanda Carpenter, who seconded his proposal to interject their network’s impressions during the proceedings.
From me: Networks need to be prepared to handle the RNC as a major political and medical disinformation event. Trump’s messaging on the rigged election and miracle coronavirus cures are dangerous to our health and democracy. https://t.co/k0fzb1VriJ
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) August 23, 2020
Now you may be thinking back to the past week and trying to conjure how often CNN burst in during the Democrats’ dour display to correct that party on the misinformation that had been peddled. The answer is a firm zero times.
Jim Acosta actually agreed with Joe Biden when he told the long-disproven lie that President Trump called the Charlottesville white supremacists ”very fine people”.
Three years ago today… Trump says there were “very fine people on both sides” in Charlottesville. https://t.co/IMhg46QgwC
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 15, 2020
When the Democrats ran a lengthy segment discussing how important it was to bring jobs back where was Brain Stelter to call out the fact that it is the politicians from their party who are arresting people for going back to work, shutting off the utilities of business which dare open their doors, or have their business licenses revoked if they defy unconstitutional executive orders?
As for Carpenter we know she would not question the inaccurate medical advice dispensed by Democrats regarding the pandemic. Not only would she be standing in agreement from her Bulwark cabin, she was too busy weeping over the emotional display last week to give objective fact-based journalism coverage.
Stelter attempted to show how FoxNews was out of balance with the other networks, displaying how Sean Hannity was on the air while the Democrat convention played out. Yet he is proposing doing the exact same thing, all while draping himself and his network as the bastions of the center, unbiased and unmoved by the machination of a particular party. This is where the amusement comes into play.
After Joe Biden gave spoke on Thursday a number of FoxNews anchors gave glowing praise of the Vice President’s speech.
Chris Wallace, Bret Baier, Dana Perino and Karl Rove all gave the former vice president high marks. https://t.co/eGNtt4TGyM
— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) August 21, 2020
But Stelter and Carpenter are here to tell us about all of the lies that will be arriving in the as-yet unpresented Republican convention, already certain what they will hear. Not unlike how convinced Stelter had been of Michelle Obama’s historical speech.
Rather funny that FoxNews is showing Stelter what unbiased journalism looks like.