A tweet from NPR showing what is wrong with American journalism.

[edhopper]

It's all about what Republicans say with some both-sidism for the Democrats.

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1021059770491523072&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eschatonblog.com%2F


The full article is not much better.

https://www.npr.org/2018/07/22/631260082/trump-administration-releases-classified-warrants-for-fbi-wiretap-of-carter-page?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180722

[DetlefK]

1. Well, well. Nice media-access you have there. Wouldn't want to have something bad happen to it.

[Achilleaze]

2. What, NPR is too damn lazy to read the things, or have an "expert" read them

and plainly report who is lying and who is telling the truth?

NPR is a public disservice at this point in time. Sad.

[Ponietz]

3. NPR isn't chicken salad

[jcgoldie]

4. Reminds me of NPR's both sides election coverage...

"In today's political news Donald Trump mocked a disabled reporter, accused a debate moderator of suffering from PMS, went on a 10 minute racist rant against Mexico, denigrated John McCain's war record, and compared the size of his penis to Marco Rubio... oh but people just don't like Hillary Clinton either and then there's her emails...."

[KPN]

5. I don't know about that. The article pretty much states facts. It's not an opinion piece.

It's focus is on the fact that the WH released classified documents Saturday -- the Page warrants. Other facts re: the Trump/GOP view are quotes. The facts re: the Dem view are the "facts" as identified by the intelligence community. Seems to me that anyone who isn't a fervent racist, so-called Christian, misogynist, xenophobe and has half a brain would understand the two sets of facts (Trump/GOP vs Dems) and recognize which constitute a risk to our Constitutional democracy.

[True Dough]

7. The media is in a "no win" predicament these days

Both the left and the right expect all reporting to be "debunked" before its released to the public. That didn't happen 40 years ago before the advent of the 24-hour media cycle, let alone these days.

We generally know who stands where: Fox is a right-wing mouthpiece. MSNBC is accused by the right of being left-leaning. CNN is accused by both sides of not being objective enough. And on and on...

At least this NPR piece uses the word "claims" in the headline in regards to the ReThugs' position on FBI bias, it doesn't state that as a fact.

There are times to report on what each side is saying and there are times to go back and attempt to verify each side's statements and then hold them accountable.

[mythology]

9. Not debunked

They want it to conform with what they already believe. The truth is irrelevant to far too many.

[edhopper]

16. Read the tweet and article again

and see who's comments they give preference to.
The tweet is about Republican claims.
It doesn't say "Democrats show classified documents confirm..." which is the truth of it.

[UpInArms]

6. Journalism 101

[unblock]

8. well that's the problem right there. modern "journalists" are too worried about upsetting the right

at best, one can say it's a legal defense: it's far easier to prove that someone said something than it is to prove an actual fact.
so it's safer for them to say that someone *said* it's raining.
if they say it *is* raining, then someone might sue them and then they'd have to prove it actually rained on the day in question.
much easier to prove that someone *said* it was raining.

the right-wing has learned to exploit this fully, knowing they'll get equal time no matter how outlandish the lie.

journalists are finally getting wise to *what* they have been doing for decades now, but still haven't figured out an effective solution. indeed, most are too busy trying to defend what they are doing.

[marybourg]

12. Unfortunately, deciphering a heavily redacted

document relating to secret proceedings reporting covert operations is just a bit more difficult than looking out the window. NPR can be irritating and frustrating at times, and should be criticized when criticism is warranted, but since it’s still among the best of the reasonably objective media (as against those that always reflect our own viewpoint ), it deserves our support.

[underthematrix]

10. I didn't respond to the tweet because that would

simply amplify it. Instead I tweeted my reaction to how they were framing the release of the FISA warrant

Link to tweet

[Maven]

11. My reply:

[dalton99a]

13. Kick

[Lee-Lee]

14. Here is an open secret about how NPR phrases statements like that

Whenever you see them say “X say this, Y says that” whatever party they list past is the one they believe.

Likewise when they get quotes from two parties on an issue- when they get a quote from one person then an opposing view from another the second one is the one they agree with. That often plays out in the second parties favor because they at the same time will tell the second party, who they agree with, what the first party said so they can directly refute the point instead of just giving a blanket statement, so their point of view comes across stronger.

Pay attention as you listen and that pattern will clearly show.

[Recursion]

15. Republicans say it is currently raining outside; Democrats say it is not

Unfortunately, Noah, my studio doesn't have a window.

[RandomAccess]

17. A related problem -

"Neutrality," as explained in this example about climate change: