Topic: CNSNews.com
Part of the Media Research Center's synergy with the Donald Trump campaign in building and then echoing Trump's "rigged media" strategy took place at the MRC's "news" division CNSNews.com. There, as part of its stenography work for Trump, CNS writers gave special attention to uncritically repeating the Trump campaign's complaints (as well from as their surrogates) about the media. Note these headlines:
- Trump: Journalists ‘Are the Most Dishonest People’
- Trump: Media ‘Hardly Covered’ Clinton, Donna Brazile Cheating Scandal
- Huckabee: Media Coverage of Donald Trump Has Been ‘All Negative’ All the Time
- Trump: State Dept. Email Scandal 'Bigger Event Than Watergate' and ‘Media Barely Covers’ It
- Pence on Media Bias in Presidential Race: ‘I Gotta Turn on the Television With a Stick’
- Rev. Graham: Media Do Not Want the Political Corruption To Change
- Gingrich to ABC: ‘This Election’s Being Rigged By The National Media’
Russian Hackers? 45% Call News Media 'Primary Threat That Might Try to Change Election Results'
Those first five articles are by Melanie Hunter, who wrote nine Trump-stenography articles in October alone. The last two are from CNS managing editor Michael W. Chapman.
CNS was also quick to forward media criticism of anything that made Trump look bad, in addition to dutifully printing the latest rants from boss Brent Bozell. For example, an Oct. 14 article by Barbara Hollingsworth, for instances, touted how "Conservative leaders are calling out NBC for the network's apparent attempt to 'time' the release of an 11-year old videotape of a lewd conversation between Donald Trump and former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush in order to inflict maximum damage on Trump’s presidential campaign." Hollingsworth made no effort to contact actual media professionals outside the circle of MRC-friendly folks with an obvious interest in the election's outcome, to also comment on the media's handling of the damning Trump tape.
Hollingsworth also actively tried to deflect from allegations of Trump's closeness to Russia -- as well as the fact that Russian hackers are widely blamed for stealing the clinton campaign emails posted by WikiLeaks -- by ranting about the media in a Nov. 2 article asserting that "More people see the news media--as opposed to Russian hackers or political bosses--as the "primary threat that might try to change the election result," according to a recent Suffolk University/USA Today poll."
And CNS editor in chief Terry Jeffrey made sure to let us know in a Nov. 3 article that "Fifty-two percent of registered voters say that the media is biased in favor of Hillary Clinton in this presidential election, according to a poll released today by Gallup."
If Trump loses, look for CNS to reliably and uncritically parrot anyone and everyone who will blame the media for it. It's what they do.
