Topic: Media Research Center
Media Research Center blogger Tom Blumer complains in a March 26 post:
Sadly, U.S. readers need to understand, and I daresay most don't, that reporters in Europe, including those for U.S.-based news outlets, routinely tag anyone who supports any form of border control — or, for that matter, advocates freer markets, or is prolife, or holds virtually any center-right view, i.e., what most people in the U.S. would consider "moderate" or "mainstream" — as "far-right." Meanwhile, the use of the term "far-left" is extraordinarily rare.
Blumer doesn't read his own website, does he?
As we've documented, the MRC is a leader in the gratuitous usage of "far-left," applying it to things that clearly are not (like the sports blog Deadspin). This fascination has continued in the past month since our previous compilation (with helpful added bolding):
- Curtis Houck called MSNBC host Chris Matthews a "far-left pundit."
- Houck also called Planned Parenthood a "far-left group."
- Blumer himself ranted that Erica Groshen, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics during the Obama administraiton, was a "far-left partisan." (In fact, the evidence to support Blumer's claim about Groshen is laughably scant.)
- Brad Wilmouth declared Joy Reid to be a "far-left MSNBC host."
- Blumer returned to complain about "far-left institutions of what used to be higher learning."
- Houck claimed that David Cay Johnston is a "far-left journalist."
- Blumer ranted that Meetup.com "decided to turn itself into a de facto online far-left, anti-Trump, political action platform."
- James Powers called Les Leopold a "far left economic activist."
- Wilmouth proclaimed Bill Maher to be a "far-left comedian."
- Matt Norcross declared that Joshua Safran, creator and showrunner for the ABC show "Quantico," is a "far-left man."
- Jay Maxson insisted that ESPN is "aligned with the Far Left."
- Houck complained about the New York Times' alleged "Far-Left, Snarky Headlines Editorializing Against Trump."
- Houck called Michelle Barnard a "far-left panelist."
- MRC chief Brent Bozell ranted about the "far-left" media who are purportedly plotting to completely destroy Donald Trump’s administration.
- Houck called Mother Jones a "far-left rag."
- Wilmouth called Jeremy Scahill a "far-left journalist."
- Houck called Phyllis Bennis a "far-left loon."
- Norcross called Gabriel Sherman a "far-left New York magazine writer."
As we noted on our previous list, some of these people and things may legitimately be described as "far left," but most cannot be; they only look "far left" to people who are far on the right, like MRC employees and bloggers.
Blumer's rant over labeling was set off by Reuters calling France's Marine Le Pen a "far-right leader." Oddly, Blumer didn't dispute the labeling of Le Pen beyond his rant -- perhaps because there's plenty of evidence to back up the label.
