As we told you earlier, the media got their marching orders over how to spin a story involving where the Trump administration plans to house migrant children. Here are just three of the many examples:
JUST IN: Trump administration to send migrant children to former Japanese internment camp: report https://t.co/UsdSmYuKoe pic.twitter.com/6cWPuj9mNg
— The Hill (@thehill) June 12, 2019
Trump administration plans to use Fort Sill, which previously served as a Japanese internment camp, to house 1,400 migrant children https://t.co/2IYALnbtmC
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) June 12, 2019
Migrant children will be kept at Army base used as a Japanese internment camp in World War II https://t.co/eWMmTEvOsx pic.twitter.com/f57mw234T6
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 12, 2019
What do all headlines taking the “former Japanese internment camp” angle have in common? Absolutely none of them mention that the same thing was done during the Obama administration, though many did mention that fact in passing in their stories.
James Taranto dissected the spin to show how the game is played:
Here's an example of how to lie by omission. The tweet says "former Japanese internment camp." https://t.co/Xmn8vKccrt
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) June 12, 2019
Click through and the headline informs you it's an army base. pic.twitter.com/I0a1FDUQle
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) June 12, 2019
Scroll down and you learn that Obama used it for the same purpose. pic.twitter.com/zRJpFCEZPt
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) June 12, 2019
Taranto then asked a question about how the media covered the story when Obama was in office:
Can anyone find a report from 2014 that described Fort Sill in the same way?
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) June 12, 2019
@JerylBier was on it:
I tried. No.
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
Bier then shared many examples of how the story was covered in 2014. Guess what’s not mentioned:
As a matter of fact, The Hill took a different tack last time: "Oklahoma Republicans worry about use of military bases for child immigrants"https://t.co/Mnz8V0qqWm
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
Search of Twitter before 2015 for "fort sill japanese internment"
Zero hits.
Search of Twitter since 6/10/19 for "fort sill japanese internment"
Dozens and dozens of hits.https://t.co/r2iQIqdJunhttps://t.co/TlYDSYcadO pic.twitter.com/AVqbMLSpK0— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
Shocker! And yet the media wonders where all the skepticism comes from.
Bier continued:
Fort Sill to host children of illegal immigrants
June 9th 2014https://t.co/EsHat1f6Oe pic.twitter.com/gcgxbZBLl8— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
"Obama has imposed at least a partial media blackout. Journalists seeking to interview the young detainees at Fort Sill, Oklahoma …"
The Flood Of Illegal Immigrant Children: Why The Secrecy? via @forbes https://t.co/elIJmJQmIV— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
2014:
1,800 immigrants processed through Fort Sill – https://t.co/is6OPCCvaP – @washtimes— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
2014:
All immigrant children transferred from Fort Sill facility https://t.co/wdt05Sx3A2 via @kfor— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
Politico went all-out to dump cold water to make sure there was no fire for the Dems to put out:
"But Oklahoma’s Republican delegation in Congress loudly and often criticized the use of Fort Sill, a sprawling artillery facility asked to temporarily absorb just 1,200 children."
You know what is completely missing from this 2014 story? "Democrats."https://t.co/ezlhPhRw3E
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
Wow.
I defy anyone to find a report of a Democrat condemning President Obama's use of the "former Japanese internment camp" to house migrant children in 2014. https://t.co/sq1GL8EroZ
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 12, 2019
Does the mainstream media see the problem yet? ::Crickets::
Follow @JerylBier who is meticulously documenting the sudden change in terminology used by reporters and headline writers regarding migrants at Ft. Sill.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) June 12, 2019
Excellent suggestion. @JamesTaranto as well.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member