Gotcha: NBC News Gives the Game Away in 'Report' on U.S. Wuhan Virus Deaths Versus China Cases

NBC News logos adorn the “Today” television show studio in New York’s Rockefeller Center Wednesday, July 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

The mainstream media’s routine parroting of propaganda from China’s communist government as it relates to their Wuhan coronavirus cases has been well-documented here at RedState and elsewhere. But what continues to be shocking is how many national news media outlets keep doing so without any trace of shame whatsoever.

Case in point, NBC News, who tweeted out this gem early this morning about the number of Wuhan coronavirus deaths reported in the U.S. in a 24 hour-plus time period in comparison to China in the same timeframe:

U.S. reports 1,264 coronavirus deaths in over 24 hours.

Meanwhile in China, where the pandemic broke out, not a single new coronavirus death was reported. https://t.co/ooXkR9X2L5

— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 7, 2020

Two things came to mind to me when I read that tweet:

First, it came across as an unnecessary cheap shot “gotcha” similar to how the Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler tried to dunk on President Trump by saying his comments about the low unemployment rate during the SOTU “did not age well” in light of the millions of jobs lost in recent weeks.

The second thing was that it sounded like something you’d read on any one of the number of Chinese government-run “media” accounts on Twitter, bragging about how they were doing so much better at combating the virus than the United States.

What made the tweet especially glib and gratuitous, in my opinion, was that it was an erroneous comparison. Assuming for purposes of discussion that China’s statistics are reliable, that they had no deaths in that 24 hour period wouldn’t really be news, because – again assuming for discussion purposes that what they’re telling us is correct – they’ve had the virus contained for several weeks now. Would make sense, because that’s where the virus originated months ago. Duh.

On the other hand, the United States – New York City in particular – has become the epicenter for the virus, so naturally our country’s numbers are unfortunately going to be higher.

Twitter users, including some high-profile Republicans, took note of NBC News’ “reporting” on these numbers, and called them out:

NBC bought it. Hook, line and sinker. Well done China. Well done. https://t.co/ziVQTfz92L

— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) April 7, 2020

I wish our media was just as skeptical of President Xi as they are of President Trump. Instead, China’s false numbers are reported without question.

I’m not asking for much, just consistency. There’s a communist regime engaging in a coverup, and our press refuses to expose it. https://t.co/g9vEsEkZgI

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 7, 2020

NBC uncritically using Chinese data to contrast with US… https://t.co/Aomm595hym

— Josh Holmes (@HolmesJosh) April 7, 2020

Seriously NBC? You do realize how much work "reported" is doing in that last sentence, right? pic.twitter.com/7vSfdJXhDR

— Nick Hlavacek (@NickInNC) April 7, 2020

NBC News has published at least five times as many stories amplifying Chinese propaganda than other outlets. At some point, it’s fair to ask why that is. https://t.co/NdRabclFBj

— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) April 7, 2020

Daily Caller summed things up nicely: