"Journalistic" integrity

I am very sensitive to the often-overblown matter of "journalistic integrity".

In late 2008, I was viciously upbraided here by a small-minded, mean-spirited member of this forum (hard to believe, wot?) for having participated in a case of "journalistic fraud". The story is a fascinating one, and goes well beyond the affront to me, but I will not take your time to recount it here and now.

But in any case, there has just been reported a really egregious case of "journalistic" fraud. I put "journalistic" in quotes because it was not perpetrated by a "recognized" journalistic outlet (whatever that would mean today).


In any case, it has been reported that a Donald Trump "surrogate" (this is a close as we get these days to a "spokesman") published on Twitter this photo:



describing it as (from 1989 or so) showing Donald Trump, along with boxing champion Muhammad Ali and civil rights icon Rosa Parks, "Receiving medals from the NAACP", Trump's being specifically in recognition of his work "helping America's inner cities".

In fact the photo was not of the award of any medals by the NAACP. Rather, it was taken during a ceremony in which Trump and others (80 altogether) received the "Ellis Island Medal of Honor" from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, just then founded by Trump colleague William Fugazy.

The award has been characterized as having been instituted by Fugazy "to protest the awarding of 'medals of liberty' to a group of 12 recent immigrants that included a Chinese-born architect, a Costa Rica-born astronaut, a leading expert on the psychology of race, and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, 'but no Irish, Italian, or Polish people'.

It's hard to know what to say.

By the way, in the originally-published photo of the event, standing just to our left of Rosa Parks is singer and noted anti-gay activist Anita Bryant, and to our left of her famed baseball star Joe DiMaggio and musician/comedian Victor Borge. An eclectic group, indeed.

Those interested in learning more of the bizarre story of this matter may wish to read this article:

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

The media in the USA is very biased towards Hilary Clinton, spending little to no time on her responsibility in hiding over 30,0000 emails or the President not knowing her server was unsecured! The media has obsessed with Trumps silly behaviors and ignored turning Libya into a "Home Depot" for weapons for ISIS and others! When Bill Clinton's women accusers came forward, the media said it was "old news" and unsubstantiated. That led to "Moveone.org"! When Trumps women accusers came forward, journalistic filters, (with fact checking), were no longer needed and no substantiation was necessary!

Hilary can take money, in a "Pay to Play" scheme, even from entities intolerant to gays and Western standards of women's rights. Instead, she needs to be made to stand by the values we claim to defend. Hilary does not and that is a serious character flaw! CNN, MSNBC and the print media do not have any interest in their duty as journalists to challenge her on this obvious hypocracy!

Not that Donald is himself righteous, just that if 5 minutes, (of a Trump 2 hour policy speech), responds to some attack on his personal life, the media spends 99% of the (4x time they devote to Hillary), expanding on Trump's alleged dalliances! For Hilary, they pretty well focus on her policy claims, not her deeds, dishonesty and the "Pay to Play" scheme she ran while Secretary of State!

So yes, the press is not fair and balanced. Sadly one has to go to Fox News itself to find real news on Trump and with Megan Kelly, even that is often tilted against him!

If the journalists did their job, they would address the failure of Obamacare to meet its economic promises to folk who subscribed, but they haven't! They would hold Trump to account for tolerating and allowing a space for the emergence and growth of right wing xenophobic white supremacists filled with hate for a fair pluralistic society. That is his Achilles heel and that, unfortunately has not been fully recognized by the press as a threat to this country and so will grow unabated and for sure, will outlast him! They are too busy obsessed with stories of unwanted sexual advances, both unsubstantiated and in the scheme of things, unimportant!

Asher