Nuclearian Loc: I live in a Fascist, Liberal State

Fact Checkers Disappear on Susan Rice Incident

by Christopher R Barron

Probably the single most corrosive development in modern media is the one that sounds the best – the fact checker. Who could disagree with the idea that while we are all entitled to our own opinion, we aren’t entitled to our own set of facts? What could possibly go wrong when the mainstream media puts an emphasis on finding the truth?

Well, it turns out, plenty could wrong.

It is not the first time a media “innovation” turned out to be a disaster. Fact checkers are the new media critics. An idea that sounds great in theory, but turns out to be a disaster in practice. The idea that the media would police themselves certainly sounded good in theory, sadly media critic is now code word for the main stream media’s groupthink enforcement police.

The reason why the fact checker is just as pointless and counter-productive as the media critic is exactly the same – human nature.

All of us have our own built in biases – we are humans after all. It is not robots serving as fact-checkers, it is not a computer program, it is a human being. And even the most well meaning fact checker will have his or her coverage colored by those biases.

If only we were simply dealing with a question of how to ferret out built in biases from a well-intentioned media.

Unfortunately, it’s much worse than that because sadly we aren’t dealing with well meaning fact checkers. The role of fact checker at most of the major outlets bizarrely seems to have been taken on by some of the most partisan voices in the media who rarely even try to hide their own biases in their coverage.

And it’s not just the formal fact-checkers, rank and file reporters across the main stream media now feel it is their personal responsibility to weigh in on the veracity of a claim – especially if that claim is made by Donald Trump. We are treated to instant fact checks from hoards of media types on any and everything the President or someone in his administration says.

They pour over the President’s tweets gleefully “fact-checking” every syllable. Any and every ambiguity is resolved against the President and his allies. And the presumption in every instance is that the President is lying and has the burden of proof to establish beyond a doubt that he isn’t.

Interestingly, the fact-checkers are a lot less zealous in their pursuit of the truth, however, when that truth doesn’t fit with their own narrative.

No where has the fact-checkers biases been more apparent than in the coverage of the revelation that former National Security Advisor Susan Rice requested the identities (unmasking) of Americans in intelligence reports on dozens of occasions connected to the Trump campaign and the Trump transition.

This revelation came after Rice told the public – just last month – that she had no idea this type of surveillance was even happening:

“Last month when she was asked on the “PBS NewsHour” about reports that Trump transition officials, including Trump himself, were swept up in incidental intelligence collection, Rice said: “I know nothing about this,” adding, “I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that account today.”

The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler, whose “fact-checking” would make Orwell blush, avoided giving Rice his patented four Pinnochios for her blatant lie and instead dedicated an entire column to fact-checking the “Trumpian spin” on the issue.

CNN has been even more shameless in their coverage. Rather than actually covering the Rice story and her blatant lie, CNN has attempted a farcical political sleight of hand. The network has treated its viewers to wall-to-wall coverage and speculation about not what Rice said or did but instead about how President Trump is still apparently wrong in his claim that the Obama White House wiretapped Trump Tower.

The sad truth is that CNN – whose business model seems to be predicated on being the go-to network for the most unhinged of Trump’s critics – either can’t or won’t cover the Rice lie because it doesn’t fit with the anti-Trump propaganda that the network passes off as “news” on a daily basis.

Trust in the media is at an all-time low – and deservedly so. If the mainstream media wants to regain the trust of the American people they can dispense with the fact-checkers and just give us the facts – and they can start with Susan Rice.

PeterS

When the president makes a claim without any evidence of fact then it will be fact checked. He could avoid this by keeping his claims to himself and not saying anything until he has the facts to back them up. Stop coming down on the media for doing their god damn jobs!~

Oh, and just so you know--Hitler was a Nazi and a rightwing nut. By your avatar I assume you are trying to compare Hillary to Hitler? She is a lefty and a proper comparison would be to Karl Marx...

Zombiefarmer23 Loc: Bull Hills

You just proved yourself to be an uneducated fool.

Randy131 Loc: Florida

Let's be reasonable here for just a minute. If any of us started having their private conversations, over our communication devices, put out to be publicly broadcasted by the liberal biased media, claiming that the liberal biased media had sources that leaked the information to them, then we all would think and probably say that we and our communication devices were being "wire tapped", even though today's technology makes that wording obsolete, since they now have many various ways of intercepting communications without "wire tapping". But what really should be said is that someone has us under surveillance, which actually is the same as "wire tapping", and are unlawfully releasing all our private communications to the public, and others that we don't want to have it, or even know about it.

This reasoning shows just how tremendously ingenuous that CNN really is, because of their bias, bigotry, and prejudice against President Trump, and most all conservatives, Christians, and Republicans, where they constantly use word games, ignoring the true meaning of the criminal action and intent of their cohorts that share their agenda of promoting liberalism, progressivism, and Democrat Party policies, which are synonymous with socialism, communism, and fascism. The problem here, for the constant attackers of President Trump, CNN and MSNBC, is that the American people already know and understand this, and why CNN and MSNBC audiences and viewership is so very dismally low, because the Americn people get tired of their constant lies and propaganda, which is only watched and celebrated by the far left socialists, communists, and fascists, which explains their low ratings.

President Trump might not have used the correct label or name (wire tapping) for what Obama, Susan Rice, and the 17 US intelligence agencies were doing to him, and his supporters and campaign personnel (illegal surveillance and unmasking), but he was correct in assuming that it was being done, and now the American people are being exposed to that truth, while CNN is calling the accusation of "wire taping" a purposeful and knowing lie.

Funny how CNN never brought up or talked about Obama's and the Democrats' lies about the 'Affordable Care Act', that it would allow people to keep their healthcare plan if they liked it, could keep the doctors that they trusted and liked, and would reduce their healthcare costs by at least $2,400.00 a year for a family of four. Not just one of those 'PROMISES' proved to be a lie, but all of them did, yet CNN said nothing about Obama telling lies, as they are now doing about President Trump's misuse of the label of "wire tapping" for the illegal surveillance that was being perpetrated on him, and his supporters and campaign personnel. This was illegally ordered by Obama, and carried out by Susan Rice, through the use of the 17 US intelligence agencies. This also includes the unlawful unmasking of American citizens that were caught-up in innocent conversations, yet made to look like foreign agents through the spreading of their names in relation with foreigners under investigation and surveillance.

The irony and hillarity about all of this is that it makes CNN and MSNBC reporters look like foolish idiots, whose reporting can never be trusted to be honest, truthful, and genuine, as nothing from either CNN or MSNBC can.

Roseland Loc: Florida

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It is not only Obama and his admin who are traitors. Media are traitors too. When the events are factual, they them cover-up, or don't report. Then they create LIES, and FAKE NEWS to fit their narratives. MSM has been so politicized to the left that destroys our democratic process, and the integrity of our country. Media has completely lost its ethics in journalism.

TommyRadd Loc: Midwest USA

Very well put! Nobody is perfect, but the hypocrisy and double standards of the left knows no bounds!

Louie27 Loc: Peoria, AZ

He has proven that over and over again. His small mind leaves much to be desired, but he will continue in his ignorant and very biased ways.

Randy131 Loc: Florida

Think! Has there ever been a socialist or communist government which has ever told the truth to it's people? Has there ever been a socialist or communist government that hasn't restricted or taken the rights and freedoms from it's people? Has there ever been a socialist or communist government that has allowed a free and honest media to exist?

Some people are convinced that the Democrats have been turning the USA's government into a socialist and communist governemnt, at least that is their goal, but how can we discern if that projection is correct and thruthful? By just looking at what is happening in our media's reporting. A free people cannot exist without the honesty and integrity of a free media, hence the constitutional powers that were given to the media by the 'Founding Fathers'.

Today's USA's media is absent of ethics and honor, and completely lack the desire to uphold integrity and honesty in their profession, except for the fringe conservative media that most Americans are now seeking out. So how do we discern and determine what is in our future, and where the USA and it's people are headed, by watching the actions of our media and their refusal to honor integirty and honesty in their reporting, as all media has always done in societies that are controlled by socialists, communists, and fascists, synonymous with liberals, progressives, and Democrats.

Can President Trump turn it all around and save the USA's heritage that was given to us, so as to make it available for all our prodigy in the future, only if the American people get behind him and demand the changes that it will take to save free enterprise and capitalism, which is what made 13 small colonies into a once great nation, and to do that the liberal biased mainstream media are going to have to be reined in, or destroyed. To me it looks and seems to be too late, but GOD creates miracles, just look at who are President is, a miracle that could only have been achieved through divine intervention.

Big Bass

It is the media's job to create fake news? That is what they are doing.
For the record, Hitler led the social democratic party. By YOUR avatar, I assume you wish Pres. Trump to become a social democrat.

Randy131 Loc: Florida

Let's be reasonable here for just a minute. If any of us started having their private conversations, over our communication devices, put out to be publicly broadcasted by the liberal biased media, claiming that the liberal biased media had sources that leaked the information to them, then we all would think and probably say that we and our communication devices were being "wire tapped", even though today's technology makes that wording obsolete, since they now have many various ways of intercepting communications without "wire tapping". But what really should be said is that someone has us under surveillance, which actually is the same as "wire tapping", and are unlawfully releasing all our private communications to the public, and others that we don't want to have it, or even know about it.

This reasoning shows just how tremendously ingenuous that CNN really is, because of their bias, bigotry, and prejudice against President Trump, and most all conservatives, Christians, and Republicans, where they constantly use word games, ignoring the true meaning of the criminal action and intent of their cohorts that share their agenda of promoting liberalism, progressivism, and Democrat Party policies, which are synonymous with socialism, communism, and fascism. The problem here, for the constant attackers of President Trump, CNN and MSNBC, is that the American people already know and understand this, and why CNN and MSNBC audiences and viewership is so very dismally low, because the American people get tired of their constant lies and propaganda, which is only watched and celebrated by the far left socialists, communists, and fascists, which explains their low ratings.

President Trump might not have used the correct label or name (wire tapping) for what Obama, Susan Rice, and the 17 US intelligence agencies were doing to him, and his supporters and campaign personnel (illegal surveillance and unmasking), but he was correct in assuming that it was being done, and now the American people are being exposed to that truth, while CNN is calling the accusation of "wire taping" a purposeful and knowing lie, ignoring the truth (surveillance) is actually the same.

Funny how CNN never brought up or talked about Obama's and the Democrats' lies about the 'Affordable Care Act', that it would allow people to keep their healthcare plan if they liked it, could keep the doctors that they trusted and liked, and would reduce their healthcare costs by at least $2,400.00 a year for a family of four. Not just one of those 'PROMISES' proved to be a lie, but all of them did, yet CNN said nothing about Obama telling lies, as they are now doing about President Trump's misuse of the label of "wire tapping" for the illegal surveillance that was being perpetrated on him, and his supporters and campaign personnel. This was illegally ordered by Obama, and carried out by Susan Rice, through the use of the 17 US intelligence agencies. This also includes the unlawful unmasking of American citizens that were caught-up in innocent conversations, yet made to look like foreign agents through the spreading of their names in relation with foreigners under investigation and surveillance.

The irony and hillarity about all of this is that it makes CNN and MSNBC reporters look like foolish idiots, whose reporting can never be trusted to be honest, truthful, and genuine, as nothing from either CNN or MSNBC can ever be trusted to be true, but always needs to be verified by a truly independent source, not those set up by the liberals and progressives that spread lies and propaganda as facts to back up and support their liberal agenda.

President Trump is called a liar because he misused a phrase (Wire Tapping) to describe what Obama and his administration was illegally doing (surveillance and unmasking) to him, his supporters, and his campaign personnel, as has now been proven by Susan Rice claiming she wasn't doing it for political reasons, when just a week before she claimed she knew nothing about it, but only what the media was releasing from Rep Nunes. But all the proven lies that Obama bold-facedly told the American people doesn't matter because he is a black liberal Democrat. Claim whatever you like, but more of the truth will be coming out in the very near future, which will make some of President Trump's detractors look like the foolish idiots that the CNN reporters are looking like to the American people.