OPINION
Premium

The Daily Beast Feels Picked on by the White House; Mary Bruce Brushed Off Nigeria Attacks on Christians

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 POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership!

Reporting on the Mirror – CONDÉ NAST PUBLISHING

  • Wait a tic – you were fired for doing THAT?!

We reported earlier this week that magazine publisher Condé Nast decided to shutter most of the hyper-activist portal Teen Vogue, laying off most of its editorial staff and folding the remaining operations into the parent publication. There were a few mewling voices in media circles about the decision.

Well, in the Condé Nast office suites, there was apparently more distemper, with some figures from a variety of the company's outlets voicing their displeasure in confrontational discussions. As a result, at least four journalists have been let go over these arguments.

We are just trying to imagine what level of regret one may feel by this weekend, as they absorb the fact that they are out of a job for defending the honor of Teen Vogue.

Reporting on the Mirror – THE DAILY BEAST

  • So…you are mad they are as aggressive as you have been?

In a dose of self-indulgent framing, posing as an insider's exposé, The Daily Beast has come out with a report on how the Trump administration has been mean to staff. In a series of examples of emails and direct messages their reporters have received, the outlet has shown examples of administration figures using coarse language in response to their journalists. As The Beast puts it, these communiques have been "laid bare"! The site moans how this is part of the daily life that its intrepid workers have to endure, as if it has not done its best to earn this level of derision.

Just this year, we have seen these aggressive examples of hostility toward the administration from The Beast:

  • Recently, it had a report stating that Trump installing a White House ballroom put him in the same category as ISIS.

  • The site had to take down a fraudulent story about First Lady Melania Trump and her ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

  • Claimed Pope Francis refused to meet with Vice President JD Vance, then the next day reported the Pope had curt words for him when they met.

  • Then the site did the same thing, claiming Pope Leo "snubbed" Vance, while reporting they actually spoke.

  • Vance was also blamed for breaking the Vatican rules by taking photos inside the Sistine Chapel. He was shot by the White House photographer during a guided tour by Vatican officials.

But sure, it is so unfair how its reporters are treated by the people they perpetually lie about.

Democratic Custodial Services – VARIOUS OUTLETS

  • This is almost enough to be called a "trend."

While the bare facts are there for anyone to see, this government shutdown is getting mixed results. Despite the Democrats voting 14 times against opening the government – and now voting against the very SNAP benefits funding they are wailing about being defunded – there is about a 50/50 split in the general public on which party is to blame. 

Newsbusters is now shedding light on what could be causing this confounding blame that's going around. It has measured news coverage of the shutdown, and while they are directly to blame for the record length of this shutdown, Democrats receive favorable news coverage nearly 90% of the time.

Yeah, that might end up skewing the polling results.

Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – ABC NEWS

  • Ah, so if they are just wiping out citizens for no reason, that makes it acceptable, Mary?!

In the latest example of the press opposing President Trump by rote, on Good Morning America, hosts covered his comments about going into Nigeria to stem the tide of murderous attacks taking place against Christians in the nation by violent Muslim extremists. 

After detailing Trump's comments, Mary Bruce was sure to include the allegedly disqualifying remarks by that country's leader. Despite the widespread reports, as well as several international groups long recording the violent sectarian intolerance in that nation, Ms. Bruce is here to downplay the claims:

Now, the Nigerian president doesn’t deny the horrific deadly violence in the country, but is refuting Trump’s claims, saying “the characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality.” Officials say the terrorists are attacking Nigerians broadly, regardless of religion.

Oh! So it is not "religious" violence taking place; there is just widespread murder taking place across the land. Then it is…acceptable? And all the groups studying this country have been off base about the targeting of Christians, Mary?

Border-line Obsessives – FOX 11 NEWS, LOS ANGELES

  • Could we hear from the baby's lawyer first?!

Local station Fox 11 runs the headline that ICE agents "arrested a baby" outside of a Home Depot. Even without our prior coverage of these errant abduction news items, we should have known this one would go off the rails. And boy, does it!

As the local affiliate attempts to frame this as another unacceptably aggressive detaining by ICE, the details – as always – tell another story. The man, an illegal alien, was taken into custody after he attacked agents with a hammer and rocks and had an illegal weapon in the vehicle. Oh, by the way, it just happened to be a stolen vehicle.

And he did all of this with a baby in the back seat of said SUV. But… those dastardly ICE agents ARRESTED A BABY!