Smollett Convicted of Hoax, CNN Turns It Into Fierce Attack on… Sean Hannity?

CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” Thursday’s newsletter on media, did not spend much time talking to the press about Jussie’s conviction on six of five counts. Oliver Darcy, however, turned the event into a attack on Sean Hannity as well as right-wingers. CNN should humblely look at themselves, as if there is nothing more. All that is happening calls for an attack against the right-wingers. 

The headline is “The hoax storyDarcy’s first Fox chyrons were obviously factsual, such as 

“RATHER FOCUS ON VIOLENCE REAL IN CHICAGO, MEDIA MOB WALTED TIME PERPETUATING SMOLLETT HOX.”

“SMOLLETT GUILTY VERDICT EXPOSES YET ANOTHER MEDIA-DRIVEN HOAX.”

He complained then (emphasis in original).

It is simple and dishonest but it works. Take an actual act of deception, in this case one that was perpetrated by an actor and covered heavily by the press, and then use it to suggest that anything reported by mainstream sources cannot be trusted. Everything is a hoax. 

Propagandists know that their power increases substantially when they can convince their audiences not to trust other sources of information. Smollett’s trial is extremely valuable for them. They could hold Smollett’s guilty sentence up and try to apply it to other stories that are more politically convenient for them. 

It is quite funny, as his co-author Brian Stelter wrote a whole book about Fox News called HoaxIt is quite obvious that they are trying to convince the audience not to believe this source. He is therefore a propagandist. Is it conservative to be a propagandist? Was it possible for everyone involved in the Smollett false narrative to escape being called a propagandist?

Darcy continued: 

As he discussed the Smollett case, Hannity also brought up the “three-and-a-half-year Russia lie against Donald Trump” to claim the supposed dishonesty from the press “never ends.” 

Similar attempts are being made to portray the insurrection at US Capitol on January 6th as a hoax. The Omicron version is being presented as a hoax by Democrats to steal the election. 

Naturally, Russia’s probe, insurrection and Covid are all part of the Russia investigation. Not examples of hoaxes.

CNN does not admit that the dominant narrative about Trump’s era, that Trump conspired with Russia to win the 2016 election, was false. CNN’s Democrat minions spread conspiracies funded by Hillary Clinton, beginning with the phony Steele dossier. 

Darcy was not going to discuss what CNN did against conservatives when Smollett’s story fell apart. Following the guilty verdicts were announced, conservative Twitter repeated Brian Stelter’s assertions that “we may not know the truth” which seemed a bit too smug for journalists who proclaim to be pro-truth. 

Cool. You were there on that fateful night. Smollett’s group claims he was the victim a hate crime. Police dispute this. The alleged attack is not captured on video. We may never find out what actually happened.

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 26, 2019

The “CNN Media Unit,” which should examine the current state of “mainstream media”, that incessantly claims it is pro-truth, should do a more thorough examination. It should not have immediately rushed to judgment when someone cried “hate crime in MAGA hats,” without confirming basic facts. But instead, Fox News has made it clear that Trump is horrible, Trump is awful, and the United States has never done any wrong. 

PS. Darcy wasn’t involved with Fox News reporting Black Lives Matter released a stupid statement saying they couldn’t believe the police.

CNN’s @oliverdarcyHannity was shamed by Hannity’s observation that Smollett was a hoax, and how the media wasted their time. Fox News reported the BLM statement by Darcy that supported the hoax. Darcy was not a pro-truth advocate. pic.twitter.com/daJZneS2Uh

— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) December 11, 2021