OPINION
Premium

The Press Is Clearly Bothered by Israeli Success, and Mary Bruce Repeats Misinformation About Trump

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Jun 10, 2024
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

Get access to Brad Slager's "Riffed From the Headlines," a daily VIP feature where he looks to bring accountability to the mainstream media. Use promo code FAKENEWS to get 50% off your VIP membership.

Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – WASHINGTON POST

The news of Israeli forces rescuing four hostages taken by Hamas was met with plenty of consternation across the news sphere. The prevailing narrative has been that the number of Palestinian casualties incurred in the recovery of the hostages was somehow imbalanced. Never explained in these media gripes is how many deaths in Gaza would be acceptable.

Also never explained is the detail that Hamas still holds hostages, these Israelis were being held in the homes of the citizens, and that the reason for the death counts (as inaccurate as those have been revealed) is all due to Hamas not turning any hostages back to Israel.

The Washington Post delivers a rather slanted approach to this wartime event. See if you can glean on which side the paper comes to rest regarding the recovery effort.

Recommended

CA Woman Who Confronted Gavin Newsom Reveals How She Felt About the Exchange Matt Vespa
Mayorkas Grants Amnesty to 850,000 Illegals, Blames 'Bad Weather' as Reason Sarah Arnold

Anti-Social Media – Various Outlets

  • It seems the involvement of a press member is the kind of thing the press is staying quiet regarding.

One of the enduring storylines in the Israel-Hamas War is the number of journalists killed in the conflict. One of the ignored storylines is how many of these journalists are embedded in or even serving directly with Hamas. In the weekend's hostage story, it has been said another journalist met his demise – Abdullah al-Jamal. This had been presented as an example of Israel's indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, but then details began to emerge.

It turned out al-Jamal and members of his family were killed on-site at their home as they had been holding some of the hostages captive there.

Many in the press have become muted on this detail, given that al-Jamal was a contributor to Al Jazeera, U.S.-based outlet The Palestine Chronicle, as well as serving as spokesman for the Hamas Ministry of Labor.

Pulitzer Prize Nomination – ASSOCIATED PRESS

  • The Zapruder-level exploration continues in what is deeply impressive work!

Last week we covered how Mediaite devotee Tommy Christopher provided what he claimed to be a disqualifying video of Joe Biden bizarrely sitting in slow motion during the D-Day commemoration ceremony. Now, arriving with its video analysis of this "event" is Melissa Goldin of the Associated Press, delivering what she claims is evidence exonerating Biden in this clip. She is entirely serious while delivering the "full context" video so that we see Biden crouch, then hover in mid-squat, for about ten good seconds. 

Supposedly being addressed are the claims by some commenters of the video that there was no chair, and that the clip was unfairly edited. The full clip showing him looking inept while hunched over for the duration does not in any way make the man look any better.

Hoax And Change – ABC NEWS

  • Using Biden's quotes while not correcting them is pretty much the definition of hackery.

Joe Biden was at it once again this weekend by repeating the long-debunked fable that Donald Trump once described fallen soldiers as "losers" because they had gotten themselves killed in the line of duty. Not only does Biden avoid getting fact-checked on a matter – yet again – but here we have Mary Bruce using the occasion to repeat the tale as well, in the fashion of reporting on what Biden had said. 

This is done to supposedly offset responsibility because she was only quoting Biden and not perpetuating the misinformation, you understand.

Both Kinds of Standards – KHQL News, Spokane

  • The hate crime of tire marks in a roadway captured LIVE on camera.

There has been the ignorant controversy of automobiles and other roadway vehicles leaving skid marks on a Pride flag mural painted on a street crosswalk. While reporting from the scene, after arrests were made regarding this crime, Adam Schwager managed to capture – LIVE ON CAMERA – as other youths were spotted on electric scooters leaving rubber on the sanctified painted walkway.

This is considered a serious news item, while at the same time, in Washington, D.C., protesters were defacing national monuments and authorities saw no need at all to take any action.

Low-Octane Gaslighting – MSNBC

  • It is as if this journalist has no access to news feeds.

The perpetual defense of Joe Biden by MSNBC pundit Stephanie Ruhle continues, and it only becomes more ridiculous. Ruhle saw a need to refute Donald Trump making comments about looters and shoplifting as she tried to sell the concept that this is not a massive issue. 

Stephie was met with numerous examples of video clips from news outlets showing that hordes of people were hitting stores, headlines, and photos of stores locking up items or closing outright in response.