NEW YORK (AP) — Jim Lehrer, longtime host of the nightly PBS “NewsHour” whose serious, sober demeanor made him the choice to moderate 11 presidential debates between 1988 and 2012, has died, PBS said Thursday. He was 85.
Category Archives: Media
Adam Schiff Dazzles the Press
Mainstream media and liberal commentators said Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) would be remembered for “generations to come” and was “dazzling,” “masterful,” “very very good,” “very very powerful,” “awfully impressive,” “expert,” “brilliant,” “absolutely brilliant,” and a “virtuoso” in his opening statement for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.
The post Adam Schiff Dazzles the Press appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
FNC’s Wallace: Democrats ‘Have Made a Powerful Case’ Against Trump
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace argued Thursday during his network’s coverage of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump that House managers have made a “powerful” case against the president.
Fact Check: Russia Interfered in the 2016 Election — and Ukraine Did, Too
Fact check – CLAIM: President Donald Trump subscribed to the “debunked conspiracy theory” that Ukraine, “rather than Russia,” interfered in the 2016 presidential election. VERDICT: FALSE. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Nolte: 55% of Americans Say Mainstream Media Are ‘Corrupt’
The American people have lost total faith in the media, and yet the media are doing nothing to regain credibility. They just keep lying and spreading fake news.
Bernstein: There Are 7-9 ‘Wobbly’ Republicans Who Want Witnesses
Veteran reporter Carl Bernstein said on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” that there are seven to nine Republican senators who would like to hear from witnesses during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Bernstein said, “I think
Angelina Jolie to Produce TV Show to Help Children Spot Fake News
Actress Angelina Jolie has announced plans to produce a BBC show that will teach children how to identify fake news and make up their minds on world issues by examining facts and reputable sources.
CNN Silent on Contributor’s False Viral Tweet
CNN has remained silent about a contributor’s viral tweet that misleadingly claimed to relay a conversation between Republican senators.
Former Clinton White House press secretary Joe Lockhart received more than 9,000 retweets and 36,000 likes for a tweet claiming to report an overheard conversation between two Fox News-watching GOP senators. “Is this stuff real? I haven’t heard any of this before. I thought it was all about a server,” the senators supposedly said. “If half the stuff Schiff is saying is true, we’re up shit’s creek. Hope the White House has exculpatory evidence.”
Overheard convo between two Republican Senators who only watch Fox News. "is this stuff real? I haven't heard any of this before. I thought it was all about a server. If half the stuff Schiff is saying is true, we're up shit's creek. Hope the White House has exculpatory evidence
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) January 22, 2020
Replies to the tweet indicate that many people took Lockhart’s scoop seriously. When reached for comment about the episode, a CNN spokesman redirected the Washington Free Beacon to a network communications director for the network who ignored multiple requests for comment.
In follow-up tweets, Lockhart acknowledged that he “made up” the overheard conversation and called it satire. Lockhart did not delete the misleading tweet even as it went viral, and the clarifying tweets did not achieve the same reach as the original.
Ok maybe I made up the convo, but you know that's exactly what they're thinking.
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) January 22, 2020
After he continued to receive criticism from conservative and liberal journalists alike, Lockhart characterized his detractors as “purveyors of Pizzagate and the Seth Rich conspiracy.”
Seems like I poked the bear today. The purveyors of Pizzagate and the Seth Rich conspiracy are lecturing me on honesty. I told a joke, you guys are a destructive joke that is killing our democracy. Other than that, hope you’re enjoying the trial and have a nice evening
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) January 22, 2020
CNN reporters on the media and “disinformation” beats have repeatedly said that satire is no excuse for spreading “fake news,” particularly if some internet users mistake it for genuine news. Some have accused comedy websites of hiding behind satire to mislead voters while dodging punishment from social media companies.
Having a disclaimer buried somewhere on your site that says it’s “satire” seems like a good way to get around a lot of the changes Facebook has made to reduce the spread of clickbait and misinformation.
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) January 5, 2020
Brian Stelter, the network’s media critic and host of Reliable Sources, was also silent on the matter, although he did tweet about President Donald Trump’s “false claims.”
Lockhart, who has made frequent appearances during the network’s impeachment coverage, also sparked controversy on Tuesday when he said that Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) should face prison time for tweeting while he was on the Senate floor. The former public relations executive was seemingly unaware that most politicians have dedicated press staffers who handle their social media accounts, and that senators cannot be imprisoned for breaking Senate floor rules.
Senators on the floor are sworn to silence and have no electronic devices. So how is this Senator tweeting? Did he sneak a phone in. Is he willing to go to prison? Or is the tweet from someone other than Cruz. @jack you should investigate
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) January 21, 2020
Cruz mocked the tweet with a graphic of a cell phone reading, “Come and Take It”—a mock-up of a popular flag commemorating the famous victory at the Battle of Gonzales that sparked the Texas Revolution.
https://t.co/FNTogu1IUt pic.twitter.com/cuO8Sz5Vls
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 21, 2020
The post CNN Silent on Contributor’s False Viral Tweet appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
Impeachment Hearings Lose Millions of Viewers as Senate Trial Opens
The Senate’s impeachment trial’s opening arguments drew 2.8 million fewer television viewers since the House began their own hearings in November, Nielsen ratings data show.
Never Trump: National Review Backs Democrats on Crime and Impeachment
The editors of National Review, who devoted an entire issue in 2016 to making the case “Against Trump,” are doing it again in a new editorial arguing against President Donald Trump’s argument that impeachment requires a crime.
Nolte: Hillary Complains There Are Not Enough Democrats in the News Media
Hillary Clinton told the far-left Hollywood Reporter she doesn’t believe there are enough Democrats in the news media.
Hallmark Media CEO Leaves, Month After Same-Sex ad Backlash
The head of Hallmark’s media business is leaving the company after 11 years, just a month after its flagship Hallmark Channel faced an outcry over a decision to pull an ad with a lesbian couple kissing.
CNN Political Analyst Creates Fake News About Senate Impeachment Trial
CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart created fake news in real time during President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate on Wednesday, falsely claiming that House Democrats were swaying Senate Republican opinions.
Pollak: Did Adam Schiff Out Himself as Leaker to Washington Post?
Schiff may have outed himself during his opening arguments in the Senate trial of the president on Wednesday, as he cited an opinion article written by the Washington Post.
Joel Pollak to Dennis Prager: Democrats Are Interfering with Their Own Election
Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak told Dennis Prager that Democrats’ impeachment push against President Donald Trump is harming the presidential campaigns of their senator candidates.
Adam Schiff Cites Washington Post Editorial Against Trump in Senate Trial
Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) used an opinion article by the editorial board of the Washington Post in an attempt to prove the facts of his case against President Donald Trump in opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial Wednesday evening.
Fake News: CNN Analyst Makes Up Conversation Between Republican Senators on Impeachment
CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart on Wednesday made up a conversation between Republican senators on day two of the Senate impeachment trial, updating his claim roughly ten minutes later and admitting that he made the entire exchange up.
CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin: Adam Schiff Was ‘Dazzling’ in Open Arguments
CNN’s chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on Wednesday during his network’s coverage of the Senate impeachment trial referred to House manager Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) opening argument as “dazzling.”
CNN’s Tapper: GOP Senators Creating ‘Alternate Reality’ to Defend Trump
CNN’s Jake Tapper said on Wednesday’s during his network’s coverage of the Senate impeachment trial that Republican senators were creating “this alternate reality where President Donald Trump is truly concerned about corruption.”
McCaskill: GOP Senators Bluffing on Wanting Hunter Biden to Testify
Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) asserted Wednesday during MSNBC’s live coverage of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump that Republican senators were bluffing when they claim they want former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden to testify under