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Mainstream Media Emerges as Biggest Loser of January 6 Hearings

Posted on Monday, June 20, 2022
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by Andrew Abbott
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146 Comments
January 6

AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott

Adam Kinzinger, Representative of Illinois, and member of the January 6 committee.

Last week, an unprecedented twelve different TV channels suspended their prime-time lineup to show the first public hearing of the House “Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol.” While congressional hearings have been televised in some form since 1954, never before have mainstream media outlets been so actively complicit in promoting such an aggressively politicized narrative surrounding a hearing in a blatant attempt to shame Americans who hold certain political views.

In the days immediately following January 6, there was broad bipartisan condemnation of events at the Capitol and a real desire to determine what went wrong and who might be responsible. But Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) soon made clear that any investigation would be a strictly partisan endeavor. Rather than a legitimate inquiry into how a group of protestors managed to infiltrate the Capitol, Democrats intentionally designed the investigatory committee to be a cudgel against their political opponents.

Despite being formed as a “bipartisan” committee, Speaker Pelosi rejected two of the five GOP picks to sit on said committee. Doing so was entirely unprecedented and initially resulted in Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy calling for a complete boycott of the committee. As he said at the time, “Denying the voices of members who have served in the military and law enforcement, as well as leaders of standing committees, has made it undeniable that this panel has lost all legitimacy and credibility and shows the Speaker is more interested in playing politics than seeking the truth.”

Nevertheless, the “bipartisan” committee was permitted to continue with seven Democrats and two avowed anti-Trump Republicans – Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.

In the days leading up to the first public hearings, the American people learned the lengths to which Pelosi had gone to make this already partisan committee a public spectacle. For example, it was revealed that the committee had recruited former President of ABC News James Goldston to help produce the hearings. Goldston has previously produced shows like Good Morning America and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. According to Fox News, he intended to produce the January 6 hearings as a “blockbuster event.”

Such sensationalizing of public hearings has historically been frowned upon at best and outright condemned at worst. Yet, the news that a producer was doing just that for the January 6 hearings was praised by much of the mainstream media. One CNN legal analyst said that “we have to make a television show, and that’s why they hired a television professional.” CNN anchor Laura Jarrett agreed with this assessment, noting, “It shows you they want to make this compelling.”

The gambit initially paid off. Twenty million viewers watched the first session of the January 6 hearings, nearly half of the viewership of Biden’s State of the Union Address. But by the second hearing, viewership had dropped by 50% – clearly, viewers recognized the hearings for the political stunt that they were, despite all the window dressing Democrats had applied.

In addition, much of the mainstream media has uncritically amplified the coverage of the hearings without any substantive criticism or objective critical assessment. Usually, even in today’s polarized political climate, a public hearing involves some form of differing opinion, dissenting voice, or even a critical witness. Thus far, the hearing has been a relentless framing of January 6th around Donald Trump with no other factors considered. Many Americans have wondered why security was so lax at the Capitol, why intelligence communities failed to anticipate what happened, and how it was seemingly so easy for a large mob to gain access to the House and Senate chambers.

Yet the committee has instead entirely focused on the actions of former President Trump and White House aides, alleging an organized conspiracy to overthrow the government entirely – despite no evidence of any such plot existing. It seems that, on the core questions that most Americans want answers to, this committee will provide none.

This blatant partisan agenda raises new questions about media credibility at a time when mainstream outlets can least afford them. USA Today, for example, recently announced it had removed almost two dozen articles after learning that breaking news reporter Gabriela Miranda had fabricated multiple sources. Over at the Washington Post, culture reporter Taylor Lorenz has also come under fierce criticism for publishing the personal information of the creator of the “Libs of TikTok” Twitter account in an apparent attempt to intimidate her into silence. Other internal chaos has rocked other newsrooms, even as ratings are plummeting at mainstream outlets, a clear sign that viewers are growing disillusioned with their biased reporting and nakedly partisan agenda.

The January 6 hearings are likely to only accelerate this trend, and may ultimately prove for many Americans to be the final blow to media credibility.

Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.

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Kdesq
Kdesq
1 year ago

Please stop calling them mainstream media. They are corporate media, left-wing media, communist media, etc. There is nothing mainstream about them, even in our completely screwed up society.

Jeb
Jeb
1 year ago

A huge majority of Americans know the media is a joke. I believe the media knows that we know they are a joke.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
1 year ago

Schiff claims to have evidence on Trump BUT wont make public, more lies

jake the snake
jake the snake
1 year ago

the constant lying ans covering for the sick corrupt democrats makes teh media sicka nd corrupt.

General Patton
General Patton
1 year ago

As Josef Stalin once said, control the media and your control a country. I think AMERICA realizes how truly corrupt the mainstream media is! They are controlled by Chinese money and anti-American globalists. MAGA NOV. 2022 AND NOV. 2024

Fred Noel
Fred Noel
1 year ago

Let them keep up the Dog and Pony show. The more they keep pushing it the more people are realizing that it is actually another “witch hunt” with nothing to support it. When the Republicans take control of both houses they need to reopen it under their rules and call Nancy Pelosi and the Mayor of Washington D.C. to testify why they refused requests to have the National Guard called up on January sixth!

Bill on the Hill
Bill on the Hill
1 year ago

I have watched the entire recorded event from 1000’s of smart phone videos covering this event on 1/6/21 before they ever got censored…The J6 committee has them & they will only show select tidbits that shine a negative light on Trump & his patriotic supporters, i.e. a dog & pony show…
The entire J6 committee is nothing more than a SCAM.. A full.20 minutes before the Trump speech came to an end, False Flag blm/antifa people wearing Trump hats & shirts, waving Trump flags & American flags were hammering away at the capital buildings doors & windows in preparation for the PEACEFUL march over to the Capitol. As the peaceful crowd got closer, the false Trump supporters really started to ramp it up by inciting people to jump the fences, waving them up the steps of the Capital Bldg. & eventually the Capital police themselves waved the people through the gates & into a side door entrance into the building, I repeat, the Capital Police allowed the protesters into the building, the undercover FBI agents were complicit in this as well, it is all on tape & they are all identified as I understand it. The FAUX J6 committee will NEVER show this documented evidence because if they do, it all blows up in their pathetic faces…
According to Kash Pattel, ( 2 ) days prior, President Trump offered 20,000 National Guard troops for extra security for the certification of the elector counts by VP Pence… Everything I’ve read says he offered 10,000 troops, but again, can I trust MSM news on the offer of 10,000 troops? It is academic at this point whether it was 10,000 or 20,000 because Speaker Pelosi & The Sargent of Arms REFUSED any extra security at a packed chamber event full of lawmakers…
So this leaves us with multiple bad actors from within the FBI, including Christopher Wray, the Capital Police & the mayor of Washington DC, Nancy Pelosi & The SOA…These are the people that should have long since been put on trial & charged with sedition as traitors to this nation, punishable by death…
Meanwhile innocent Trump supporters are still languishing in the Capital Police lockup facilities without being charged with any crimes, whilst the blm/antifa activists have long since been set free…
VP Pence had the opportunity to do the right thing here & send the electors back to there respective states & DEMAND a recount of those individual states, those FAUX elector counts NEVER should have reached Washington, DC, period & the saddest part of this is, Mike Pence knew full well the counts were FAKE…IMO, Pence’s political career ended the moment he willingly read off those fake elector counts & here we are some ( 18 ) months later with an illegal administration running this nation into ruination… With each passing day now, We The People are reading the epitaph of a dying nation under the leadership of a tyrannical woke federal government that is now doing all they can to kill our 2nd Amendment rights…Only from my ” cold dead fingers. ”
Bill… :~)

Rik
Rik
1 year ago

The Mainstream Media has become the MAIN PROPAGANDA OUTLET of today’s Democratic Party! . . . And all they do is LIE, LIE, LIE!

Luke
Luke
1 year ago

“…the Speaker is more interested in playing politics than seeking the truth.”

Well, ya. Why would anyone expect anything different from Nancy Pelosi? Her unbridled hatred for Donald Trump drove the unmitigated theft of a federal election. She is criminally insane. And, republicans have done nothing about her. Republicans are scared of her. Republicans have done absolutely nothing to initiate impeachment of biden/harris administration. Republicans are useless right now. Don’t look for a ‘red wave’ in November. Look instead for a continuing coup.

Philip Hammersley
Philip Hammersley
1 year ago

An illegal committee run by proven LIARS. Lizzie upset because Trump wouldn’t start a war like her daddy. Cryin’ Adam: who knows? Speculation is he will run for president. He won’t even do as well as Jebbie. $30 million and NO delegates!
Raskin son of avowed communists and following their “example.” Schitt is a proven leaker and liar. Nobody on there has ANY credibility!

R Anthony Botti
R Anthony Botti
1 year ago

I’d like to see a breakdown of the Nielsen ratings by outlet, along with comparisons to competing programming during the same time slots. So far, the only thing I’ve come across is that the total viewership for the “hearings” across all outlets carrying it the first night was only 15% of sets in use at the time. I’d especially love to see examples of ABC, CBS and/or NBC losing to competing shows on networks NOT carrying the “hearings.”

edward
edward
1 year ago

“Adam Kinzinger, Representative of Illinois, and member of the January 6 committee.”
AND LYING MARXIST INFILTRATOR OF THE CASPER MILQUETOAST REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!!

Cheryl Pokorny
Cheryl Pokorny
1 year ago

No way was this a hearing, with no questions or opposition. It was a Made for TV Mini-Series

tika
tika
1 year ago

“Adam “kleenex” Kinzinger, Representative of Illinois, and member of the January 6 committee.”
AND LYING MARXIST INFILTRATOR OF THE CASPER MILQUETOAST REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!! LIED TO ILLINOIS VOTERS by implying he is a republican. this is what we get in illinois for repub representation.

Diane
Diane
1 year ago

The committee is not interested in the truth of what actually happened on 1/6. This spectacle the Democrats have created (and the media supports) is a farce and everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should be embarrassed by it. We have gotten to a place where honesty and integrity don’t mean much. It seems the committee’s only motive is to dig a bigger hole for Trump. His actions of that day aren’t the only ones that need to be examined and scrutinized. Without full disclosure from every aspect of 1/6, this committee is nothing but a witch hunt and doesn’t deserve a second look.

John R. Schell Sr.
John R. Schell Sr.
1 year ago

The evidence is clear this administration wants to totally destroy America and remake it under Socialism which will mean no freewill the same as China. I want my America back under President Trump, the best President in our History.

Elena Tellez
Elena Tellez
1 year ago

These progressive democrats’ goal is not to investigate or learn more about January 6; it is to create negative (and false) publicity against DJTrump and other GOP people… as a distraction from the piss poor Biden administration, which is without any cogent or cohesive policies; everything they touch disintegrates and works toward destroying our precious nation. Soon… they ALL will be GONE. The sooner the better. Bunch of delusional, partisan, socialist/communist BUMS (and I cleaned that up A LOT!) Let’s go BRANDON. (I happen to have a nephew named Brandon… he’s 21 and conservative.

John R. Schell Sr.
John R. Schell Sr.
1 year ago

“Fake news is not our friend” it is controlled by Socialists. By the way being a Socialist does not mean being social at get togethers.

pete
pete
1 year ago

To whatever the real import of January 6th is overshadowed by the riots over the overdose death of George Floyd. Ang George Soros paid for those!!!! have seen pictures of the camp in Seattle where the rioters spent the day.

John R. Schell Sr.
John R. Schell Sr.
1 year ago

This government is not interested in the welfare of its people, other than those that think they are elite. By the way, People and Animals do not heat or cool the Earth this is a Government Scam to steal tax dollars and control Americans.

Tim Toroian
Tim Toroian
1 year ago

Pelosi is the worst event in American politics since Nixon.

John R. Schell Sr.
John R. Schell Sr.
1 year ago

These hearings do nothing but take up time and eat up tax dollars. It is one of the biggest frauds on the American people to destroy the best American President in History as all the true evidence will provide. The longtime politicians that have been in office over two terms have gotten into the mode what’s in it for me? Not all but many. Question all!!

Rexford Ames
Rexford Ames
1 year ago

I hate it when the public is removed from the Congress we supposedly voted into office. It does not matter the Party. We are Americans and all Parties do not want Americans to identify themselves as Citizens of the United States of America. They prefer the Party control method. Republicans have 23 States and Democrats have 18. 41 of the 50 States. That’s 82 percent of the U.S. under party control.
The question I have is: Are the States that are under Democrat or Republican control? Have they gained or lost jobs while under Party control?

Patrick McClurkin
Patrick McClurkin
1 year ago

I don’t know anyone who watched even 1 minute of this hideous farce! Kinda wondering what their ratings were. The entire biden admin is a total disgrace, but Garland and his DOJ are especially loathsome and they all need to go!

John R. Schell Sr.
John R. Schell Sr.
1 year ago

Call the Rhinos out!! this committee is only out for Trumps silencing and to destroy his family. Wake up America.

jocko
jocko
1 year ago

MOST OF THE PRESS IS CANCEROUS, ANTI-AMRICAN, LYING, CHEATING AND SUBJECTIVE JUST LIKE ALL liberals AND IS AN ENEMY OF OUR NATION

Rexford Ames
Rexford Ames
1 year ago

Having asked the question about the Party Controlled States. The question remains. Does only one member of any given party have control over Congress? The above article alludes to the: So-called Resurrection of the U.S. Congress? That’s I believe is supposed to be the: Peoples House? Not a Party Controlled House?
How very, very sad indeed. To give the Power to( Nancy Pelosi) who shows all the signs of being an Alcoholic. Alcoholics are known for their Bully behavior.
Q; There are 224 Democrats and 214 Republicans in the House. One woman has been in control for well over 15 Years. How is that possible? Just how screwed up is our ” HOUSE”?

CoNMTX
CoNMTX
1 year ago

Somehow, I failed to watch one second of this farce. How sad that it was even televised. Such trash as this shouldn’t even have happened. Pelosi and her den of thieves and globalists just piled lie upon lie as usual. I must presume this is the depth of stupidity and depravity to which America has sunk. Controlled by Godless demo/Marxists liars.

Marie Langley
Marie Langley
1 year ago

I did not watch one minute of that clown show. I did hear that the ratings were very very low so it’s obvious that most people don’t care. So, when is there going to be a hearing about the $60 million that was confiscated by BLM? Or, who is going to be held accountable for ANTIFA and BLM’s destruction of many cities around this country including burning down of churches, small businesses, and the killing of law enforcement? When are the people who are protesting in front of Supreme Court justices going to be arrested since it is a federal crime? Oh yeah, nothing will be done because it is DEMOCRAT PRIVILEGE.
Why isn’t anyone talking about Biden’s daughter’s diary that has been found that she left at a rehab center which implicates her father as a pedophile with her? Oh yeah, DEMOCRAT PRIVILEGE.
That will never be reported either.
The Democrats are a vicious sick bunch of people. Disgusting………………………….

Deploreable Sam
Deploreable Sam
1 year ago

The media has ZERO credibility. PERIOD.
The majority (?) party in Congress is second only to the media in credibility.
The gubment is a corrupt sheet show, start to finish.
Two ways to fix this problem:
One, VOTE VOTE VOTE! Get your lazy asses out and vote. Legally and properly, VOTE!
The other way WILL be much more messy.
Figure it out people, it is up to AMERICANS to take back AMERICA!
fjb etc etc

Donald
Donald
1 year ago

One thing you can be sure of, whatever the democrats accuse President Trump and his administration of concerning Jan.6th? The democrats are guilty of doing! They planned it with the help of BLM and Antifa members faking being Trump supporters by wearing Trump garb! Also, the democrats had probably more than one 3 letter government organizations involved in the plot also, not just the crooked FBI, even the capitol police were in on it! They were the ones moving barricades and letting people into the capitol without much of a resistance to the ‘so called’ rioters! The plan was to get people riled up and have them mixed in with the BLM/Antifa fake Trump supporters and move into the capitol. Then blame everything on Trump and his supporters, it’s just sad that the real Trump supporters were faked out by the Trump supporting impersonators! The truth is out there, videos of that day prove it and the lies of the democrats prove it! The democrats are just plain evil in their quest for power and to stay in power…

Marc Fuerch
Marc Fuerch
1 year ago

The outcome was/is pre-determined. I think that makes it highly unlikely it was ever an ‘investigation’. Stalin style show trial, third impeachment, kangaroo court. It is nothing more than a sham and pathetic are all that are partipating in it. Shameful cretins.

Rita
Rita
1 year ago

When both sides were refused equal time I marked off my schedule. You can’t have a hearing with only one side talking, so sorry they wasted so much money and took up so much time that could have been put to something productive and helpful. Just spreading more one-sided untruth.

Twyla Hanson
Twyla Hanson
1 year ago

Thank you for your Straight News and several opinions from each side.

Thanks for being our VOICE of Truth in a time when Conservatives are being attacked for trying to protect their individual Freedoms to Speech, Due Process, Peaceful Protest etc…

Barrett Smith
Barrett Smith
1 year ago

Political theater and boring to boot.

Granky
Granky
1 year ago

An ABC (Disney) poll released Sunday show 58% of those polled want Trump criminally prosecuted, the same ABC poll 2 months ago was 52%. A 6% increase from an already left leaning data base is not very impressive. In a criminal trial most juries think the defendant is guilty when the prosecution rests………then the defense gets to present their case. In this ABC “production” all we have heard is the prosecution. These are not legitimate hearings, they are propaganda, which our MSM is very good at presenting.

.George
.George
1 year ago

I really only have one thing to say. This is a warning. You will never see another fair election in this country again. Those people that are hell-bent on destroying the America we knew and loved have basically jumped off a cliff and there is no going back. When they stole the election they doomed themselves. If they do not succeed, failure will mean the end of them and the Democrat party.

Garye
Garye
1 year ago

The marxist democrat party is a group of corrupt, liars and everyone knows it!!
They have been exposed over and over and over again.
They themselves don’t even believe them!!
What a pathetic, anti American group of LOSERS!

Amacer
Amacer
1 year ago

The damage the Democrat Party has done to this country runs deep and will leave a societal scar forever palpable. They champion LGBT, abortion, and decriminalization of miscreants … the only reason these persist is that the Democrat Party is the law enforcer that upholds and legitimizes them as righteous instead of satanic. I pray I get to see this political party’s Divine retribution in my lifetime.

Allan
Allan
1 year ago

When the message is not dependent on truth finding and truth telling (Think Russian Collusion.) then what we get is repetition of the perception finally resulting in the planned narrative. A complicit media is instrumental both in perception crafting and delivering the narrative, truth being irrelevant. Nothing new here; this is the way of the left, now properly labeled as the Democrat Party.

Lynn Mantel
Lynn Mantel
1 year ago

The party of hate will pay a HUGE price and the media may pay an even bigger price. I pray every day for the country and the myriad of sick, soulless individuals, primarily in the D party which shouldn’t even be allowed to exist in America.

JEFFREY JONES
JEFFREY JONES
1 year ago

SAVE THE U.S.A….Arrest and deport all democrats ,libturds, and socialists to GITMO for treason and punishment!… It’s time to declare a civil war against the far-left loonies!…..

Tim
Tim
1 year ago

Personally, I gave up on the lame stream media months
ago. This “Spanish inquisition” is a rediculous show of biased socialist Demonic-rat nincompoopery and proves Knucklehead Nancy is certifiably insane. But hopefully people will make sure to turn BOTH Houses of Congress RED. Then this idiocy will stop. It will certainly give the left-wing extremists something to riot over and destroy our cities.

Veteran
Veteran
1 year ago

DNC Sock Puppet and Political Kabuki Theater with their rendition of “the Stalinist Kangaroo Court” with vignette appearances of Adam Schiff as Roland Freisler in the function of President of the Third Reich’s People’s Court – Their motto: “May The Farce Be With You!”

A clear violation of every principle, and right listed in our U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Why aren’t the participants in this partisan kangaroo court in jail?

Nobody’s Business
Nobody’s Business
1 year ago

The Democrats pushing this BS with no due process should be scared. The Tide can change and when the Republicans take control they need to go after all these assholes with the same no due process vigor. If they don’t , vote them out next time. All of us need to start accusing Democrat politicians of looting and destroying property and since it’s an accusation they are guilty without any means of proving different. It’s only the Democrats that are innocent until proven guilty and then they are still innocent. With conservatives it’s guilty without being able to prove you’re innocent. This crap needs to stop!

Kim
Kim
1 year ago

I wouldn’t watch it even if I could (no TV). Knowing that Cheney and Kinzinger are involved…just not interested. I have more important things to do, like cut the grass.

TPS
TPS
1 year ago

We see what you’re doing msm, the continued biased reporting and cheerleading for the dems and their agenda is just absurd. msm has rendered themselves irrelevant as true journalists!

Anthony Dellisola
Anthony Dellisola
1 year ago

This is precisely why I no longer listen to or watch MSM, all lies.

Jocie Taylor
Jocie Taylor
1 year ago

So are they going to show the whole truth on that like black lives matter like antifa and how the guards just stepped aside and invited everybody in

DD
DD
1 year ago

You know what else happened on January 6?

I paid well under 3 dollars for a gallon of gasoline .

An older blonde women laughing in the kitchen with a grey haired man.
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