Mainstream media errors (lies) in the Trump era:

We didn't get to the point people find the press less credible than the Trump administration by some freak accident.

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/318514-trump-admin-seen-as-more-truthful-than-news-media-poll

The one thing that these reports have in common is that they fail to provide readers with a clear and indisputably accurate picture of what is really going on at White House. The press's most important role is to shine a light on those in power. Bad reporting only muddies the waters, and it gives powerful people more room to do as they please. After all, whom are you going to believe: the guy at the top or the newsroom with a recent track record of botched reporting?

The Claim: "Trump Cites Non-Existent Sweden Attack," "Trump Appears to Reference Non-Existent Terror Incident in Sweden."

The Source: The Guardian, Talking Points Memo, the Daily Beast, the Telegraph, Raw Story, NBC News and others.

Here's the bottom line. We've got to keep our country safe. You look at what's happening. We've got to keep our country safe. You look at what's happening in Germany, you look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this. Sweden. They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible. You look at what's happening in Brussels. You look at what's happening all over the world. Take a look at Nice. Take a look at Paris. We've allowed thousands and thousands of people into our country and there was no way to vet those people. There was no documentation. There was no nothing. So we're going to keep our country safe.

His remarks are certainly confusing, and his references to Sweden are ambiguous. Trump clearly seems to have alluded to real terror events, including recent attacks in Brussels and Nice, France. But there still isn't enough clarity in his speech Saturday for newsrooms to claim he cited a specific, and non-existent, attack in Sweden.

It's possible that Trump, an avid cable news-watcher, was referring to a Fox New segment that aired on the evening of Feb. 17. That specific segment focused on Sweden's open door immigration policy, and recent report alleging the country's recent spike in crime is correlated directly to the number of refugees it has admitted.

Again, as is often the case with this president, his comments are jumbled and confusing. He could've been referring to a non-existent terrorist attack, or he could've been referring to a Fox News segment that aired the night before. It's unclear.

At any rate, newsrooms don't have nearly enough information to report with certainty that Trump created a terrorist attack from thin air.

The Facts: There is a lot wrong with this story. From overselling the leaked Department of Homeland Security memo on which the entire report hinges, to failing to provide proof that Trump was even aware of draft proposal, readers would be wise to remain skeptical of the AP report.

To be clear, the draft memo mentioned in the story is definitely real, as confirmed by DHS officials. It's just that it doesn't say what the AP reported.

For example, the memo didn't specifically suggest nationalizing the National Guard, as suggested by AP's reporting. The draft memo also never used the 100,000 figure referenced by the AP, though it's possible the news group got this number by tallying the National Guard units currently stationed in the 11 states where they would supposedly be used to crack down on illegal immigration. If that's how the AP got its 100,000 figure, which, again, it doesn't explain, it means they reported an assumption, not a fact.

Lastly, just to be clear, the word "deportation" is never used in the memo. As far as National Guard troops are concerned, the memo only floats the idea of giving them the authority to assist in the "investigation, apprehension and detention" of criminal aliens.

"We stand by our reporting," the group's spokeswoman, Laura Easton, told the Washington Examiner.

The AP said it gave the White House at least 24 hours to respond to requests for comment, and said no one took them up on their offer. Amazingly enough, the AP also said it didn't contact DHS until the morning of the story's publication.

The Claim: President Trump's erratic behavior suggests he's suffering from a serious disease he caught from all that sex he had in the 1980s.

The Facts: The article is a work of 100 percent speculation. The notion that Trump suffers from neurosyphilis is based entirely on the author's personal musings.

This particularly ugly bit of conspiracy mongering is an op-ed, and it's not the same thing as a botched news report. Nevertheless, this article has a special place on this list due to the fact the New Republic and the author, Steven Beutler, are careful to emphasize his credentials as a doctor, and his background in treating infectious diseases.

The neurosyphilis theory is presented as a bit more than the usual op-ed griping. It's presented as a serious discussion, from a serious physician. The author practically dares his readers to question his authority on the issue. The unspoken point of having Beutler write the article is to give the totally unfounded conspiracy an air of legitimacy. For that, this op-ed ends up on this list of shoddy and unprofessional post-inauguration media bungles.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mainstream-media-errors-in-the-trump-era-your-catalogue-of-the-medias-bias-fueled-failure-fest/article/2614432

Excellent. That's a long article, with many examples.

At the end of the article comes this:

This database is a work in progress. It will be updated as new examples become available. If you feel there is an example missing from this list, please send me a note at: badams@washingtonexaminer.com

2 posted on 05/25/2017 8:03:07 PM PDT by TChad (Propagandists should not be treated like journalists.)

3 posted on 05/25/2017 10:15:23 PM PDT by TChad (Propagandists should not be treated like journalists.)

Excellent. That's a long article, with many examples.

True, but the FR posting does not note that it is an excerpt. I suggest asking the mods to insert that info if possible.

At the end of the article comes this:

This database is a work in progress. It will be updated as new examples become available. If you feel there is an example missing from this list, please send me a note at: badams@washingtonexaminer.com
If in fact this article does get updated on an ongoing basis, it will be an excellent resource.

6 posted on 05/26/2017 7:41:58 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which Â‘liberalismÂ’ coheres is that NOTHING ACTUALLY MATTERS except PR.)

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