Although the media was not immune to slurred remarks and negative comments in 2021 there were instances when entire networks or reporters deliberately mislead audiences.
Below is the MRC’s roundup of some of the worst intentional media deceptions from the past year:
CBS’s 60 minutesRon DeSantis Makes Ron Look Guilty by Editing Him Deceptively
Also in April, CBS’s 60 Minutes ran a report attempting to give the impression that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was embroiled in a pay-to-play scheme involving covid vaccine distribution. It was argued that only a few retailers could be approved as vaccine distributors by the Governor.
Sharon Alfonsi of CBS confronted the Governor at a press conference about the charge. His team edited the majority of his answers, creating the false impression that DeSantis could not respond to the allegations beyond simply denying them.
The Washington PostThe Border Denies Reality
Back in April, The Washington Post ran a piece by a trio of liberal professors titled, “There is no migrant ‘surge’ at the U.S. southern border.” Despite the headline, the piece actually attempted to offer excuses for the significant increase in border crossings, while simultaneously refusing to classify the spike as a “surge.”
The Post would later change the headline to: “The migrant ‘surge’ at the U.S. southern border is actually a predictable pattern.”
CNN: Joe Rogan Treats His Colvid with Horse Dewormer
When popular podcaster Rogan caught covid, he released a video announcing that he was treating it with Ivermectin – an oral medication that people take for parasitic infections. However, it’s also used in far higher doses to treat livestock for worms.
CNN spotted this, and started to claim that Rogan was using a horse deworming product for his coronavirus. Rogan was rebuked by other media outlets, as well as Rogan himself, for the dishonest way they presented the facts. Erik Wemple (Washington Post) approached CNN for comment. They responded in this part:
“The only thing CNN did wrong here was bruise the ego of a popular podcaster who pushed dangerous conspiracy theories and risked the lives of millions of people in doing so.”
NBC Edits a 911 Call in a Deceptive Way While Reporting on a Police Shooting
A Colombus police officer killed Makiyah Bryant (16 years old) while she was just seconds away from stabbing another girl. NBC Nightly News removed the part of the 911 call where Bryant attempted to stab others. They framed Bryant’s attempt at stabbing the police as a defense.
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