61 Media Mistakes in the Trump Era: The Definitive List

SharylAttkisson.com ^ | November 27, 2018 | sattkisson

[E. Pluribus Unum]

We the media have “fact-checked” President Trump like we have fact-checked no other human being on the planet—and he’s certainly given us plenty to write about. That’s probably why it’s so easy to find lists enumerating and examining his mistakes, missteps and “lies.”

But as self-appointed arbiters of truth, we’ve largely excused our own unprecedented string of fact-challenged reporting. The truth is, formerly well-respected, top news organizations are making repeat, unforced errors in numbers that were unheard of just a couple of years ago.

Our repeat mistakes involve declaring that Trump’s claims are “lies” when they are matters of opinion, or when the truth between conflicting sources is unknowable; taking Trump’s statements and events out of context; reporting secondhand accounts against Trump without attribution as if they’re established fact; relying on untruthful, conflicted sources; and presenting reporter opinions in news stories—without labeling them as opinions.

What’s worse, we defend ourselves by trying to convince the public that our mistakes are actually a virtue because we (sometimes) correct them. Or we blame Trump for why we’re getting so much wrong. It’s a little bit like a police officer taking someone to jail for DUI, then driving home drunk himself: he may be correct to arrest the suspect, but he should certainly know better than to commit the same violation.

So since nobody else has compiled an updated, extensive list of this kind, here are:

[Catmom]

Sounds way too short.

[be-baw]

Good article. Sharyl names names.

[Baynative]

However, due to the power of the media, most Americans would answer "TRUE" if you posed those 'mistakes' in the form of T&F questions.

[KC_Lion]

Ping to Sharyl’s List Upchuck :)

[polymuser]

“Sounds way too short.”

No doubt. That may be in range for only ABC or CBS. MSNBC or CNN must be in the several hundreds.

And the idea that media minions are “self-appointed arbiters of truth” is a joke on the face of it. Journalists admitted decades ago that they are advocates with an agenda, and almost entirely Democrats.

ENEMEDIA

[americas.best.days...]

Love Sharyl’s work, and I skimmed the list. A handful may be “mistakes”. Most are examples of dishonest information put out by dishonest media to shape the public’s opinion of President Trump. So mistake is the wrong description. The correct description would be Fake News.

[OrangeHoof]

On Day 1 of his presidency, the media tweeted and retweeted how Trump had removed the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office. In truth, it had not budged. Later, a reporter opined that someone else must have been standing in the way from where he stood.

Hence, the unfairness this media has had with Trump from the very beginning and why I doubt most of the garbage being spewed by the mainstream press. The bias and “unforced errors” just drip from them.

[Obadiah]

Oct. 18, 2016:

In a Washington Post piece not labeled opinion or analysis, Stuart Rothenberg reported that Trump’s path to an electoral college victory was “nonexistent.”

Bwahahahaha... another so called "expert" was exposed as a fool.

[MarMema]

Keeper. Wow. Detroit Free Press sux more than I had realized.

[upchuck]

Thanks for the ping KC. Sharyl is an American treasure.

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[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[Robert A Cook PE]

ME too! Thanks for the SA ping.

[jacknyc]

Excellent Article ..Clearly shows in concise easy to follow examples of blatant lies directed at Trump and the proof that busted them. Not just an opinion piece but a roadmap of who,what, & when...White House should put this article out in Press Briefing...

[upchuck]

Y’all are welcome. Sharyl is the best!