In a jaw-dropping episode of CNN’s The Source last Thursday, host Kaitlan Collins engaged in a debate with former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-GA) and Ex-Obama official, Van Jones, that was a carnival of misinformation and blatant bias. A largely unchecked media circus that’s far too comfortable with peddling half-truths.
The focus of the discussion was Collins’s recent interview with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), particularly on the question of general election results acceptance. With similar questions being fired at Republicans left and right these days, the repetitive and biased nature of media inquiries is evident. Republican responses, pledging loyalty to election results as long as the process is fair, don’t seem to satiate the ravenous media hunger for some juicy controversy.
Collins seemed stunned that Republicans pointed out instances when key Democrats dismissed Republican victories. Jones responded to these allegations in typical kindergartener-like banter, accusing Republicans of poor sportsmanship and failing to uphold basic decency. He then waved around ungrounded examples of Democrats ‘nobly’ conceding defeat while subtly claiming foul play.
Jones’s most astonishing claim was that the Supreme Court had “robbed and ripped off” former Vice President Al Gore of the 2000 presidency. A thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory, yet presented as a fact with no obstruction whatsoever.
The glaring issue here was not the outrageous claim itself, rather Collins’s failure to contest it. She smoothly transitioned into the next question, asking Duncan why Republicans are finding it “difficult” to accept election results.
An intriguing dilemma, isn’t it? Media stoops to lows like discrediting election results when it suits their narrative, yet lectures the opposition on the same issue when the tables turn. A nauseating example of media hypocrisy at its finest.
Instead of checking false claims and scrutinizing sources, CNN seems too comfortable riding the tides of hearsay and baseless information. This is not journalism, this is narrative manufacturing at its peak. Disseminating such information under the guise of unbiased news is a deceptive disservice to the public, contributing to the ongoing distrust in media.
The sad reality here is that the public, who rely on news outlets for credible information, continue being manipulated and fed biased narratives under the umbrella of ‘informed reporting.’ The need for a fundamental change in our media culture has never been more pressing.
