It’s been an eventful start to the week, what with the Biden administration’s collective efforts to redefine the word “recession” in order to be able to assure us that we’re not ackshually in a recession right now.
Truth be told, we’re not really all that shocked to see the Biden administration stoop to something like this, especially when you consider all of the lows to which they’ve stooped in their 18 months of existence. But there’s still a little room for some unexpectedness here. Not with the Biden administration, but with the media, who — in theory, at least — still have an opportunity to demonstrate that they haven’t completely forgotten what it is they’re supposed to do here.
Erick Erickson has a great tweet about why the American people should be paying extra close attention to the MSM right now:
We're about to see just how much the media is over Biden. If they go along with the Biden Administration's redefinition of what a recession is after four decades of holding it as 2 quarters of negative growth, the press is dead, and only the propagandists remain.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 25, 2022
In recent weeks, we’ve seen some indications that cracks have started to form in the symbiotic relationship between Joe Biden and the media, particularly after Biden’s now-infamous fist-bump with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman. But in general, Biden still enjoys pretty positive coverage and is given a pass by the media on a lot of things they’d rake a Republican president over the coals for.
This “recession” redefinition business could — and should — be highly consequential not just for the Biden administration, but also for the media.
My pro tip to journalists who want to take the bait: At least do a quick archive search for how many times you or your outlet used the old definition. Because your critics will certainly do it for you otherwise. https://t.co/jU5qJ9prFH
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) July 25, 2022
Damn straight.
Everything he says here is correct and it is indeed going to be a litmus-test of hackery to see who, both here and in the print media, attempts to handwave or softpedal or deny. https://t.co/sUOgATURJV
— Jeff B. is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) July 25, 2022
Reuters got a head start last week https://t.co/BZlNEKNdtr
— NeverTweet (@LOLNeverTweet) July 25, 2022
Well, look at that. So they did:
When @Reuters is already attempting to redefine the normal definition of recession (2 quarters of neg. GDP)… you're in a recession. https://t.co/nGIAAidtYk
— NeverTweet (@LOLNeverTweet) July 21, 2022
Looks like we can go right ahead and move Reuters to the “Dead Press” pile, then.
Who else will end up there?
https://twitter.com/WalterJ08049508/status/1551564681386422272
I think we already know how this is going to go. https://t.co/dVDSIkPNrK
— Rail Splitter Rags (@authentic_mikep) July 25, 2022
It’s not looking promising so far.
Nah, the press is definitively dead and the propagandists are all that remain. This isn’t a line in the sand. We are well past that. https://t.co/UAbEjDFMte
— Dunn Fumble (@artyoan) July 25, 2022
::looks at current press response::
It's dead, Jim.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) July 25, 2022
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