Newsline

National Security , Newsline

Three Media “Wows of the Week”

Posted on Monday, August 9, 2021
|
by AMAC, Robert B. Charles
|
15 Comments
|
Print
Media

Twisting truth to partisan purposes is shameful. It is also today’s media. Gone is objectivity. That said, tales of journalistic activism are getting wilder. Three make “Wow of the week.”

First, we have National Public Radio (NPR) – funded through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, itself funded by annual congressional appropriation. NPR is congressionally chartered, stations publicly owned, many by universities.

NPR’s listenership is 2.5 times more Democrat than Republican, roughly 40 percent calling themselves “moderates.” This is important since elections are decided by moderates.

If political leftists aim to sweep the future, they must pull moderates left. That is why this week’s news around NPR is so disturbing. In a slap in the face to American taxpayers, NPR declared they are rewriting their code of ethics – to allow political activism by reporters.

In this world of mirrors, you say, “whoa, that is absurd, show me.” Okay. The new NPR “ethics policy” revises an earlier policy and now directs NPR reporters need not stay clear of politics or abide professional canons of ethics.

The new “ethics” policy – as described by NPR – says “journalists” may advocate for “the freedom and dignity of human beings” on social media, in real life, by inference in stories. They are given a “green light” to protest, march, and “support democratic, civic values that are core to NPR’s work,” defined as a “right to thrive” focused on “race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, disability, or religion.” So, ideology trumps objectivity. NPR reporters can go march, then write. See, New NPR Ethics Policy: It’s OK For Journalists To Demonstrate (Sometimes); NPR Allows Its Reporters to Engage in Direct Activism.

Some will say that is nothing new, just codifies the obvious. Objectivity was never NPR’s strong suit. Still, there is a “wow factor” here. This officially turns a page. NPR makes no pretense of abiding ethics guidance from the “Society of Professional Journalists,” which is against journalist activism. See, e.g., Political Involvement.

Ironically, the Society’s ethics committee – touchstone for credible journalists – wrote: “Skeptics of journalistic objectivity are quick to point out that some publishers and owners of news media outlets may not follow the rules they lay down for their employees.” Perhaps that is why NPR is “gilding the lily?” Just make the unethical sound ethical, then follow policy. Easy, right?

Wow!

Second incident. This one relates to COVID vaccine reporting. A major news outlet reports “Unvaccinated Americans Whiter, More Republican than Vaccinated.” Wow, okay, if true, that seems to be a multi-level hit. New variant should be blamed on the unvaccinated, who seem to be “whiter” and “Republican,” which of course smacks of racism, Trumpism, implicit anti-rural Americanism. But what does the story report? The reverse – omitting other key data.

The story cites “Kaiser Family Foundation” polling, which contradicts the headline. The poll cited – once you dig into it – shows 70 percent of “whites” have been vaccinated, 65 percent of “blacks.” That is the opposite of their headline.

More, the poll shows that, while one-third more Democrats than Republicans are vaccinated, both parties are more than 50 percent vaccinated, and other demographics tell the real story – 85 percent of those over 65 vaccinated, fewer in each age category below that. See KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor.

Then, counter-stories are left untold. Like what?

Objections to the federal mandate – get the experimental jab or lose your job – are about constitutional rights.

They are NOT about race.

The Big Media inference – lie told through selective, untruthful, partisan reporting – is that resistance to the vaccine, and thus spread of delta, is the fault of white, Republican, rural America. Is that right?

What about a minority Vice President who said she would never get the vaccine, then reversed herself?

What about Mr. Fauci’s countless reverses? What about those worried for children and for the unborn? But wait, there are others.

Others? Yes, how about the American Postal Workers Union, which firmly opposes the Biden federal mandate that they must get this vaccine. Who are they? They must be rural white, male, Republicans, right? No. They are 220,000 largely urban, minority, female federal employees. See, e.g., American Postal Workers Union OPPOSES Biden Vaccine Mandate; American Postal Workers Union opposes vaccine mandate.

That union – one of many federal unions with similar positions, convictions, and demographics – is roughly 37 percent female, 21 percent Black, eight percent Latino, eight percent Asian. See, e.g., Workforce Diversity and Inclusiveness.

Nor are they alone. By example, many healthcare workers – especially unionized healthcare workers – are resisting vaccine mandates. That gives you the double-wonder. Why would healthcare workers resist a safe vaccine, and then again – what is the resisting demographic?

A representative healthcare workers’ union might be “1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East,” largest healthcare worker union in the United States, with 400,000 members. Famous in the Civil Rights Movement, they just protested the vaccine mandate pushed on them by a New York hospital system. While demographics are unclear, good bet many members are minorities.

So, the second media “Wow of the Week?” That narrative, all unvaccinated are white, Republican, rural, and male? Patently untrue, on the facts.

Third, “Wow?” How about this: That story pushing blame for spread of “delta” Covid on “whites” and “Republicans” was run – by Voice of America (VOA).

VOA?

The same VOA that sucks down $218.5 million hard-earned taxpayer dollars each year to push truth around the world?

Yes, same. You paid for that story, as you did NPR’s reporting.

So, three “Wows of the Week” on media twisting truth for partisan purposes – with tax dollars. Time to vote this lot out, yes? How about some accountability – Now, wow, there is a concept.

Share this article:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
15 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
PaulE
PaulE
3 years ago

RBC,

Not sure I would say there is much wow factor in any of these three stories. NPR has simply dropped the pretense of objectivity that they used to claim they practiced in their reporting, but never actually did. Just like most of the the mainstream media in this country. All essentially advocating for the ideals of the left.

As for the other two examples you provide, the mainstream media is simply pushing the propaganda of the Democrat party as “news”. Creating their own “facts” out of thin air and spinning it into a narrative that supports the left’s agenda of the moment. Hardly anything new coming from a mainstream media that has been the open cheerleaders of the left’s ideology for years and years.

Yes much of this is being done with taxpayer dollars, in one form or another, but honestly where is the coordinated Congressional Republican effort to lead a serious charge to defund NPR (honestly it serves no purpose in an age of wide-spread availability to news on a global basis over the Internet) or otherwise reign in the mainstream media through FCC action to either restrict or pull their licenses to operate? News is protected speech, but political propaganda dressed up as news is not protected speech.

Yet all we still continue to get from the Republican party is phony outrage and vague talking points over this whole issue. All while 18 Senate Republicans seem fully committed to getting a bi-partisan infrastructure bill rushed through that doesn’t even meet the criteria they promised would be in the final bill. All so they can say they “got something done”, even if that “something” results in an overwhelmingly bad result for this country.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
3 years ago

Never see Dems testing + for virus anyplace Yet or hidden by media

Tim Toroian
Tim Toroian
3 years ago

That’s journalistic ethics? The next time Republicans control the house change that by law or, to use a favorite Democratic word, DEFUND. Could the FCC pull the license?

Art
Art
3 years ago

WOW! TAX DOLLARS BEING SPENT IRRESPONSIBLY FOR POLITICAL REASONS. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT? ANOTHER BUNCH OF BUREAUCRATS SUCKING DOWN EASY MONEY. IT ALSO WOULD FOLLOW THAT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION WOULDN’T CARE TO ADJUST THE ATTITUDES AT THE ENTITIES MENTIONED. THE MEDIA IS CARRYING THE WATER FOR THE LEFT. NADA. ZIP. NOT A THING WILL HAPPEN TO MAKE CHANGES.

Hans
Hans
3 years ago

Strange, Biden is pushing into every state 2 million people (illegals) monthly that are 90% infected with covid (v3) and wants to mandate a Trump vaccine for a pandemic Biden which is throwing Gasoline on. While blaming unvaccinated of which over 50% already have immunity better than vaccine itself. They are finding vaccine is not as good as they say, and recommend vaccinated people need masks and to stay away from public spaces. Treatment in hospitals is getting so good it rivals the vaccine and you have liability protection vaccine does not offer. The virus will be here with us forever, just like the flu. What is the point of this drama? Sales 101: people buy from who they trust : Media is banning truth like never before so no one believes the government or media. They have lost the trust of the people in a big way. You cannot make this up. How did we get here. I am not sure the old saying holds, a bad general is better than 2 good generals at this point.

Lynn
Lynn
3 years ago

Our tax money has been funding many such programs including National Endowment for the Arts that pays them to spit on the very hands that feed them. That makes our legislators, Dems and Republicans, stupid. We look stupider for allowing it.

HocasPocas
HocasPocas
3 years ago

Good article Mr Charles. It is time to vote a lot of what’s going on in this nation out

Kim
Kim
3 years ago

NPR allowing reporters to engage in political activism? Since when is that news?! I get your point, Mr. Charles; now it’s going to be included in their code of ethics, so some snarky “reporter” can claim, “I’m just doin’ my job, man.”

Where I live, the city council just voted for an amendment to expand protections for minorities, LGBTQ, people of all religions and income levels… But they turned down the part that would protect people of any political persuasion in this blue city, although “natural hair styles” are now protected!

Our local AM radio station is airing more sports than politics and opinion, so I sometimes switch over to NPR. They get much of their funding from non-profits and from our big energy supplier, which has gotten into a little legal hot water on many occasions. Still, NPR takes the coal-burner’s money and dresses up the credit with lyrical appreciation for “community awareness”. It would be nauseating if it weren’t so comically hypocritical.

JOHN
JOHN
3 years ago

PURE and simple NSDAP Propaganda!

Jeannie Huppert
Jeannie Huppert
3 years ago

“The only time they lie is when they talk, type, &/or the like.”: dems, most but not all media, medical . . . cdc, who, fda . . . . Like Chevy Chase used to sing: ” I C A F I B, MOUSE”.

George
George
3 years ago

I don’t like PBS or NPR and refuse to donate to them. They are government-funded and run commercials disguised as statements about their corporate sponsors. However, I did not know this about Voice of America. Interesting.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris takes the Oath of Office, being sworn in
Donald Trump vector portrait president of the united states
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pray at the altar in the Redemptor Hominis Church Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

Stay informed! Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

15
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Subscribe to AMAC Daily News and Games