Topic: Media Research Center
The Media Research Center's Scott Whitlock seems to think some snark is in order in an April 16 post:
Naturally: CBS Turns to Hillary Clinton’s VP Nominee for Comey Reaction
Who better than Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential nominee to respond to James Comey’s book tour? Tim Kaine and fellow partisan Democrat Adam Schiff were the only politicians brought on CBS This Morning, Monday, to comment on Comey’s hour-long interview on ABC. Co-host John Dickerson tossed this softball to the man who was almost vice president: “Let me ask you about James Comey. Hillary Clinton said he shivved her. How are we supposed to take this new revelation?”
Dickerson offered criticism from Comey, but only when it was about the ex-FBI Director possibly causing Clinton to lose: “He said he had to speak out to make sure there was integrity for her presidency. Is that part of his job as the FBI director?”
Co-host Norah O’Donnell sympathized: “Do you think [Comey reopening the investigation] impacted the election?”
Whitlock seems to think having on the vice presidential candiadte on the ticket whose chance of getting elected was arguably adversely affected by Comey is somehow something only the "liberal media" would do and, this, worthy of his attempted snark. But who better indeed? Why wouldn't a news outlet want to have Kaine on to talk about this?
Whitlock also pretends to be reading O'Donnell's mind by claimed that she "sympathized" with Kaine. But she asked a straightforward question. He later portrayed a question about an interpretation of the Comey interview as pushing "Comey's talking points."
Whitlock's shallow attack pretending to be incisive analysis is a handy demonstration of what's wrong with the MRC. Mind-reading and reflexively assuming that all news outlets that aren't Fox News are deliberately pushing a "liberal media bias" do not make for credible media research, though Whitlock and crew apparently believe otherwise.
