98 Comments

We've gone from "alternative facts" to "alternative fact-checking." Yikes. Thanks, Judd, for helping to correctly correct the record.

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Kessler has "both-sidesed" fact checking.

He can only call out Trump if he counterweights it with a fluff fact check about every Democrat everywhere.

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Well said!

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founding

Thank you for "fact checking" Glenn Kessler, who is shown to twist and mislead us. Ten years ago Kessler won awards and praise while at the Washington Post--now he has to resort to an unfair style of reporting. "Demonstrating that they are unbiased and treat both sides — Republicans and Democrats — equally. This is where the trouble starts." Would it be fair to say that he's no longer doing his job?

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Is it because WaPo leadership has been infiltrated by a Rupert-trained arse? Rupert is the expert in knowing how to make Schitt smell like roses and roses smell like Schitt.

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On the love letter point, he is fact checking something Clinton didn't even say. She only "SUGGESTED" that Trump sent love letters. Her actual statement "[Harris] won't be sending love letters to dictators" is a forecast of Harris' future behavior (and so not subject to fact checking); probably an accurate one.

Has the WP ever fact-checked Trump's suggestions?

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Kessler has always had a double standard. A lie by Trump is a rhetorical flourish, while an artfully stated truth by a democrat is misleading. Kessler has hone the art of misleading through twisting both words and logic to benefit Republicans.

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They just pretend that chump’s outright vicious slander and lies are hyperbole (not intended to deceive) when that is exactly what they are. Their only purpose is to deceive

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This horse shit is why we no longer trust sources who in the past we could trust.

WaPo printed a false series of articles in early 80s on an 8yr old heroin addict. There was a Pulitzer involved. When the falseness of the story became known. WaPo took the hit. Admitted their mistake, declined the Pulitzer.

Did the correct thing.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say media is responsible for the 16 election.

Russian involvement, NRA money laundering, Troll farms, FBI WAS investigating Trump, too.

All of these and more on Trump could have been investigated by good reporters.

I’m not saying Democrats should not be fact checked, but they are not in the same ballpark as Donald Trump&the embarrassing troops of ill informed ppl in Congress he brought in with him.

There’s also the misogyny&Hillary hate, even by women. NYT Maggie Haberman&Maureen Dowd. As it’s been proven Hillary Clinton was right about so much, can’t the press be a bit gracious?

If Trump(a convicted felon, sexual assaulter, provocateur of an insurrection)is reelected after the gross harm he’s done, it’s on the press.

BTW we were all home watching when Trump said the bleach/disinfectant thing.

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Excellent memory. It’s like Orwell said (I think) of practiced liars - are you going to believe me or your lying eyes. We also watched Jan 6, and I stupidly thought that there was no way they could lie about that. Well, smack me down.

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Unfortunately, not only can't they be gracious because she was right all along, they can't acknowledge because that would mean they were bamboozled. And NYT reporters/columnists are simply too smart to be fooled.

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As a matter of fact, some of the NYT reporters are so smart, they don't even have to travel to where news happens to get the facts to write their coverage. In some cases, they don't even have to leave their house, but miraculously channel facts and descriptions nearly identically worded to other reporters, then send them on to print.

https://www.salon.com/2014/04/09/jayson_blair_judy_miller_and_the_shrinking_new_york_times/

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Dowd must be on chump’s payroll.

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The Democratic Convention is going on in Chicago where I live. I never watch one of many right-wing-owned stations. When I turned on the news, they talked about the protesters and then showed trump tiredly saying under Kamala crime will go up. Well, it’s been coming down under Biden/Harris. But these effing stations shouldn’t even play that kind of BS. I’ll take Biden underestimating but not a 34-count felon lying over and over. I always shut off the tv until that fool is off. By the way, the city of Chicago has replaced all of our lead pipes recently…probably still going on. Major undertaking. So I didn’t realize Biden had overestimated there. I AM witnessing tremendous infrastructure upgrades thanks to Biden/Harris.

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Agreed fellow city dweller. I'm over here in Hyde Park.

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Hello Adam! I’m in Lincoln Square. My mom’s best friend lived at 5100 block of S Blackstone Ave…so I spent a lot of time in your area as a kid.

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Hey there SR. I lived up north for 25+ years and spent a lot of time in your area as well. Are we well met? Lol.

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Aug 21·edited Aug 21

Agreed! We're all seeing the benefits of Biden's bill, respect to improving our infrastructure; but imo, not enough of the press is reporting on it & the many road & other projects that will improve lives for the people living in these areas; especiallyred states. For the republican legislators taking credit for the dollars flowing into their state coffers, when they voted against it, shame on you!

The press should be reporting about the benefits brought to our nation through Biden's efforts & report on which legislators voted against it.

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Agree 1000%. Just shows who owns the media

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Right-wing Billionaires have apparently been busy acquiring media outlets.

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I cancelled by subscription to The Washington Post when it turned tables on the truth with the change in management. What a shame! It used to be a wonderful newspaper.

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Same here. I refuse to give my money to support a paper that consistently bends into pretzels to accomodate MAGA while rushing to bash Democrats.

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Margaret, so did I.

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Me too.

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Thank you for fact checking the fact checker, Judd. The media's 'both siderism' is outrageous.

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The Washington Post and the New York times used to be my go-to for accurate information. I have canceled my subscription to both papers several months ago. I could not take the one-sided reporting. This is just more corporate greed. They are looking after their own interest and have completely forgotten their mission. It's a shame because they are indeed or were The 4th estate.

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Like so many in the MSM, Kessler isn’t and doesn’t have to be a real reporter who digs for a story. He has a secure platform, a guaranteed audience that comes with a paper of record and a mission to “tell both sides” of the story. As you and pretty much the rest of the non-MSM world have been pointing out for far too long, the forced both sides narrative is not only wrong but it is dangerous. It helped get us the Trump presidency, helped to undermine Joe Biden and the phenomenal achievements of his administration and is on the same track with the Harris-Walz ticket (thankfully with less success). The why of this anti-democratic both sides reporting isn’t completely clear and there have been myriad theories all of which probably are a part of the whole truth. What ever the reasons, the damage to our democracy is real.

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There's a simple explanation for the Washington Post spinning the facts.

"Why Is Bezos owned Washington Post Defending Price Gouging? Follow the money!"

https://thedemlabs.org/2024/08/20/why-is-bezos-owned-washington-post-defending-price-gouging-follow-the-money/

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I hope this report is picked up by all the national and local media, like so many of your wonderful in depth investigations.

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This is Spot-on and echoes much of what I wrote to friends yesterday. And the Washington Post is undermining its tagline, "Democracy Dies in Darkness" with its bothsidesism in political reporting and commentary.

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The tagline has changed from a warning to a goal statement.

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Thank you Judd. This is the height of “spin” in fact checking! This kind of journalism is what pushes distrust in our media.

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As a WaPo subscriber, from comments I've read on Kessler's articles, he has a rep for being something of a GOP sympathizer. He's no George Will, however.

Since Sally Buzbee was forced out in early June, WaPo seems to be lurching more to the Right. Having said that, I keep my subscription due to my appreciation of Jennifer Rubin & Phil Bump, who collectively rub my confirmation bias most deliciously.

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founding

What about Eugene Robinson? I no longer subscribe to WaPo but see and hear Robinson share his thoughtfulness on "Mornin' Joe."

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Absolutely! Eugene is way solid; but Rubin, and especially Bump, make me laugh a lot more.

Maureen Dowd has still got it going on, as well.

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My, how you talk. Those names so noted.

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Maybe when Trump feels like he had the greatest economy in the world he really means he accrued greater personal income than in previous years? We know he only cares about himself and his family.

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