As Twitchy told you earlier, CNN’s Brian Stelter acknowledged that the press has failed the American public … by not being obsessive enough when it comes to covering Donald Trump.
That’s why Stelter is apparently attempting to lead the charge to let the public know more about the massive role Russia played in stealing the election from Hillary Clinton and awarding it to Trump on a silver platter:
Some new details in tonight’s @ReliableSources newsletter on what’s going to be in one of the two reports on Russian social media meddling that are being released by Senate Intel tomorrow. https://t.co/hDcA8n15pH @brianstelter pic.twitter.com/Qe9BEg2w37
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) December 17, 2018
On Monday, 2 reports about Russian interference are due to be released by the Senate Intelligence Committee… https://t.co/aIl4CxZ9PD
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
The workweek is beginning with a new warning that Russian hackers continued to support President Trump and sow division in the US well after the 2016 election, writes @BrianStelter. This time the warning comes in a report commissioned by the Senate. https://t.co/V5Cb3WkOaO
— CNN International (@cnni) December 17, 2018
The Russian effort to manipulate American public opinion continues: This is a present tense story, not past tense. pic.twitter.com/XyTJAKNlIN
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
Researchers at @NewKnowledgeAI call this a "media mirage." They say Russian operatives acted like digital marketers, creating "interlinked information ecosystems designed to immerse and surround targeted audiences." Making their messages look popular. pic.twitter.com/IupRz7MslK
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
Via @Donie: The Russians consistently "attempted to erode trust in mainstream media" and regularly portrayed WikiLeaks in a positive light. pic.twitter.com/gXGAv7JM2M
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
The mainstream media don’t need any help when it comes to eroding trust; they’re more than capable of doing that on their own.
Oxford report for the Senate about Russia's attack: "Surprisingly, these campaigns did not stop once Russia's IRA was caught interfering in the 2016 election. Engagement rates increased and covered a widening range of public policy issues…" pic.twitter.com/6Vl9mFmSfn
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
A reminder that "organic posts and memes mattered much more" to the Russians than paid ads https://t.co/isea5IHonr
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
Memes won Donald Trump the election? Really?
The world's worst game of Whack-A-Mole: When malicious Russian activity was unearthed on Facebook and Twitter in 2017, the group simply "shifted much of its activity to Instagram…" pic.twitter.com/QMIDcIKpmq
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
"Russia's Internet Research Agency (IRA) launched an extended attack on the United States by using computational propaganda to misinform and polarize US voters," Oxford researchers concluded in this report commissioned by the Senate pic.twitter.com/oIa8GEaXre
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
Serious, you guys.
If you’re swayed by “computational propaganda,” you were a lost cause from the start.
Re-upping this @eosnos quote from earlier this year:
"At the heart of the Russian fraud is an essential, embarrassing insight into American life: large numbers of Americans are ill-equipped to assess the credibility of the things they read."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
And hacks like Stelter count on their audience’s ignorance. Hell, they thrive on it. They willfully misrepresent the facts on a daily basis and have the nerve to take umbrage when they’re called out on it.
Friendly reminder that there's no evidence that Russian memes actually swayed any voting outcomes
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) December 17, 2018
But there *is* data indicating that a sizable portion of the electorate believes conspiracy theories about Russians changing votes https://t.co/d5Z3ay1Qsn
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) December 17, 2018
67 percent of Democrats believe it is "definitely true" or "probably true" that "Russia tampered with vote tallies in order to get Donald Trump elected." There is no evidence of Russia tampering with vote tallies. pic.twitter.com/mgSx3MEtnQ
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) November 18, 2018
…which seems like something we shouldn't, y'know, normalize
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) December 17, 2018
We thought that went without saying.
Someone please tell @brianstelter.
— Michael (@Michael2014abc) December 17, 2018
Yeah, Stelter et al. apparently missed the memo. They’d be up a creek if they were forced to report the facts as they are, rather than the facts as they want them to be.
This is the rare self-subtweet.
— Phil (@earlp1231) December 17, 2018
When you think everyone's as gullible as you. https://t.co/nWk5Y05qKs
— Anthony Bialy (@AnthonyBialy) December 17, 2018
I dunno, that one meme with Jesus and Satan arm wrestling got me – I was undecided before then, but when I saw Hillary's head photo shopped on that red scaly Satan I thought "Ok, that's it!" and I pulled the lever for God Emperor @realDonaldTrump .
— Groovin’ Dr. Jarvis (@GroovinDrJarvis) December 17, 2018
it is amazing that Hillary Clinton was otherwise so trusted and so popular until
*(checks notes)*
these….Russian…..troll farm….memes…..— ???? ???????? (@GrayConnolly) December 17, 2018
"Hillary would have won if not for Russia!" = "People who would normally vote for Hillary fell for weak ass Russian propaganda."
I mean, if you want to admit that a large chunk of your voters are idiots, I'm not going to stop you.
— RBe (@RBPundit) December 17, 2018
Russia didn't make me vote for Trump. Hillary did.
— MacroAggressions ❌ (@DenierNyc) December 17, 2018
Brave firefighters like Stelter are evidently literally incapable of admitting that Hillary Clinton was just a terrible presidential candidate. Or of admitting that they’re guilty of spreading propaganda and misinformation themselves.
Misinformation on the internet isn't like a broken arm — something that can be fixed with time and attention. No, it can only be managed — it's a chronic condition like diabetes… pic.twitter.com/oaqry7TyDu
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 17, 2018
Too bad Dr. Brian Stelter is in no position to be wielding the insulin pen.
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