Why and How to Get a Balanced News/opinion-media Diet

This is your friendly periodic reminder that* we all need to consume a balanced diet of journalism including both** liberal and conservative news/opinion sources.

Things You Hear on NPR: Benghazi Investigations Found ‘no wrongdoing by the Obama administration’

NPR a few days ago, regarding the possibility of a Susan Rice pick for the Joe Biden ticket:

Frederick Douglass’s Strong Critique, and Defense, of America

Frederick Douglass’s lengthy 1852 speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is blistering in its critique of American immorality and hypocrisy on the issue of slavery:

Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? . . .

Things You Hear on NPR: No Idea How Anyone Could Think DACA Was Unconstitutional

NPR on DACA:

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, as it’s officially known, has broad support across the political spectrum. The majority of Democrats and Republicans tell pollsters that they support protections for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children — called DREAMers.

A Young Progressive Agrees: Against the Tribalism and Politicization of Our Age

A fascinating alternative perspective from the left, from an Alison Willmore, at Buzz Feed:

Why I’ve Had Trouble Buying Hollywood’s Version of Girl Power

I get the desire to take comfort in cheerful stories of women’s triumph, from Ocean’s 8 to On the Basis of Sex. But in 2018, I haven’t found them very comforting.

Out: ‘I want to know the truth.’ In: ‘I stand with…’

(Party in power nominates Mr. B.)

Opposition-party senators:  I will oppose this nomination with everything I’ve got.

Things You Hear on NPR: Kavanaugh Guilty until Proven Innocent

Well, this is just embarrassing.  NPR this morning had Kavanaugh supporter Sara Fagen on, but the “interviewer” was quick to respond to everything the guest said with “Although,” followed by various tendentious arguments for the Democrats’ narrative.  This isn’t an interview; it’s a debate.

Penultimately, the NPR interviewer made this brazen argument:

Things You Hear on NPR: If the Person You’re Interviewing Doesn’t Give You Quite the Quote You Wanted, Just Go Ahead and Say It for Him

NPR this morning, “reporting” on immigration policy (getting less subtle in its advocacy for one side and its chosen narrative):

[NPR’s Steve] INSKEEP: So for that symbolic prosecution, they’ve been diverting from drug cases. I get that. But I’m remembering when Jeff Sessions announced this policy. He didn’t say to prosecutors across the country, abandon drug prosecutions. He said prosecute everybody. And if you need more resources, let us know. Have prosecutors been getting more resources to handle these border-crossing cases?

Things You Hear on NPR: Overturning Marriage Laws Something to Celebrate, but Voting Reforms ‘Controversial’

Here’s how NPR began its story today on the upholding of Ohio’s latest voting reform:

An ideologically split U.S. Supreme Court Monday upheld Ohio’s controversial “use-it-or-lose-it” voting law by a 5-to-4 margin.

Here are the corresponding openings of NPR’s top two stories (according to their own measures) about Obergefell, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that forced states to redefine marriage:

Conversations with Bill Kristol: Jonah Goldberg on Nationalism, Populism, and Identity Politics

Fascinating discussion of how we got to this point, and what you might call the political “cycle of violence”.  Lots of blame to go around.

I made some of these arguments myself, some years before the dynamic produced Trump.  My left-leaning friends in general didn’t see it, then or now.  Some seem to be responding by doubling down, even more of the same.  So I imagine this will all continue to get worse before it gets better.

Liberals Hate Conservatives for Being Poor, and for Being Rich

I find it fascinating that our left-leaning friends claim both that conservatives* are poor (at least compared to liberals) and that they’re rich.  People of the left then use both claims as justifications for their self-righteous contempt for those who disagree with them.

Hillary Clinton last month:

But what the map doesn’t show you is that I won the places that represent two-thirds of America’s gross domestic product.

Reminder: Why We All Need a Balanced Media Diet

Happy new year and merry Tenth Day of Christmas!

This is just your friendly annual reminder to make sure you’re getting a balanced diet including at least some liberal and conservative media.*

Antifa Mob Beats Peaceful Protesters

Wow.

Long-form journalism isn’t dead.

Also, man is fallen and his capacity for evil never ceases to amaze.

OK, for those without the time or the inclination to read the whole story from beginning to end at its own pace, here’s as good a summary by excerpt as any:

Hyperventilating Left: Wanting to Repeal Obamacare ‘Fascist’

According to some of the things our left-leaning friends are telling each other, wanting to repeal Obamacare is an example of “fascism”.  I suppose America was fascist from 1776 until Obamacare was passed in 2010?  I suppose America has since enjoyed a brief period of being a non-fascist state, 2010 to present?

Things You Hear on NPR: Yeah, We’re Going to Accuse You of Racism No Matter What You Do

It’s the same old “racism” Catch-22—damned if you do, damned if you don’t.  Disney was criticized for years for supposedly not having enough black characters in their major movies, then for having black actors do some of the voices in the cartoon movie The Lion King.  (Critics said, What, Disney can only have black characters if they’re animals? as well as accusing Disney of casting black actors only as the voices of the villains, which isn’t even close—James Earl Jones played the central character of the king and father, Mufasa, and black actors also voiced Rafiki, Simba’s mother, one of the Nalas, and one of the Simbas’ singing voice.)  Then Disney made The Princess and the Frog, with predominantly black (and non-animal) characters, and was criticized for supposedly playing into racial stereotypes.

Joe Biden on Trump voters: ‘they’re not racist. They’re not sexist. But we didn’t talk to them.’

From the Los Angeles Times:  “As Democrats ponder their future, Joe Biden makes a plea for a focus on the middle class”.  Excerpt:

[Rarely has Joe Biden] trusted anything as much as his own gut instinct, attuned to the middle- and working-class sensibilities of his former neighbors in towns like Scranton, Pa., and Claymont, Del.

And so as he sat in his office one day in October and watched footage of a Donald Trump rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., not far from his childhood home, Biden sensed trouble.

Things You Hear on NPR: Castro ‘A Complex Figure’

NPR’s first news story on Castro’s death a couple of days ago, as I remember it (I cannot find it on their Web site), was conspicuously neutral, concluding by calling him (I paraphrase from memory) a figure some saw as a dictator.

Give me a break.  Fidel Castro was a murderous dictator who jailed, tortured, and killed people just for speaking their minds, just for calling for democracy—even for being related to those who did.  Read about any of the brave Cuban democrats and dissidents.  Give them a break.

Things You Hear on NPR: Everything Is Political, Comrade

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, yesterday’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me quiz show on NPR was a clip show, a parade of past guests, interspersed with host Peter Sagal joking (several times) that you can avoid unpleasant arguments about politics around the Thanksgiving dinner table by claiming that you’ve just been listening to these Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me celebrity interviews all year.

And then of course politics came up over and over again anyway: making fun of Sarah Palin, agreeing that Dick Cheney is scary and awful—one of the guests had even literally teamed up with President Obama to make fun of a Republican congressman, apparently.  Of the ones I listened to,* most of the guests’ interviews ended up getting into politics—and of course guests, host, and panelists were all on the same page, identifying with the same team, with the left and against the right.

Sudden Thought, Gang

I’m glad the left has finally agreed that it’s unhealthy (for us and for our democracy) to assume bad intentions of/dehumanize/demonize/“other” those we disagree with.

Maybe after the election is over and everyone’s had time to cool down, someone can invite them to consider whether that might have any implications for their own lives.

Things You Hear on NPR: ‘No Evidence’ of Clinton Foundation Influence Laundering

This is part of why we’re so annoyed about the liberal news media.  (Listen up, those of you who still don’t believe there is such a thing—I know you’re out there.)  This one isn’t just a little biased; this is either gross incompetence (difficult for NPR to plead—they’re not idiots, and they can do very good journalism when they want to) or infuriating, brazen dishonesty in the service of an agenda.