Mainstream Media Manipulation

Bias, gaslighting, and censorship are destroying us.

This nascent era of Biden apologetics and softball questions marks a good time to circle back to the Orwellian psyop that was conducted during the Trump administration.

For the last four years or so, media outlets basically ran “Two-Minutes Hate" on a two-minute loop.

This has been confirmed time and time again from people inside the organizations, like former MSNBC producer, Ariana Pekary.

The departures of other writers, like Andrew Sullivan, Bari Weiss, and Glenn Greenwald, from left-leaning media outlets echo this sentiment. (All of whom are now here on Substack as well!)

Enter Sandmann.

Nick Sandmann has already settled suits with the NYT and the WaPo and had other motions to dismiss rejected. Just one more example of how they will libel a child if he happens to wear the wrong color hat. Think that story would have run if he had a blue cap on? And great job making a lifelong Republican out of that kid!

The list is interminable. From "peaceful protest" reports in front of burning buildings (I'm sure Stephanie Wilford appreciates it) to obituaries lamenting fallen "austere religious leaders" (I'm sure Kayla Mueller's family appreciates it), CNN and the WaPo have continually disgraced themselves, gaslit the public, and fed into Trump's "fake news" mantra all in an attempt to tow the line.

Were they so quick to downplay and defend what took place at the Capitol riot on January 6th? I think we all know the answer to that.

The legendary CNN chyron

It may have just been a genuine disconnect at some point, but it is challenging to chalk up the level of manipulation to something as banal as mere incompetence today.

No one trusts the media. It is getting worse.

Some of those points raised in the links above may seem pedantic, but a journalist works in words, and the phrasing of the coverage (or perhaps even more chilling: the conspicuous absence of it) is vital.

Keep in mind the issue at hand is not do you or I feel a particular story is valid, but does a news outlet approach similar stories in a similar fashion regardless of party impact. Of course they are not exact parallels, but did we see even remotely similar treatment of the Hunter Biden laptop and the Tara Reade story as we did of the Trump tax leaks and Christine Ford story?

Heck, the Kavanaugh story is yet another one where the venerable "Newspaper of Record" had to apologize.

Oh, and let's not forget this classic flip-flop on Mt. Rushmore:

Zach Parkinson @AZachParkinson

Fascinating how CNN called Mount Rushmore "majestic" and "quite a sight" in 2008 when Obama visited, but now its a symbol of slavery and stolen land transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/08…

Tim Murtaugh @TimMurtaugh

We could check the archives, but safe bet that this is the first time CNN has ever described Mount Rushmore as: “A monument of two slave owners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans.” What changed, @CNN? https://t.co/0ukqhyVH7B

And this is just the Blue vs. Red stuff. The DNC and their propaganda outlets' treatment of purported apostates within the Democratic Party is no less egregious. Look at the beatdown they gave ol' Bernie for two elections running now.

We have seen evidence that they rig debates for Hillary, spin stories to downplay Bernard, and even gaslight everyone in real time about alleged misogynistic comments.

All of this is to say nothing of the problems with big-tech social media and Section 230 at the moment. Or on the pandering politicians themselves.

This is not even a value judgment about either candidate. It is a simple demonstration that these outlets are indeed ghostwriting a party narrative, and we would do well to acknowledge that.

Some people, like Daniel Allott, actually spent time with Trump voters, learning about their lives, the issues they face, and the policies that matter to them:

Meanwhile, the DNC and CNN wasted four years Linda Blair-style vomiting "RUUUSSIA!" and "RAAACIST!" into the faces of Americans who had just entrusted eight years of hope to Barak Obama and the Democratic Party, a party that had once stood in solidarity with many of those same "deplorable" working-class Americans.

A similar rant bashing the RNC and their faves, like FOX, OAN, the NY Post, etc… is certainly possible. Both sides do it to varying degrees. Look at the recent Supreme Court Amy Coney Barret nomination where both sides flip-flopped from their stances on the 2016 Garland nomination, then stood there pointing at each other shouting "Gotcha, hypocrite!"

DNC and RNC arguing about SCOTUS nomination timing

The interesting question is how much of this is truly top-down draconian dictates from Washington insiders, and how much of it is just some editors-in-chief blindly pursuing filthy lucre gained by selling strife even if it foments civil war. Matt Taibbi's latest book, Hate, Inc., is a fascinating dive into this topic.

Regardless, the threat is real. We have found ourselves brainwashed by this unholy amalgam of yellow journalism and the Ministry of Truth. Extricating ourselves from its clutches will be necessary to regain a shared sense of reality, let alone comity as a nation.