Plugging into the relentless Trump-is-Hitler narrative, Thursday’s PBS NewsHour cranked up the manufactured controversy around Justice Alito’s flag-flying choices. Supposed Supreme Court pundit Marcia Coyle and White House correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez were instrumental in this production. It all started when the Supreme Court sanctioned a Republican-backed district plan in South Carolina. But who cares about that? Coyle smoothly pivoted the conversation to two flags flying at Justice Alito’s properties, the American flag displayed upside down, and the encapsulating “Appeal to Heaven” flag hung at his beach retreat.
New York Times reporter, Jodi Kantor, initially stoked this fuss in print, dubbing Justice Alito as holdfast of January 6 ‘insurrectionist’ sympathies. Her ‘evidence’? The upside-down U.S. flag and “Appeal to Heaven” flag (featuring a lone pine beneath the eponymous phrase), apparently core symbols of the “Stop the Steal” brigade rallying around Trump’s 2020 election win.
While Justice Alito faces scrutiny over his flags, the PBS presented a distorted report, with a liberal slant. They linked the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, originally a Revolutionary War symbol, with Christian nationalism, even asserting it had connections to the Capitol riots on January 6. Their interpretation overlooks its historical significance, instead jumping at shadows of extremisms that simply aren’t there.
The PBS segment didn’t stop at attacking Alito’s flags but continued the narrative of the rising specter of “right-wing extremism.” They made sure to inject more of this one-sided view by bringing in Trump and his alleged promotion of radicalism and violence. The cherry on top was a Yale historian’s claim that Trump’s FBI ‘assassination’ accusation was a fascist strategy aimed at monopolizing victimhood.
PBS’s narrative is clear – that conservatism and traditional American symbols are painted out to be supporters of extremism. It’s a disappointing approach to journalism, especially considering your tax dollars are essentially funding this. More unbiased, balanced coverage is definitely called for in these polarizing times.
In conclusion, PBS’s recent reporting spends too much time on peripheral issues, focusing on demonizing conservatives instead of providing impartial news coverage. They seem to enjoy inciting scandal and controversy, rather than fulfilling their journalistic duty of presenting the facts and letting the audience decide. It’s essential to question these narratives which only serve to deepen the political divide in the nation and remember the importance of balanced media.
