OPINION
Premium

WaPo Reporter Spends Time Acting As an Artillery Spotter for Iran, and Lies Told About Suicide Hotlines

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 FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!

Anti-Social Media – WASHINGTON POST

  • Just seriously, what in the hell…?!

Just a normal Thursday, where a WaPo reporter was keeping busy by posting the exact coordinates on social media where Iranian missile attacks successfully landed inside Israel.

We are sure it is nothing more than a coincidence that Evan Hill is formerly of Al Jazeera. No need to draw any conclusion from that entry on his resume.

Presentation Paradox – NBC NEWS

  • So what you said is happening actually is not happening.

In the latest example of “too good to be true” journalism, NBC News runs with the excitable headline that the Trump administration is shutting down an LGBTπ suicide hotline. This is followed naturally by every imaginable result, the loudest being that this would lead to more deaths of LGBTπ youths and that Republicans want them to die. Yeah, it has been real calm and measured responses.

And it is all based on crap. Deep in the report, they get around to detailing what is actually taking place:

'Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help,' the agency said.

So they are not cancelling the suicide assistance hotline, they have just removed the group that was controversially advising youths and not involving parents, even in cases where a minor was discussing suicide.

Low-Octane Gaslighting – USA TODAY

  • Ya know, when claiming it is a distraction, having the item they are distracting from would help.

In an opinion piece, the paper has the claim being made that President Trump was lying about there being riots in Los Angeles and using that to justify sending in troops and staging a military parade, all done as a distraction to keep us from noticing what he is REALLY up to.

And – just what is that secret effort? Well, that Planned Parenthood clinics are closing, and…his polling numbers went down.

Ummm, about that. The parade had been planned since last year. As for the clinics closing, his people would want to brag about that. And the polling is ridiculous because his numbers are actually quite good across numerous topics.

And regarding the riots, this same paper had reported on the violence taking place (recall its advice to avoid burning EVs because it is bad for the environment), so either that prior reporting was a lie or this op-ed is a complete fabrication.

News Avoidance Syndrome – MSNBC

  • They seemingly only report the truth that they like.

The media’s favorite enemy, Pete Hegseth, was on the Hill to testify and had some contested discourse with Democrat leaders. In one portion, MSNBC was carrying the hearing live, but while Hegseth was discussing matters at the border and detailing how crossings had fallen so low as to be nearly unmeasurable, the channel decided to cut the audio feed and have the host talk over the video, avoiding having that good news continue to come out and actually be heard by their viewers.

Race to the Bottom – THE BULWARK

  • Apparently, this white guy supposes all Latinos think the same.

It is always a great look when uppity elitists dictate how minorities are supposed to think, and it is all the funnier when they do not even realize the racism in their comments.

Sam Stein was in the midst of a lecture about how the Los Angeles Dodgers organization has disappointed him by not joining in on the narratives surrounding the L.A. riots. Linking to a Bulwark piece about the team remaining silent on the controversy, cites that 40% of its fan base is Latino. Apparently, on the topic of immigration, every single one of those fans is in agreement – with Sam.

Ignoring that many Hispanics in this country oppose illegal immigration, what is even funnier is that by trying to create a controversy where there is none, he claims there is “turmoil facing MLB’s premier team.”

Glossary Over Things – ABC NEWS 

  • How are you not embarrassed by this segment…?

Here’s a brief reminder that it is still Pride Month. You might have forgotten given that many corporations have eased back on their outreach, to say nothing of the major news items that have been breaking since June 1 like the L.A. Riots, Israel crippling Iran, a firebomb attack in Boulder, the Florida Panthers winning the Stanley Cup, and more.

Well, at "Good Morning America," they wanted to remind us of the significance of this month with a segment on... “Guncles.” This is a deep exploration of the importance of gay men with nieces and nephews. Yes, seriously.

So, what makes Guncles so different than conventional uncles? “Being a 'guncle' means being a protector, being a guy, guiding my nieces and nephews to being better human beings.” In other words, from what we can tell…nothing at all is different. Better still was when focusing on the kids, they went to great lengths to show that they are not at all affected by the orientation of their uncle and do all the same things with them that uncles have always done.

So, in conclusion, this is a case of the press making a big deal and categorizing people for doing normal things that have nothing whatsoever to do with who they are sleeping with.