Topic: Media Research Center
The Media Research Center's Mark Finkelstein has a complaint in a May 26 post:
Hey, if CNN's Chris Cuomo can advise his beleaguered brother Andrew on how to wriggle out of multiple scandals, why shouldn't a CNN reporter debate Republicans in the parking lot? And then be hailed as presidential timber?
On Wednesday morning's New Day, after a long clip was aired of CNN reporter Kyung Lah grilling Republican Karen Fann, president of the Arizona state senate, regarding the Maricopa County 2020 presidential election recount, a thrilled John Berman enthused:
Kyung Lah for president, right? I’ll chair that committee right now. That was a terrific interview."
And of course, without waiting for the results of the audit to come in, CNN repeatedly dismissed it in advance as "bogus" and "a sham." To CNN, it's "bogus" to suggest the election wasn't perfect....after CNN spent four years suggesting the Russians stole the election for Trump.
Whatever people might think of the recount, Fann kept her cool, and treated the CNN reporter as a debate opponent, which she absolutely was:
We think Finkelstein absolutely endorses the recount despite its amateurish and insecure nature, the dubious company running it, and the fact that even the Republican-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has denounced the recount. It also appears that Finkelstein forgot to read the Mueller report, which detailed how how the Russians worked to influence the 2016 presidential election for Trump's benefit. And he also left out the part where Berman said that Fann had ignored numerous interview request, making the parking-lot intervew necessary.
Finkelstein then added:
When Fann made the case for the transparency of the recount, pointing out that the entire process was being livestreamed, Kyung Lah interjected: "on OAN, with cameras controlled by OAN." When Fann asked if Kyung Lah didn't consider OAN a credible news source, she emphatically responded, "yes!" Pot meet kettle, anyone?
If Kyung Lah's presidential run doesn't work out, perhaps she can take over Brian Stelter's gig, devoting herself to trashing conservative media outlets.
Finkelstein didn't mention that an OAN reporter was helping to raise money to pay for the recount.The MRC has been completely silent about that clear breach of journalistic ethics, which Finkelstein would be trashing CNN for if, say, Lah had done it.
It's telling that Finkelstein is more upset by Lah's interview than OAN's major ethical breach -- and that he's effectively endorsing this highly sketchy audit.
