January 2, 2019
By: Linda Case Gibbons, Esq.
In Olden Days, when men were men, and women were women, newspapers used to report what was going on in the world.
It was called news.
But newspapers don't do that anymore. Or media outlets in general. They have better things to do, such as running articles entitled, "Happy 200th Birthday, Karl Marx. You were right!"
The New York Times did that.
Or angrily stating that President Trump was The First President Not to Visit the Troops at Christmas.
NBC did that.
But then they found they were wrong. Dead wrong. The president did visit the troops, landing in Iraq at al-Asad Air Base on December 26.
The trip was planned weeks in advance. After all, he is the president. Security and all that. But NBC was furious. Probably because they thought the Secret Service should have given them a heads up.
The editor at NBC admitted the mistake. Sort of. Well, the way a petulant kid would have.
"The thrust of this article is no longer correct," the editor observed, "even though it was at the time."
"We are also altering one line in the article, as well as the headline, to be more specific, and to note that Trump was the first president since 2002 who didn't visit military personnel on or before Christmas, rather than at Christmastime."
The only thing NBC didn't do was, well, apologize. But secondly, get Special Counsel Mueller on board to check out when a Christmas visit should legally take place.
No. News isn't any of these media outlets' strong suits. It's a dirty little job to report facts. And news. And newspapers, news magazines and the networks don't want to do it anymore.
It's easier to gossip. And mock. Last week, the First Lady was mocked for her choice of Timberland boots to greet the troops in Iraq. In a war zone. A muddy, dangerous war zone.
That's what "they" call news. And Michelle Obama's choice to wear thigh-high, glittery $4,000 Balenciaga boots, with a flowing, yellow muumuu.
"It wasn't just an eye-catching ensemble. It was Fashion...Faaaashion!" the Washington Post wrote. And then felt constrained to draw a comparison between Trump's visit to the troops with Obama's in years gone by.
Guess who came out on top?
In her upcoming book, Merchants of Truth, former New York Times editor, Jill Abramson, says the Times' news pages have become "unmistakably anti-Trump," with younger employees tossing out journalistic standards.
"The more 'woke' staff thought that urgent times called for urgent measures," Abramson writes. "The dangers of Trump's presidency obviated the old standards."
Abramson also acknowledges a financial "Trump Bump," a readership increase from 600,000 to more than 2 million during Trump's first six months in office.
"Given its mostly liberal audience, there is an implicit financial reward for the Times in running lots of Trump stories, almost all of them negative," she said.
So how are we to get the news and words to live by? Luckily there are tons of alternative news sources already doing that. Hollywood. University professors. Magazines like New York and Vanity Fair. They tell us what the Rules are:
"White is bad, and it's okay to say so;"
"Men are bad, especially if they are white men;"
"All Muslims and illegal immigrants are good. Walls are bad. Except around Obama's DC mansion. And the Vatican;"
"Marijuana is good, and a swell source of revenue. Especially for the auto insurance industry, when drivers smoke and drive. (Read here, 'illegal immigrants without drivers' licenses/car insurance' in Sanctuary Cities/States;)
"If there are federal laws, you don't have to observe them. Unless you're a conservative;"
"If federal laws/Bill of Rights/or U.S. Constitution cramp your Liberal style, change your state laws to make "felonies" into "misdemeanors," like California's Proposition 47;"
"Always call Transgender/LGBTQ/Binary/Whatever people by the pronouns they demand. Or else."
Hollywood and magazines like People help us know the Rules, too, with an inclusiveness that excludes so much.
"People celebrates Children Without Marriage and Our Country Without Borders. And anything/anyone Democrat;"
"In the movies, Ruth Bader Ginsberg is good; Roger Ailes and Dick Chaney are bad. And all superheroes have to be gay or female. Now. Also in video games;"
"If you are gay and you can now marry the person of your choice, make sure you're never satisfied. Persecute bakers who won't make you a cake. Because of their religious convictions. Fine them. Then put them out of business.
Like the owners of Sweet Cakes in Oregon. Or the bridal magazine in Australia which was shut down when they would not show gay or lesbian couples in the magazine. Because of the owners' religious convictions. Hate mongers urged advertisers to run for the hills.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said it best, and it's a good rule to follow here: "Never let them take over the streets."
Hold the line, America.
Where We Go One, We Go All
Stay strong, Patriots