Our weekly recognition of less-than-meritorious excellence in journalism worthy of a skewed version of Pulitzer Prize consideration.
As an extension of the media-mocking venture at Townhall, Riffed From The Headlines, we once again recognize the exalted performances in our journalism industry and compile worthy submissions for the Pulitzer Prize board in numerous categories. We must recognize journalistic mistakes-excellence in order to correctly identify them.
Specialized Explanatory Reporting
While Liz Cheney was making the rounds of her farewell tour, the excited media praised her excessively – for losing her primary. Jon Karl visited her while she was on her farewell tour. He briefly spoke to Cheney about mid-term prospects, but his excitement got the best of him. Karl stated that Joe Biden would experience gains for Democrats in Senate. This is the first such event since the Kennedy Administration. Small issue–it has happened repeatedly since Kennedy…including all the way back to Trump’s mid-term election.
Here’s @JonKarl:
“It looks like Democrats could pick up…a couple of seats in the Senate. Since JFK, no first-term president had won Senate seats during the midterms.
Actually, this has occurred 3 times since Kennedy (INCLUDING the LAST MIDTERMS).
Seriously…https://t.co/kTvjWovMHd— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) August 22, 2022
The Distinguished Public Service
Katie Tur was fresh off her book tour. She used her daytime talk show to discuss the importance of Planned Parenthood for women. She resorted back to the demeaning argument that PPFA offers many services for women other than abortion. This is an odd position, considering that the laws in different states don’t target Planned Parenthood. If abortion only represents a fraction of what the organization offers, there shouldn’t be any threat to it in general.
Better still, though, was Tur beginning this monologue by explaining why abortion is important for women — including this unpersuasive reason.
Her birthday celebration @PPFAPublic service informationmercial @KatyTurNBCWe are informed by a helpful source that abortions are necessary for women who “don’t want to have the baby”. pic.twitter.com/K9sWPLxfAO
— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) August 24, 2022
Distinguished Investigative Reporting
An abortion topic is still being discussed by Mike Sciutto (CNN) and Poppy Hartlow (CNN), who brought in Tom Foreman, a leading fact-checker, to explain details about the Texas law. Foreman stated that any doctor who performs an abortion on a pregnant woman could be sentenced to life imprisonment. Foreman, the foremost authority in facts and the truth, managed to have his fact-check 180° wrong. Texas allows this procedure. Sciutto, Harlow were required to correct Foreman’s record later on in the show.
Isn’t it the role of fact-checkers to provide final insight on a topic after extensive research??
CNN’s chief fact-checker Tom Foreman has found the Texas abortion law to be COMPLETELY wrong. The same program also had to refute his claim. pic.twitter.com/gwrgOH3xBR— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) August 28, 2022
Distinguished Investigative Reporting
Sticking with CNN fact-checkers, on Jim Acosta’s weekend show, he brought on junior checker Daniel; Dale to go over the details of a Herschel Walker campaign ad about his opponent Raphael Warnock. Walker’s commercial concerns ads Warnock ran in 2020 showing him walking a dog and doting on the beagle. Walker says he has been lying about it being his dog. The New York Times confirms that the dog is owned by Warnock.
Acosta, Dale and others are out to reveal the truth. Walker is the one lying in his ad because, although Warnock repeatedly portrayed himself as the dog’s owner,He never said that he actually owned the dog.!
Jim @AcostaAnd @Ddale8To fact-check Herschel Walker’s claims, you can use semantics.
Raphael Warnock only posed as though he had a dog. He never claimed it to be his dog. pic.twitter.com/ocMUgGJnSM— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) August 28, 2022
Distinguished Sports Reporting
- John Wawrow — Associated Press
With personnel reductions in the near future, preseason for NFL is well underway. Things must be a tad slow news-wise in Buffalo, where Wawrow is covering the Bills’ summer camp. Wawrow spent less time on site focusing on player development and roster moves, than he did with potential offenses with ambient music.
Curious.
It just occurred to me, #BillsA female performer is rarely featured on a practice music soundtrack.— John Wawrow (@john_wawrow) August 22, 2022
Distinguished Cultural Commentary
- Christopher Spata — Tampa Bay Times
Do you find your daily schedule filled with notifications about what will be designated for a given day? You can thank the likes of Spata, who looked into making a gag of the “official National…” items celebrated at random, proving just how random these notices can get. Spata made a joke of National Cuban Sandwich Day. It became an embedded food memory to his astonishment years later.
One man has created National Cuban Sandwich day. Naturally, he’s located in Tampa. It’s not as if all the “national” holidays are made up, is it? https://t.co/j9nisShlIp
— Carlos Frías (@Carlos_Frias) August 23, 2022
Distinguished Cultural Criticism
- Dalya Alberge — The Guardian
The banana duct taped to the wall, and declared art is one of the most absurd entries to the art world. It was originally displayed in Miami and sold to museums who have the instructions. The artist responsible for creating it is now being sued. ComedianAs another man stated, he had taped fruits to a wall and uploaded the results to YouTube and social media. Judge has decided that the suit is meritorious and it will go to trial.
Banana split: artists set for court battle over who first taped fruit to the wall https://t.co/XSmRb2C3b1
— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) August 20, 2022
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