State Media is Here

[_Kevin Graham]

Remember that time Dan Rather and Ted Koppel attended those Bill Clinton rallies and stumped emphatically for him?

Yeah, me neither.

‘State Media’: Twitter Users Mock Fox News As Hannity Campaigns With Trump

Critics on Monday slammed Fox News as “state media” after network personalities Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro joined President Donald Trump on stage at a campaign rally in Missouri.

Hannity ― who blasted the media as “fake news” at the event ― had only hours before denied “reports” he would join Trump on stage.

“To be clear, I will not be on stage campaigning with the president,” he said. “I am covering the final rally for my show.”

Hannity’s statement was false:

Hannity got in trouble with his network in 2016 for appearing in a video endorsing Trump.

The network has so far not commented on Hannity and Pirro appearing on stage with Trump, although both are consistent and vocal supporters of the president during their broadcasts.

Twitter users had some thoughts:

"Watching Hannity and Judge Jeanine gushing about the Trump rally (“it’s like a rock concert!”) — there is nothing to distinguish this from a paid political ad, nothing. Except it might have better production values." 6:32 PM - 5 Nov 2018

"Sean Hannity just took the stage next to Trump in Cape Girardeau. Earlier today he released this statement: "To be clear, I will not be on stage campaigning with the President." And then he called the actual reporters in the back "fake news". 10:30 PM - Nov 5, 2018 · Cape Girardeau, MO

"When I was in 6th grade, we learned about state media as part of authoritarian states, like TASS in the USSR. Wow, never thought it would be this blatant."

"The White House-Fox News nexus has rarely been as evident as tonight in Cape Girardeau:

-Hannity pre-game interview
-Trump praises Ingraham in interview
-Shine high-fives Hannity
-Trump calls Hannity on stage
-Trump calls Judge Jeanine on stage
-Trump praises McDaniel’s Fox hits"

What was that about how the mainstream media cannot be trusted because it is so clearly biased to the Left? Right Wing media doesn't even try to appear objective anymore. It wears its bias right on its sleeve.

[_canpakes]

On a somewhat related note, the White House has now been caught using doctored video to defend their bogus allegation that Jim Acosta of CNN manhandled a staffer during a contentions exchange with Trump.

Doctored video. Lol. These guys are seriously screwed up.

I don’t think that this will get as much attention from Fox and Hannity as Obama’s use of Dijon mustard did.

[_EAllusion]

A doctored video from Infowars. You can bang your head against the wall with “what if Obama’s”, but really, everything about that is nuts.

[_Maksutov]

Just more Russian influence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorshi ... viet_Union

[_huckelberry]

Well yes but,, having watched some fox for years now, I thnik it is quite clear that Fox has presented concentrated Trumpist propaganda for at least ten years now. I am unsure if Trump was aimed at personally all those years or if he was just found to fit the mold.

[_subgenius]

On a somewhat related note, the White House has now been caught using doctored video to defend their bogus allegation that Jim Acosta of CNN manhandled a staffer during a contentions exchange with Trump.

Doctored video. Lol. These guys are seriously screwed up.

I don’t think that this will get as much attention from Fox and Hannity as Obama’s use of Dijon mustard did.

Ahh, but the angy mob that shows up at a news reporter's house and threatens his wife and kids is ok because you don't agree with him...Acosta's arrogance must be revered!...thanks for clarifying what "f###ed up" means to you, because that is a hella good object lesson.

[_subgenius]

A doctored video from Infowars. You can bang your head against the wall with “what if Obama’s”, but really, everything about that is nuts.

Do you sincerely believe Acosta was doing anything other than trying to become the story? How do resolve the role of journalism and Acosta's blatant antagonism and argument in lieu of questions?

[_EAllusion]

A doctored video from Infowars. You can bang your head against the wall with “what if Obama’s”, but really, everything about that is nuts.

Do you sincerely believe Acosta was doing anything other than trying to become the story? How do resolve the role of journalism and Acosta's blatant antagonism and argument in lieu of questions?

Can you help explain how this quote responds to the problem with the Whitehouse using a manipulated video from a deceptive conspiracy outlet to spread lies about a journalist?

Acosta grandstands. Now walk me through how that fact helps us forgive or understand the Whitehouse's Orwellian behavior.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Acosta grandstands. Now walk me through how that fact helps us forgive or understand the Whitehouse's Orwellian behavior.

Think of it as when TIME magazine darkened OJ's skin tone for effect.

There.

- Doc

[_EAllusion]

This from Amanda Marcotte seems apt right about now:

No one actually believes Jim Acosta did anything wrong.This is one of those situations where conservatives collectively pretend to believe something they don’t believe.

Pretending to believe something they don’t believe serves multiple purposes. One, it signals tribal loyalty. Being willing to say blatantly false things shows you put tribe over truth, and that is a critical loyalty test, as anyone who has studied cults can tell you.

Two, they’re trolling. “Triggering the libs” is the meats and potatoes of their political ideology these days (read my book, Troll Nation). Telling blatant lies and watching liberals make themselves crazy insisting on “facts” and “evidence” makes them laugh in delight.

Three, they are trying to push the idea that violence against women isn’t a real problem, but something people only pretend to care about to score points. How better to seed that idea than only pretending to care to score points?

Fourth, it's about reestablishing Trump's narrative that the media are the "enemy" to be defeated instead of a Fourth Estate necessary to keep democracy healthy. This helps, in turn, fuel the already strong message that democracy is wrong and authoritarianism is right.

Fifth, it's a straight up distraction. Trump wants everyone "debating" a completely obvious video, instead of talking about how he's trying to conceal what is almost certainly very serious crimes by interfering with the Mueller investigation.