Chuck Todd used his Meet the Press program Sunday on NBC to attack “fake news” — and blamed Russian disinformation, rather than shoddy journalism, for convincing Americans not to trust the mainstream media.
His show, featuring guests whom he described “top players in journalism, diplomacy and technology,” claimed that “Russian tactics” of “truth manipulation” have migrated right here to the United States.”
Todd’s primary culprit: the Trump administration, which he noted on day one pushed “an easily disprovable lie about his inaugural crowd size.”
He ignored the other “day one” lie: that Trump was colluding with Russia, a lie the media pushed relentlessly.
Todd’s first guest was New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet, who admitted earlier this year that his newsroom had been built around the Russia story for two years.
Todd did not ask Banquet about that: instead, he asked Baquet about whether “the truth itself is on trial,” an idea with which Baquet enthusiastically agreed.
New Yorker suing ICE after officers went to his home to warn him over criticism of agency
WATCH: ‘The View’s Sunny Hostin Announces Lots of American Flags Make Her Feel Unsafe Because of ‘White Supremacy’
Popular Florida social media influencer killed in drive-by shooting while inside luxury SUV
ICYMI: CNN Says Jon Ossoff’s 2028 Presidential Chances Are Better Than Josh Shapiro’s Because He Doesn’t ‘Read as Jewish’
Top Platner ally turns on him after bombshell rape allegation rocks campaign: ‘Red line’
Report warns Russia using shadow fleet to probe NATO drone defenses
WATCH: Muslim Goes Viral Shouting, ‘This Is the Islamic Republic of New Yorkistan… Mamdani’s New York,’ Claims ‘Islam Will Be in Every Household’
Bo Derek Rips COVID Vaccine Mandates in Bill Maher Interview: ‘That’s a Problem’
Smoke from record DC fireworks show triggered ‘Code Red’ air-quality alert
Resolute rest: Child dozes off against famous desk during Trump’s accounts speech
Sen. Mark Kelly, Likely 2028 Dem Presidential Hopeful, Roots for Mexico in World Cup, Brags on Social Media About It
Mamdani Ripped for ‘Curious’ Response to U.S. Red Card Getting Overturned with Trump Involvement
Rumors Swirl as Multiple Graham Platner Events Are Abruptly Canceled
Tyler Robinson Seen Laughing at Hearing, Erika Kirk Cries and Leaves Courtroom
Israeli constitutional crisis deepens as opposition cries ‘anarchy,’ president warns noncompliance is ‘red line’
Next, Todd turned to Martin Baron, the executive editor of the Washington Post — another paper that pushed the Russia collusion hoax, and which also led the way in trying to debunk Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA)’s effort, recently vindicated, to expose the truth about the FBI’s abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) courts.
Baron complained: “We live in an environment where people are able to spread crazy conspiracy theories and absolute falsehoods and lies.” He blamed social media — not the conspiracy theories validated by his own paper.
Baron also griped that Americans had become “numb” to the supposedly “15,000 false or misleading claims” by the president that his paper has been tracking. Not only are many of those supposedly false “claims” actually true, or defensible differences of opinion, but the Post is seemingly numb to the major anti-Trump lies it has pushed.
Todd asked Baquet if journalists would have to “market” the idea that they are there to tell the truth — in the course of continuing to push the idea that Russian propaganda, not media malpractice, is to blame to public mistrust.
Baquet said that he and Baron needed to continue “very aggressively defending our institutions, defending the truth and defending our important role in democracy.”
Again, no mention of the corrosive effect that the Russia hoax has had on our democracy — or the role that the media has played in the ongoing impeachment debacle over Ukraine, including the Post‘s own misreporting of leaked testimony from closed-door hearings in the House Intelligence Committee.
Todd would not admit that the media’s leading institutions had failed by their own standards — only that they might be “culturally” out of touch with the rest of America.
New Yorker suing ICE after officers went to his home to warn him over criticism of agency
WATCH: ‘The View’s Sunny Hostin Announces Lots of American Flags Make Her Feel Unsafe Because of ‘White Supremacy’
Popular Florida social media influencer killed in drive-by shooting while inside luxury SUV
ICYMI: CNN Says Jon Ossoff’s 2028 Presidential Chances Are Better Than Josh Shapiro’s Because He Doesn’t ‘Read as Jewish’
Top Platner ally turns on him after bombshell rape allegation rocks campaign: ‘Red line’
Report warns Russia using shadow fleet to probe NATO drone defenses
WATCH: Muslim Goes Viral Shouting, ‘This Is the Islamic Republic of New Yorkistan… Mamdani’s New York,’ Claims ‘Islam Will Be in Every Household’
Bo Derek Rips COVID Vaccine Mandates in Bill Maher Interview: ‘That’s a Problem’
Smoke from record DC fireworks show triggered ‘Code Red’ air-quality alert
Resolute rest: Child dozes off against famous desk during Trump’s accounts speech
Sen. Mark Kelly, Likely 2028 Dem Presidential Hopeful, Roots for Mexico in World Cup, Brags on Social Media About It
Mamdani Ripped for ‘Curious’ Response to U.S. Red Card Getting Overturned with Trump Involvement
Rumors Swirl as Multiple Graham Platner Events Are Abruptly Canceled
Tyler Robinson Seen Laughing at Hearing, Erika Kirk Cries and Leaves Courtroom
Israeli constitutional crisis deepens as opposition cries ‘anarchy,’ president warns noncompliance is ‘red line’
“I think we cannot dismiss everybody who supported Donald Trump,” Baquet offered, somewhat generously.
The rest of the program was devoted to the idea that Russian disinformation, and distrust of the media spread by Trump and the Republicans, was to blame for declining public confidence in journalism.
Not once did Todd look at the media’s role in pushing conspiracy theories in a barely-disguised effort to take down the president.
Story cited here.
