Fortunately, it’s been a week where high-profile people have told relatively few lies (cue extreme eye roll), which means the media can focus on blowing the lid off the important stories. In the instance, Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler has shared a speculative local media story about former secretary of state Mike Pompeo:
Pompey’s hometown paper questions his weight-loss take: ‘Dude, just tell the truth’: Mike Pompeo lost 90 lbs, but not the way he said he did https://t.co/WgPOwONO0G
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 8, 2022
Wow, Pulitzers all around for that scoop!
cc: @PulitzerPrizes https://t.co/WdpOKOQp1z
— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) January 8, 2022
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 8, 2022
It’s not like anything else has happened that deserves some “fact-checker” attention.
Why haven’t you tweeted about a Supreme Court justice spreading COVID misinformation? Seems like that would be a good fact check… https://t.co/KQ2V4ugpF1
— Abigail Marone 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) January 8, 2022
So Glenn couldn't be bothered to fact-check Jen Psaki's high-profile false claim about Ron DeSantis on Thursday. He also couldn't find time to tackle Sonia Sotomayor's lies yesterday. But he's got time to worry about Pompeo's weight. https://t.co/Fs8MKVb30N
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) January 8, 2022
Priorities!
Does Washington Post know the difference between Kansas City, Missouri & Wichita, Kansas where Pompeo is from? https://t.co/u4gsiCPO9f
— Big_A (@asomer) January 8, 2022
Leaving aside a “fact checker” sharing a totally speculative article like this, in what universe is a paper based in Kansas City, Missouri the “hometown paper” for a former congressman who represented Wichita, Kansas? https://t.co/5CFaSMzQ5p
— Jerry Christmas 🎄🎅🏽 (@JerryDunleavy) January 8, 2022
Some facts don’t need to be checked, apparently.
I’m pretty sure someone who graduated first in his class from West Point has the mental discipline for a 1750 cal/day deficit. https://t.co/VIjfBRhAEd
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) January 8, 2022
We now have weight loss truthers in the media. And people wonder why our profession is losing favor with the public. At least have the decency to spell Secretary Pompeo's name right. https://t.co/8sVM1vV6wm
— Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) January 8, 2022
How are you not embarrassed by doing this or are you planning a move to the National Enquirer?
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) January 8, 2022
What's the point of expanding the reach of this story?
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) January 8, 2022
Here is this this great thing someone accomplished — how can we crap all over it? <<< the entire state of toxic media https://t.co/1kNBV6vBPN
— Fletch (@FletchMatlock) January 8, 2022
A bit of an interesting share here from a fact-checker — this piece is exclusively speculation about a guy’s weight loss
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) January 8, 2022
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Related:
‘Heel! Good boy’: Washington Post deleted a tweet about Biden after Jen Psaki registered a complaint
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