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The NY Times Cannot Say 'Plagiarism,' and PolitiFact's 'Lie of the Year' Is Joke of the Week

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Dec 21, 2023
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12.21.23

Glossary Over Things – THE NEW YORK TIMES

It seems Harvard University is not the only entity struggling with President Claudine Gay's revealed history of stolen writings. The school, which expels students caught stealing previously published work, appears content to allow its leader to remain in place despite dozens of examples of theft found, and it is mounting. But the press is also challenged to be objective, as most outlets favor the DEI initiatives Gay and her ilk represent.

The New York Times could not bring itself to say that President Gay is under fire for plagiarism, opting instead for the spoonfed example from the school, and delivering its reinterpretation of the term.

Body Checking the Fact-Checkers - POLITIFACT

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We have reached that point when the end-of-the-year posts are starting to flow freely. (Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for our "Townhall 50" list of the worst names in media in 2023.) The fact-checkers eagerly join in, and at PolitiFact, we have delivered its "Lie Of The Year." 

We need to stress the word "ITS" in that description because once revealed, you see that it is a far cry from some of the blatant examples floating around. Surely Joe Biden's persistent fable-weaving would be considered, right? Maybe the constant false premise that Florida is "banning" books, the massive fraudulent reports of Israel bombing the Gaza hospital, or even Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly telling us the border is secure would be chosen?

Nah.

Instead, we are told the worst example is from lightly considered and barely-listened-to Robert Kennedy Jr. These are not serious people.

Anti-Social Media – WASHINGTON POST

  • "This offer is only good until security arrives to escort you from the building."

It was with amusement that we read from Oliver Darcy that it was considered a positive the Washington Post was not resorting to layoffs (employees were said to be "breathing a sigh of relief"). This "good news" was because the paper reached its desired quota of workers who opted to take buyout clauses. 

Max Tani of Semafor reports that of those departing employees, most received parting emails from the company, and there was a noted inclusion of some cold-hearted commerce.

Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – MSNBC / THE NEW YORK TIMES

  • It seems the Civil War language is an intentional move.

On "Morning Joe," the always-challenged thinker Mara Gay took a look at the Colorado Supreme Court decision to remove Trump from the ballot, and came to a daft conclusion: This is proper since he is JUST like Confederate soldiers who were prevented from running for office.

Of course, it need not be said for those reading that Trump did not fight against the nation and has not been convicted of sedition or insurrection. It does need to be stated for the sake of Ms. Gay, however.

Blue Anon – ABC NEWS

  • This act of decency is a real problem!

Once again, we have the press going after new House Speaker Mike Johnson – and once again, it has nothing at all to do with anything policy-related. This means going after him by dredging items up from his past, which…have little to no bearing on him doing his job today.

The latest is from ABC News, where they found an old German news program featuring Johnson and his 13-year-old daughter attending a Purity Ball, where she would pledge her abstinence until marriage. This is called "controversial." How so, and what does this have to do with Johnson today? Good luck finding out. The most we get is that some people do not like the idea of these events. Why are we supposed to care about this? That is a question that never comes close to being answered.

"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage of the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation, where Brad Slager looks to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.