The current case that has inspired this post is CBS' coverage of Trump's recent rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the land of chocolate. The news did a decent job of covering the violent Cleti, who hanker for a second civil war:
Trump supporters at the president's rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania tell CBS News their thoughts on impeachment and the possibility of his removal: "It would become the second Civil War." https://t.co/jPUmfWREbX pic.twitter.com/bzT0v9oaWN
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 11, 2019
They failed to note that some of the attendees weren't run-of-the-mill Trump supporters, but are actually right-wing alternative media figures... this is a bit of sloppy work that wouldn't pass muster if, say, someone affiliated with The Young Turks were to be featured in B-roll at an Elizabeth Warren rally. The amateur journalists are doing a better job of sussing out these characters than the major media organizations are.
This sort of thing matters- what is portrayed as a grassroots movement is a well-funded astroturf effort, national in scope. The players are known to watchers of the right-wing, but mainstream media organizations take the bait every time, to the detriment of our political process.
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