Our weekly unworthy Pulitzer Prize recognition of less-than-meritorious excellence in journalism.
As an extension of the media-mocking venture at Townhall, Riffed From the Headlines, we once again note the sub-exalted performances from our journalism industry in numerous categories to properly recognize the low water mark in the press.
Distinguished National Reporting
- Jen Psaki – MSNBC
Jen Psaki appears to be attempting to establish herself at MSNBC by incorporating the broadcast stylings of Rachel Maddow and delivering wildly inane conspiracies about the Republicans. Jenny looks over the fact that some Muslim communities have risen in vocal opposition to school boards injecting trans-activism into schools, and her assessment is that the Republicans are using Muslims to divide the nation.
The layers of wrongness here are rather impressive in one segment:
- The success of the Southern Strategy is a proven lie.
- The GOP now is recruiting Muslims, who she and the Dems said were people the right hates.
- Muslims have no mind of their own and just do what they are told.
- As she even says, all of this is done to supposedly win over a group making up two percent of the population, not even of registered voters. Any gain in votes would be negligible.
- The ONLY reason for anyone to oppose trans agendas is GOP intolerance.
We're noticing the reemergence of an old ploy straight from the GOP playbook, only this time the party has a new target…@jrpsaki breaks it down. pic.twitter.com/wZ55u20476
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) July 2, 2023
Distinguished Feature Writing
- Mark Tutton – CNN
The crowd at CNN loves themselves some climate coverage, and they are ramping it up in the post-Chris Licht era, it seems. The latest sees the network looking to revamp the shipping industry now that we have just gotten through extended supply-chain fiascos. They see a way to “fix” the greenhouse output from that industry.
CNN has invented sailboats.
They want to affix kites and other environmentally friendly apparatuses to cargo ships to limit the polluting aspects. However noble these efforts might seem, the overall impact does not look to make a significant difference, based on their own data. Some of these proposals would see “cargo ships reduce their fuel consumption, and cut their carbon emissions by an average of 20%.”
In the same report, we learn, “The shipping industry accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.”
There’s that word “negligible” coming into play again.
Giant kites could pull cargo ships across the ocean – and slash their carbon emissions https://t.co/AkxJPXlh5J
— CNN (@CNN) June 30, 2023
Distinguished Public Service
- Michael D. Shear, David McCabe – New York Times
In what might be one of the most insipid reports of the year, the NY Times responds to the recent court decision of Missouri vs. Joe Biden, where the court ruled the administration has to stop working with social media platforms to censor American citizens. Like many other outlets, the Times thinks it is wrong to stop the government from limiting free expression. Amazing.
But getting worse, in its justification for this censorship, the writers suggest the White House was doing so in an effort to fight disinformation – then the Times delivers stark misinformation in the process.
Judge Terry A. Doughty, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, has previously expressed little skepticism about debunked claims from vaccine skeptics. In one previous case, Judge Doughty accepted as fact the claim that “Covid-19 vaccines do not prevent transmission of the disease.”
Making this all the more ridiculous is that not only do we know vaccinated people could spread COVID, but their own paper attested to this fact, and The Times questioned if it was possible as far back as April 2021. The paper even reported on the post-inoculation outbreak in Provincetown, MA, where the vaccinated were contracting and passing the virus.
Even @nytimes readers picked this up. That's how out of touch NYT journalists have become.https://t.co/r49J8ge1aU
— Andrea E (@AAC0519) July 9, 2023
Distinguished Political Cartoons
- Scott Anderson – Mother Jones
In the August issue with a cover story about the political ambitions of Ron DeSantis, the outlet used its cover to portray the governor of Florida as an alligator, hovering in the water with teeth jutting out like the famed Everglades reptilian.
We are certain this was done to position DeSantis in a negative fashion, but in truth, it is a rather enticing prospect because many would want this from someone going to Washington, being the apex predator in the swamp.
JFC pic.twitter.com/N9OXBcOCgr
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) July 6, 2023
Distinguished Editorial Writing
- Betsy Reed – The Guardian
In an editorial that takes a scathing, negative view of the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, The Guardian states his enforcement tactics are not only wrong but will lead to more issues for the nation, as well as helping his own political cause.
The problem, according to Reed? Bukele has been strongly going after gang violence and drug cartels in his nation. The result has been a more than 90 percent drop in murder, and the public support for Bukele’s efforts has been extremely high. This is said to be all bad moves by The Guardian.
The Guardian view on El Salvador’s crime crackdown: a short-term, high cost fix | Editorial https://t.co/qWPVWfe482
— Richard McColl (@CasaAmarilla) July 3, 2023
Distinguished Coverage of Frozen Desserts (The Joe Biden Cup)
- CNN Politics
At a recent campaign stop in Iowa, President Trump made a photo-op stop at a Dairy Queen and wanted to buy Blizzards for everyone in the filled location. But as CNN details and caught on camera, the former president was not aware of what he was ordering.
Trump seemingly baffled by 'blizzards' during Dairy Queen campaign stop pic.twitter.com/Cf3G5hYFn9
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 9, 2023
Meanwhile, because everything is stupid these days, the Democrats fired back immediately to declare that President Softserve knows full well what a Blizzard is, proving he belongs in place as the nation’s leader.
Donald Trump doesn’t know what a blizzard is.
You know who does? Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/fxXKu0dL7O https://t.co/KOpFUDiXdy
— Ammar Moussa (@ammarmufasa) July 7, 2023
Distinguished Cultural Commentary
- Matt Flegenheimer – New York Times
Great news, ladies – Bill is back on the market!
In a story defying anyone’s true interest (even dyed-in-the-wool New York Democrats), the Times ran this piece where former Mayor Bill DeBlasio and his wife publicly declared they would be separating. However, the couple will remain living together; they are just now permitting each other to date other people.
This arrival in The Paper of Record leads us to wonder if this will become a recurring column in the Lifestyle section; will we see alongside the wedding dates and obituaries a new feature where couples come out with their Swinging Announcements???
Bill de Blasio, the former New York City mayor, and Chirlane McCray are separating. They are not planning to divorce, they said, but will date other people and continue to share the Park Slope townhouse. https://t.co/PWXZAJ6sMp
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 5, 2023
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