[Karah Rucker]
WHEN DOES A LOCAL POLITICAL SCANDAL BECOME ***BIG ENOUGH TO MAKE NATIONAL NEWS?
THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN VIRGINIA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE IS AT THE CENTER OF CONTROVERSY — AFTER OLD TEXT MESSAGES FROM 2022 RESURFACED.
HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT IT?
MAYBE NOT….AND THAT’S EXACTLY THE POINT.
THE TYPE OF MEDIA BIAS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS ONE OF THE HARDEST TO SPOT —
BECAUSE IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SEE…
IT’S WHAT YOU DON’T.
AND WE WENT LOOKING FOR IT—SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO.
THE STORY THAT’S BEEN OVERSATURATED ON THE RIGHT –
AND SILENCED ON THE LEFT.
WELCOME TO BIAS BREAKDOWN.
FIRST – SOME BACKGROUND.
THIS IS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR VIRGINIA STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL – JAY JONES.
AND THESE ARE TEXT MESSAGES HE SENT BACK IN 2022 – OBTAINED BY THE NATIONAL REVIEW.
THE TEXTS SHOW JONES – A DEMOCRAT – TEXTING DEROGATORY MESSAGES ABOUT VIRGINIA’S FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER TODD GILBERT – A REPUBLICAN.
SOME MESSAGES IMPLIED VIOLENCE – SUCH AS GILBERT GETTING “TWO BULLETS TO THE HEAD.”
ANOTHER SAYS GILBERT AND HIS WIFE ARE “BREEDING LITTLE FASCISTS” REFERRING TO HIS CHILDREN.
WHEN THE COLLEAGUE HE WAS TEXTING CHALLENGED HIM ON LANGUAGE THAT WISHED HARM TO THOSE CHILDREN, JONES RESPONDED, “YES — ONLY WHEN PEOPLE FEEL PAIN PERSONALLY DO THEY MOVE ON POLICY.”
[JAY JONES |DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL]
“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics. I’m so deeply, deeply sorry for what I said. I wish that it hadn’t happened, and I would take it back if I could.”
BEFORE THE TEXTS SURFACED, POLLS SHOWED JONES LEADING HIS REPUBLICAN OPPONENT BY SIX POINTS.
AFTER THE MESSAGES CAME TO LIGHT ON OCTOBER THIRD, THAT LEAD SHRANK TO JUST ONE POINT.
THAT’S THE STORY.
PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
BUT THE MEDIA SHOWED THEIR POLITICAL CARDS — NOT JUST IN HOW THEY COVERED IT…
BUT IN HOW THEY DIDN’T.
LAST WEEK –
THIS STORY DIDN’T HIT THE AIRWAVES ON ABC OR CBS NEWS’ MORNING OR EVENING NEWSCASTS.
AND ROUNDING OUT THE BIG THREE NETWORKS –
ON NBC NEWS – IT WAS BRIEFLY MENTIONED ONCE ON THEIR SUNDAY SHOW “MEET THE PRESS.”
BUT IT WAS ONLY BROUGHT UP WHEN A REPUBLICAN GUEST AT THE ROUNDTABLE MADE MENTION OF IT.
This week it came to light that a democrat candidate for attorney general state of Virginia called for the assassination of a political opponent, called for the assassination of that political opponent’s family, and there’s not one national democrat calling for him to step aside, not one, it’s disgraceful.”
THEN YOU’VE GOT THE SHOW HOST KRISTEN WELKER EVEN SAYING SHE BELIEVED THE STORY WOULD BE A “BIG ONE” IN THE COMING DAYS.
“Let me let you respond to that because that is going to be a big story in the coming days.”
BUT NOT BIG ENOUGH OF A STORY TO MAKE IT IN ANY OTHER BROADCASTS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
OTHER LEFT-LEANING OUTLETS SILENT OVER THE STORY INCLUDE –
NPR, PBS, THE DAILY BEAST. AND WHILE THERE WAS NO PRIMETIME COVERAGE ON CNN OR MSNBC – OTHER SHOWS ON THESE TWO NETWORKS DID COVER IT.
RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA WERE QUICK TO CRITICIZE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA’S SILENCE.
LIKE THIS FOX NEWS ARTICLE POINTING OUT THE NEW YORK TIMES HADN’T COVERED THE STORY FIVE DAYS INTO THE SCANDAL.
LATER THAT SAME DAY, THE TIMES PUBLISHED ITS FIRST PIECE ON THE UNEARTHED TEXT MESSAGES.
COVERAGE FROM RIGHT NETWORKS STAYED WITHIN THIS SAME THEME –
AND IT FLOODED THEIR AIRWAVES.
THE PUBLIC’S AWARENESS OF THIS STORY WOULD VARY SIGNIFICANTLY BASED ON NEWS CONSUMPTION HABITS.
THOSE WHO RELY PRIMARILY ON LEFT-LEANING OUTLETS MAY HAVE HEARD LITTLE — IF ANYTHING — ABOUT IT.
WHILE THOSE WHO PRIMARILY CONSUME NEWS FROM THE RIGHT – PROBABLY HEARD THIS STORY MORE THAN ONCE – AS IT’S BECOME EVEN MORE PREVALENT AFTER THE SILENCE FROM THE LEFT.
WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SORT OF MEDIA BIAS BEFORE.
THIS IS KNOWN AS BIAS BY OMISSION.
IT OCCURS WHEN NEWS OUTLETS “NEGLECT TO COVER CERTAIN STORIES THAT DON’T SUPPORT THEIR POLITICAL NARRATIVE.”
WHEN A STORY LIKE THIS BREAKS, NEWSROOMS HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE —
IS IT BIG ENOUGH TO COVER?
IS THERE NATIONAL RELEVANCE?
LOCAL ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL SCANDALS DON’T ALWAYS MAKE NATIONAL HEADLINES.
BUT WHEN YOU START TO NOTICE A PATTERN —
WHERE ONE SIDE OF THE MEDIA STAYS SILENT,
AND THE OTHER CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT —
THAT’S WHEN IT BECOMES MORE THAN AN EDITORIAL DECISION BUT A **STRATEGIC ONE.
WHILE THIS CENTERS AROUND A STATE ELECTION WHICH NARROWS ITS SCOPE OF NATIONAL RELEVANCE –
VIRGINIA **IS LARGELY SEEN AS A “PURPLE STATE” BECAUSE REALLY IT’S POLITICAL MAKEUP IS A PRETTY FAIR MIX OF RED AND BLUE.
SO THE STAKES ARE ALREADY HIGH.
AND A STORY LIKE THIS ONE – COULD SWAY VOTERS.
IT’S A NEGATIVE STORY ABOUT A CANDIDATE ON THE LEFT –
AND LARGELY IGNORED BY MEDIA ON THE LEFT.
IT’S A STORY THAT’S POLITICALLY BENEFICIAL FOR THE RIGHT –
AND LARGELY OVERSATURATED ON THOSE CHANNELS.
WHILE EVERY NEWSROOM HAS THE RIGHT TO MAKE ITS OWN DECISIONS ON WHAT TO COVER AND WHAT NOT TO –
WHEN THERE ARE SUCH BLATANT **PATTERNS IN WHOSE TALKING ABOUT IT AND WHO ISN’T – THAT’S LIKELY NOT JUST A COINCIDENCE –
BUT BIAS BY DESIGN.
HOWEVER – SOMETIMES – THERE IS SOME CROSSOVER.
NOT ALL OUTLETS STAY IN THEIR PARTISAN LANES –
DEFYING PATTERNS OF BIAS.
THIS HAPPENED ON MSNBC – WHEN THEIR MORNING SHOW HOST JOE SCARBOROUGH DIDN’T JUST COVER IT – BUT ALSO CONDEMNED IT.
Coming up an attorney general candidate is virginia is apologizing for texts about a state lawmaker. Yeah, he should probably be forced to withdraw from the race. And probably is doing a lot there.”
SCARBOROUGH ALSO POSTED ON X –
CALLING JONES’ TEXTS “DISQUALIFYING. END OF STORY.”
AND SAYING “These times are too fraught to mumble non-answers or political justifications for any candidate’s such violent rhetoric.”
RESEARCHING THIS STORY REMINDED ME OF ANOTHER POLITICAL SCANDAL – WHEN SOME PARTS OF FORMER **REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANTOS’ PAST CAME TO LIGHT.
THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED ON THE FALSE CLAIMS THE CONGRESSMAN MADE ABOUT HIS PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND.
THOSE FABRICATIONS PROMPTED FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS, WHICH UNCOVERED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY — INCLUDING FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING — LEADING TO FORMAL CHARGES.
WHILE THAT CASE IS **DIFFERENT IN **MANY WAYS FROM THIS CURRENT VIRGINIA A-G CANDIDATE’S PAST BEING DUG UP –
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTERS WHO FIRST BROKE THE SANTOS STORY –
SOUNDED OFF AT THE TIME ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEDIA’S ROLE IN HELPING TO HOLD THOSE IN POWERFUL POSITIONS **ACCOUNTABLE IN FAIR MEDIA COVERAGE.
GRACE ASHFORD TOLD THE NBC-U ACADEMY –
“Media attention certainly does bring notoriety, but it also can bring accountability. I think the trick is remembering to ask why you are writing the story — whether it reveals corruption, criminality or a broken system — or if it is simply for the spectacle.
We control framing, narrative, inclusion, exclusion. Everyone is complicit by making these small and large decisions every day.”
THAT MEDIA DECISION ON WHETHER A STORY IS WORTH THE AIRTIME — TO BE INCLUDED OR EXCLUDED –
IS ONE THAT DESERVES TO BE SCRUTINIZED.
BECAUSE THE NEWS — WHEN DONE RIGHT — AND WITH POLITICAL FAVORITISM ASIDE —
CAN BE A TRUE **SERVICE FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND PARTISAN POLITICS BLEEDING INTO JOURNALISM THROUGH THIS FORM OF MEDIA BIAS NEEDS TO BE CALLED OUT.
AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO CALL IT OUT –
NO MATTER WHAT SIDE OF THE MEDIA IS TAKING PART IN THIS FORM OF SELECTIVE STORYTELLING –
AS WE DID EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN IT WAS SOME RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA SILENT OVER A STORY.
You’ll notice the epstein story was almost no where to be found on fox. A lot of tv hosts are terrified of what to say and how to say it because they don’t want to lose their audience or piss off the white house.”
“Fox news dominates in viewership and right now there audience is hearing very little on epstein.”
THINKING ABOUT WHAT I HOPE YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE…
I HOPE THIS SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE MEDIA PLAYS A ROLE IN PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING.
THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE ON *WHO YOU GET YOUR NEWS FROM AND **WHAT NEWS YOU TRUST —- MATTERS.
BECAUSE YOU’LL BE INFORMED **DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING ON WHO IS TELLING THE STORY –
OR IF THEY ARE EVEN TELLING YOU THE STORY AT ALL.
AND THAT’S YOUR BIAS BREAKDOWN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.
IF YOURE NEW HERE THEN WELCOME. STAY AWHILE. AND LETS CHAT ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS WEEK’S STORY!
FIND US ON YOUR PREFERRED PODCAST PLATFORM. WHEREVER YOU LIKE TO LISTEN.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN THE COMMENT SECTION OF OUR EPISODE POSTED TO YOUTUBE.
AND WE’RE STARTING TO GET MORE TRACTION ON SPOTIFY AS WELL — SO I SEE YOU AS WELL AND ILL REPLY BACK TO SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS OR VIEWER FEEDBACK ON YOUTUBE AND SPOTIFY AFTER OUR EPISODES DROP.
THE LAST FEW WEEKS FOR ME HAVE FELT SO GOOD BECAUSE REALLY THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN SO ENCOURAGING!
ME AND THE TEAM REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.
I RESPONDED BACK TO SEVERAL OF YOU LAST WEEK OVER OUR GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN STORY AND THE MEDICAID AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT STICKING POINT. LOTS OF REALLY GOOD AND THOUGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES OVER THE STORY THAT I HADNT EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT. IM HOPING WE CAN REVISIT THAT TOPIC IN A FUTURE EPISODE BASED AROUND THAT FEEDBACK.
AND REMEMBER ANY SORT OF LIKE OR THUMBS UP OR COMMENT OR RATING YOU CAN GIVE US — ALGORITHMS LOVE THAT. SO IT HELPS US OUT.
BIG THANK YOU TO JACK HENRY THIS WEEK WHO FILLED IN FOR IAN KENNEDY ON OUR VIDEO EDITS.
AND THANKS TO ALI FOR OUR GRAPHICS.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!! SEE YA NEXT TIME!!
