A Rewrite

The New York Times was once considered a journalistic icon—America's newspaper of record. Today, it has devolved in the house organ for the Obama administration—loath to ask penetrating questions, incurious to a level of malfeasance, and hostile to anyone or any entity that has the temerity to ask questions about the goings-on inside the administration.

As a follow-up to my last post, "Takes One", a story featured in yesterday's New York Times is just another laughable example of media bias and by extension and indication of how important national stories are buried, but less important local stories that reflect badly on persona non gratia (in this case, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey who was once a potential challenger for Hillary Clinton) get heavy, heavy play.

In a featured 2,500 word piece (quite long by newspaper standards) The New York Times reports:

Mr. Christie and his allies at the Port Authority are now entangled in a scandal over the closing of lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge — apparently a politically motivated move aimed at Mr. Sokolich [Mayor of Fort Lee, NJ], who had declined to endorse the governor. But long before the lane closings, the Port Authority — a bistate government agency financed by tolls and taxes — had already been turned into a de facto political operation for Governor Christie, a review of the agency’s operations since Mr. Christie took office suggests.

Let's assume that the NYT story is 100% accurate. It's worth publishing, for sure. It might even be worth 2, 3 or more stories (and the NYT has already published them). No problem with any of that.

But what is ironic, and in fact, downright troubling is that this venerable newspaper refuses to cover the Obama administration's IRS scandal (or Benghazi, or the DoJ targeting of journalists or ...) with anywhere near the number of words, column inches, or emphasis.

Let's rewrite the above NYT extract just bit:

Mr. Obama and his allies throughout the administration and the IRS are now entangled in a scandal over targeting opponents of the president during an election year — apparently a politically motivated move aimed at conservative groups, who had declined to endorse the president. But long before the current IRS scandal, the Justice Department — a government agency financed by taxes — had already been turned into a de facto political operation for Barack Obama, a review of a series of events and released documents since Mr. Obama took office suggests.

There. That wasn't so hard, was it? Even a layman like me can repurpose the NYT's words to tell an important national story.

The NYT and virtually all of Obama's trained hamsters in the media seem obsessed with the Christie story—a local scandal that does not have significant national implications—except for the political aspirations of the governor. But weaponizing the IRS—one of the most powerful agencies in the federal government, using that agency to harass groups and individuals who have differing political views, and then stonewalling so that the truth is buried—nah, that's not interesting or newsworthy at all. 2,500 words? Not a chance. Front page coverage, never!