Media must set a higher standard for reporting period.
Via WJ:
If the events around Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford are any indication, the American news consumer — simply looking for facts presented in a nonpartisan manner — appears to be permanently screwed.
The public is presented with information by media that invariably takes a side based on the three furthest things from the pillars of sound journalism: sensationalism, dishonesty and an ideological tilt while being hopelessly pious in the process.
The examples of misleading tales are apparent for all to see, mostly on the anti-Kavanaugh side.
For example, MSNBC goes heavy with a story affirming the allegations from Ford’s classmate based on a Facebook post. The classmate later admitted to not even knowing Ford or hearing a story firsthand. The national news outlet covered this without, apparently, any reasonable vetting.
“I did not know her personally but I remember her. This incident did happen,” Ford schoolmate Christina King Miranda wrote. “Many of us heard a buzz about it indirectly with few specific details. However, Christine’s vivid recollection should be more than enough for us to truly, deeply know that the accusation is true.”
This was enough for MSNBC and other outlets to run with the story.
Third-party tale? She didn’t know Ford directly? Screw it. Let’s go with it anyway.
It’s gossip treated as gospel.