Script-driven reporting looks like this!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

It could send Trump to the White House:
What does terrible journalism look like?

Terrible political journalism? Terrible political journalism built from a ubiquitous, low-IQ mainstream script about the Clintons' presumed corruption?

You might want to start your search with this tweet by Paul Krugman. It will take you tothis post by Kevin Drum.

Drum's post concerns a front-page report from Monday's Washington Post. The report was written by Rosalind Helderman, who strikes us as almost perverse in her need to find corruption wherever she looks.

(Helderman was Rachel Maddow's favorite Javert in the perverse, low-IQ attempt to send Governor Ultrasound to prison, preferably while embarrassing his children.)

Helderman strikes us as troubled, almost perverse. That said, this is Krugman's account of her most recent front-page attack:

"Oh, look—another story that sounds like Clinton corruption, but 25 paragraphs in you learn there's nothing there."

So true! The headline on Drum's post says this:

"Here Is Today's Latest Story About a Clinton Doing Nothing Wrong"

Exactly! And also potentially deeply destructive.

That said, we liberals lived it up when this kind of procedure was being aimed at a pol we disliked. Now it's being aimed at Candidate Clinton in a vastly more menacing context.

By the way, no one else named the names of any reporters in this latest front-page, script-driven mess. As Robert Frost said at President Kennedy's inauguration:

Something we were withholding made us weak
Until we found out that it was ourselves
We were withholding from our land of living,
And forthwith found salvation in surrender.


We liberals have been withholding ourselves from these mainstream press corps wars ever since they were launched long ago. When will we discuss the terrible work of the mainstream press in the ways they've long deserved?

14 comments:

  1. Bill Clinton had a 17.5Mil gig as an "honorary chancellor" of a for-profit institution, but there's nothing here to write about? Really? Because the state department ethics committee decreed that there was no conflict of interest? They may have their own legalistic guidelines of what to consider "conflict of interest", but the 17.5mil payout speaks for itself; it reeks of corruption. No one gets paid such money to do honest work. We, on the left, flog corporate CEO's for hauling bags of cash -- and rightfully so -- and we should scrutinize the Clintons for doing the same. Yes, they come as a pair.

    By now everyone should know that for-profit educations institutions are some of the most corrupt businesses that exist today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We, on the left, care a lot more about the conflicts of interest that led us to the second Iraq war. 17.5 million is peanuts compared to what Dick "Map of the Iraq Oil Fields on the Table" Cheney was conflicting with.

      Delete
    2. Not to overstate the obvious, but not every discussion about public corruption boils down to: but Dick Cheney did worse. He did. And it's completely besides the point here.

      Delete
    3. If your point is that because Bill Clinton was paid $17.5 million as a chancellor of a university, Hillary Clinton is corrupt, then to underscore the obvious, you got nothing.

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    5. I want to overstate this obvious point: big numbers mean very little without numerical context.

      If someone goes around saying Senator X is getting away with ONE M!LLION DOLLARS!!1! of pork, but fail to state that the yearly budget of the US Government is 3.8 trillion dollars, then they are wasting your time.

      And, for the record, I was tweaking you about the "we, on the left," remark.

      Delete
    6. The question here is not so much of outright bribery, rather of whether this is newsworthy at all. And, apparently, that decision should be outsourced to the state department ethics committee.
      We're not talking about pork here. We are talking about padding one's own bank account.

      Delete
    7. You're only talking about one side's bank accounts. Could you compare that big number that gives you the vapors to the amounts "earned" by the other contenders?

      Delete
  2. The Supreme Court says you have to show the contract spelling out exactly what the donatee gets in return for donation (along with a photo of the cash exchanging hands or a copy of the check with "for services to be rendered" in the memo field).
    Without that, there is no corruption.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dave the Guitar PlayerSeptember 9, 2016 at 12:36 PM

      I am compelled to point out that the Supreme Court did not and does not write the laws regarding what is or is not corruption. Congress has failed to write adequate legislation and we (the voters) have not pressed them to fix this. Why haven't voters (not just you, lots of them) risen up to object to the Citizen's United scam? Unfortunately, we are getting the government we deserve.

      Delete
  3. My boyfriend broke up with me its been 4 days now. We have been dating sense he was 18 and I was 22. he has just know turned 21. We have been dating for 3 years and 2 and half months. Through the years we have had a really good relationship it was serious and we really wanted to be with each other forever. Of course we had are arguments but nothing too bad. I know that these past 3 months I had taken him for granted thinking he would always be there but was wrong. he told me he didn’t want to be in a relationship that he wanted to take time with himself. But he was still kissin me and hugging me and telling me that he will always love me and I hold a special place in her heart. I realized that right before he done this that I needed to get my act together but I guess was too late. I really love this boy there is something different about him he is the love of my life and I want us to have a better relationship then ever before and I wouldn’t ever take him for granted ever again I really do want to marry this boy and he wanted that too but idk how to get him back with out being clingy and desperate. Obviously he needs his space because he cheated on me and this time I really need help to bring him back and marry me, one day i was searching online and i saw a good testimony of how Dr Joy a real Africa spell caster help to restored back broken marriage, getting ex back, fix broken relationship. so i copy his email via??? joylovespell@gmail.com and told him all my problems so he ask me not to worry that my problem are solve that with 2 days, i will get him back which i believe in and put all my hope on and to my greatest notice, after the spell my boyfriend who broke up with me gave me a call to apology and feel so sorry for what he did so my dear ones that is how i got my boyfriend back with the help of Dr joy the real spell caster so also email him now on via joylovespell@gmail.com????

    ReplyDelete
  4. Life is good when you have your love ones around you, I am saying this because when i had issues with my lover i never seen life as a good thing but thanks to Dr. AGBAZARA of AGBAZARA TEMPLE, for helping me to cast a spell that brought my lover back to me within the space of 48hours. My husband left me for another woman after 7years of marriage,but Dr.AGBAZARA help me cast a spell that brought him back to me within 48hours. I am not going to tell you more details about myself rather i will only advise those who are having issues in there relationship or marriages to contact Dr.AGBAZARA TEMPLE through these details via email; ( agbazara@gmail.com ) or call him OR Whatsapp: +2348104102662

    ReplyDelete
  5. I want to thank Dr.Agbazara for his job in my family, this is man who left me and the kids for another woman without any good reasons, i was pain and confuse,till one day when i saw Dr.Agbazara contact, then i contacted him and he help me cast a reunion spell that help my situation with 48hours, since I then the situation has changed, everything is moving well, my husband who left me is now back to his family. reach DR.AGBAZARA TEMPLE via email if you have any problem at:
    ( agbazara@gmail.com )
    OR whatsapp or call him on +2348104102662

    ReplyDelete
  6. Am here to testify of a great spell caster who is very straight forward with his words of casting spells. When my Wife left me for another Man i was so confused,but one day a friend of mine gave me the email address of this great spell caster called Awo Babatunde, I contacted this man and explained to him all that i was going through,he then told me to be calm and not worry anymore because my case is a very easy one. At first i never believe all that he was saying until when my wife returned home two days later begging me to forgive him all that he has done to me and to please accept him back into my life,I was so amazed,I never believe it was going to happen that fast.
    This man is truly great indeed. Contact him today for a perfect solution to your love problem, Awobabatunde50@gmail.com or whatsApp him +2349045101972

    ReplyDelete