We are often told that mainstream editors and reporters slant their coverage of Donald Trump and his supporters to make it as negative as possible. In case you think that that assertion is all right-wing propaganda, here is an example of slant and cant by Reuters:
That any criminality has occurred is a point of contention. While president, Trump had power to declassify anything, according to past precedent. The fact that he may not have followed bureaucratic procedures has been raised as an issue by the government, with, Reuters says, appellate judges apparently agreeing.
Though the word "claim" is a perfectly respectable synonym for "assertion," the media tend to use it when the reporter wishes to imply the falseness of a statement. As a copy desk chief once said to me, "When you use the word 'claim,' you call a man a liar."
It's quite unfortunate that Trump haters taint Reuters work so severely -- because the agency has many very professional people doing solid work, including coverage of the Russo-Ukraine war. When we see such distortions about Trump, we must face the question of how much misrepresentation might be going on in the agency's seemingly exemplary war coverage.
It is perfectly acceptable that news persons have political preferences, even to the point of hatred of a politician. What is unacceptable is the unprofessional practice of "grinding an ax" as opposed to keeping the facts straight.
Donald Trump's bid to impede a criminal investigation into his possession of documents taken from the White House has begun to unravel, legal experts said, after courtroom setbacks including doubts expressed by judges about the former president's claim that he declassified records seized at his Florida home.The writer has it that Trump is bidding to impede a criminal investigation. Yet, an objective statement would be that he is attempting to keep attorney-client privileged files away from government agents. It is the Justice Department that asserts that Trump is merely trying to impede a criminal probe.
That any criminality has occurred is a point of contention. While president, Trump had power to declassify anything, according to past precedent. The fact that he may not have followed bureaucratic procedures has been raised as an issue by the government, with, Reuters says, appellate judges apparently agreeing.
Though the word "claim" is a perfectly respectable synonym for "assertion," the media tend to use it when the reporter wishes to imply the falseness of a statement. As a copy desk chief once said to me, "When you use the word 'claim,' you call a man a liar."
It's quite unfortunate that Trump haters taint Reuters work so severely -- because the agency has many very professional people doing solid work, including coverage of the Russo-Ukraine war. When we see such distortions about Trump, we must face the question of how much misrepresentation might be going on in the agency's seemingly exemplary war coverage.
It is perfectly acceptable that news persons have political preferences, even to the point of hatred of a politician. What is unacceptable is the unprofessional practice of "grinding an ax" as opposed to keeping the facts straight.
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