If you watched President Biden's press conference yesterday and watch cable TV this

[Atticus]

morning, you have to be amazed at the mischaracterizations and repeated GOP talking points.

The talking heads are asking with some alarm whether Joe blundered and "gave permission" to Putin to invade Ukraine by mentioning the possibility of a "minor incursion" and stating his frank assessment that, despite what it will cost him, Putin would likely cross the border.

I have heard no reference to the specific question, later in the presser, asking Joe if he intended to "give permission" to Putin to invade. He then explained that a "cyber" assault was one of the possibilities and the response could also be cyber.

For whatever reason, it seems to be "open season" on President Biden. While most of the biased comments are not direct attacks, the "just asking" approach used for years by right-wing media has now spread to the main stream.

I thought President Biden's remarks were refreshingly blunt and honest. For example, contrast his statement that, yes, there were things in his administration's covid response that could have been better or more timely, but this was because science was dealing with a brand new virus and it was a learning process. He acknowledged that, while covid would be defeated, it had not yet been and that the struggle was difficult.

Contrast that with Trump's repeated assurances that we should just not worry about covid, it would just magically disappear by Easter and that the warmth of summer would eradicate it.

Yes, the media absolutely should be reporting on the Biden administration's successes AND failures. I just wish there were fewer on-air personalities starting to sound like Tucker Carlson.

[Darwin2019]

1. I thought Joe did well

He attacked the Repubs for doing nothing.

[Walleye]

2. I have had it with these lazy, overpaid talking heads

Personally, I think many of them are still afraid of Trump. Lately I’ve been delving into the world of black-and-white watching 50s westerns and murder mysteries. Better for my blood pressure. And who doesn’t wanna watch a young Clint Eastwood or Steve McQueen mount a horse

[Alexander Of Assyria]

20. The mass media puppets sent to the WH are there to distort, not report. That's painfully

obvious by now and Biden knows it.

Biden would welcome any and all intelligent questions and followup questions, but there are few because the messengers of the corporate bosses have their marching orders.

The American mass media is like a military organization. Need to focus on the Commanders and and commissioned officers of mass media…not just these PFC infantrymen.

[Walleye]

21. The thing is Biden loves to discuss policy. They just want to pester him with this petty bullshit

[Alexander Of Assyria]

25. Petty bullshit is the lifeblood of social media, mass media has decided to serve

the lowest common denominator of intelligence.

And we all suffer, no matter the general intelligence of the country.

Personally am offended at the relentless assault of science intelligence facts and logic.

Almost like the Big 3 support fascists, but that’s ridiculous, right?

[Walleye]

28. I think they want to please the people at the top of the power structure

They’ve given up questioning their morals and motives and are just going for popularity

[Alexander Of Assyria]

33. Yes sir...and if reporters don't please the CEOs, they get fired and replaced. They all know it.

Want more evidence, tho none is needed?

Fascist from top to bottom, on purpose:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216259475

[Lovie777]

3. Ya know they were going to do this . . .

any peek at what mcturle said on corporate media?

Also ABC was showing the GQP congratulating AZ want to be GQP

[Alexander Of Assyria]

22. And look at ATT gleefully hosting fascist OAN...that's a big clue where all American

mega corporate sympathies truly are.

Fascism is nothing without corporate support.

[Haggard Celine]

4. He did a great job.

I knew they would say something about his candid assessment of Putin's strategy. I thought at the time he said it that maybe he was being a little too honest. But really, he didn't say anything that pundits and regular folks have not been saying. Either Putin will attack or he won't. There isn't much we can do about it. We just have to be prepared for what he does.

[Walleye]

31. " his team had to clean up that statement."

About the minor Russian incursion. The news people really were cleaning up after their own mistake. If they just listened to what he said, they wouldn’t have reported it wrong. He said a minor incursion was like a cyber attack. Somehow that didn’t make the evening news

[whathehell]

37. In it's first 20 minutes, the MJ group did NOTHING but harp on

a possible perception of "weakness" in Biden's tiny 'walkback' on Russia/Ukraine..I'm beyond disgusted.

[spanone]

5. The media wants tfg back. They fed off the chaos.

[maryellen99]

15. I agree

They also want Russia to invade Ukraine and E Europe because they want the chaos.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

24. Yes. Also feed off the dark money and Citizens United floodgate of ad money.

Don’t think they would like anyone turning those spigots of green off.

[samnsara]

6. i have sworn off cable news but had to check them out this am and on the 2 channels..

... i checked, both were talking about what joe shouldnt have done or what he should have done.


idiots

[Walleye]

23. I always say any 12-year-old can tell you what you should've done after it's all over

[dwayneb]

7. Have no sympathy for the talking heads - but

For sure they are only there to feather their own nests and the more sensational their statements, the better.

But Biden does have a problem with imprecise speech. He does not articulate ideas clearly and unambiguously and makes himself a target for all sorts of second guessing about his statements.

It's not just the talking heads that had a problem with Biden's confusing statement about Ukraine. It was the Ukrainians that made the statement about "green lighting" Putin. That is a lot more concerning that what the "analysts" on cable news say.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/russia-could-act-against-ukraine-at-any-moment-says-us

"There was an immediate dismayed reaction from Kyiv on Biden’s choice of words, and his suggestion that a “minor incursion” would divide Nato and draw an uncertain response. One Ukrainian official told CNN it “gives the green light to Putin to enter Ukraine at his pleasure”.

[Atticus]

10. When a situation is chaotic and your adversary is a sinister ex-KGB operative,

being imprecise and ambiguous is often just unvarnished honesty. I know that's not what the world---including our press---has come to expect from our President, but I think it is just treating us like thinking adults.

[Walleye]

32. Did the Ukrainians react to Biden speech or the pundits characterization of it

[doc03]

8. They attack Biden when he says he could have done things differently

sometimes, being honest is a crime I guess. Trump admitted doing anything wrong ever and
took no responsibility for anything. He would have been calling any reporter that ask him a question he didn't
like stupid and would have stormed out in a few minutes.

[FloridaBlues]

9. I was thrilled to hear Pres Biden talk about how cable news viewers are tuning out. Ratings low.

Probably got under their skin?

[Alexander Of Assyria]

27. Cable news on the left or right, ofc, massively more on the rw...has abandoned any shred

of intelligence in favour of catering to the stupid…so much more profitable, the stupid need little convincing.

[PortTack]

36. Agree.. i for one refuse to watch. Tank their ratings..turn it off!

[BigBearJohn]

11. I got so pissed off at Morning Joe this morning that I was spitting nails. I wrote an email to MSNBC

Scarborough is such a pompous ass.

[Raster]

13. I USED TO WATCH Morning Joe... can't watch anymore.

I used to watch MSNBC *exclusively* for news and commentary. I have not watched MSNBC since the innaguration, and have no plans to return.

[BigBearJohn]

14. I loved what your footnote says about why you never watch Fox News. I'm going to steal it.

[Raster]

40. Please do! I also have it on a t-shirt that I wear as often as possible in Mesa, AZ.

As. Often. As. Possible.

[Rebl2]

35. So is

Savanna Guthrie. She interviewed Vice President Harris and she was so rude to her. Guthrie would ask her a question and Harris would get in a couple of sentences and Guthrie would interrupt, not letting her complete her answer. She was in such a hurry to get all her dumbass questions asked she ruined the interview. She was reminded me of Chris Matthews.

[Sherman A1]

12. Which is why I never watch cable noise infotaiment drama TV

I continue to be amazed by the bandwidth such channels still receive here?

[Raven123]

16. Unwarranted, unrelenting criticism.

I am particularly disgusted with Jake Tapper’s critique of Biden’s warning about the potential issues with the 2022 elections. Comparing Biden’s warning in the face of laws passed by various states with Trump’s eternal BS was enough for me to tune out.

[Roc2020]

17. President Biden PC was great

He stood answered all the questions and made that Newsmax reporter look like a complete buffoon. A solid A. The cable news talking heads are only in it for ratings.

[hunter]

18. Quitting television news is easy.

Disconnect your television's antenna and quit paying your cable bill.

My wife and I quit a long time ago. My wife was never a fan of television news so it was easy for her. I quit television news in disgust shortly after September 11, 2001. We read all our news.

Yeah, I'm one of those "cut the cord" evangelists on the internet and I also do it in real life, sometimes to the point of rudeness, especially when someone is blathering on about something they soaked up from Fox News. I'll say things like, "Why do you watch that shit?"

My wife and I have had minimal Netflix streaming for many years and we tend to flit about other streaming services, all of them commercial free. We can also cast stuff to our television from our laptops.

The young people in our family -- our children, nephews, and nieces, etc. -- pay no attention at all to "traditional" television and radio. They stream everything.

All that being said, I'm certain that the average Fox News watcher, if they quit television, would soon be directed by their Facebook and Twitter feeds to internet news sources that are even worse

[Alexander Of Assyria]

29. A few people quitting cable does not provide an immediate or even long term solution to

the mass media propaganda flood.

Quitting Twitter and Facebook, that’s better, ind addition to quitting cable.

Get streaming services…choose your news.

[Lonestarblue]

19. The media has been bought off by the wealthy, most of whom favor Republicans.

Wall Street money favors Republicans because they know there will be no regulations on how many dishonest funds, hedge funds, and schemes they can use to enrich themselves. Republicans have almost reversed the benefits of the New Deal, especially in the areas they care about, financial regulation, banking, and the mix of banking and investment that opened the door to huge bank profits, along with huge risk and the need for the government to bail then out occasionally because of their risky practices.

Republicans haven’t been able to do away with Social Security yet, though it and Medicare and Medicaid are on their hit list. If Republicans take full control again, I predict that they will privatize the postal service, a goal they’ve wanted for a long time, by giving it to a private equity formed by their big donors. They are likely to raise the age for Medicare eligibility so that fewer people have access. And they’ll cut Social Security to pay for their next big tax cut for the wealthy. They may even have enough courage to force Social Security money into the market, with all risks of losses borne by retirees while Wall Street managers take much of the money in management fees. Medicaid and other safety net programs will be on the chopping block also.

In other words, Republicans will not be satisfied until they return the country to the economic conditions of the 1920s as they lead us into the next Great Depression.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

38. Truth. Ofc never to be mentioned by the command of mass media CEOs.

Cone of Silences dangerous as dangerous as Big Lies he mass media will also barely graze in detail, not to mention the hands off approach to any details of infrastructure benefits and voting rights benefits…this is for all the People.

It’s the last 4 words that are terrifying, to some.

[Mr. Sparkle]

26. When the Democrats are in office, the media turn into a bunch of flakes.

They dont talk about the substance of what we are doing, its always about how we look doing it.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

30. Precisely. Never ever about what's IN the laws proposed...cause that's what...socialist?

That’s how they think think in mass media corporate boardrooms where the real power is…more money and power to The People means less dor them. It really is that binary.

What’s in the hundreds of pages of bills and laws For The People and nothing for the mega corporations…the beef will NOT fit into the burger buns of Twitter or a headline…they tried, have mercy!

[Baltimike]

34. The "liberal media" has been the conservative press all along. nt

[Alexander Of Assyria]

39. Yes...ofc, tho mass media was never anti-democracy so much as by obvious now, wouldn't u agree?

[erpowers]

41. I Agree With You

I listened to the first hour of the press conference while listening to the Michaelangelo Signorile show on SirusXM Progress. I did not hear the mistake the media is talking about. I thought Joe Biden made it clear that Vladimir Putin would pay a heavy price if he invaded Ukraine. I did not consider anything he said on the subject to be a blunder or as permission for Putin to invade Ukraine. I do remember him saying something about Putin possibly ordering a small incursion into Ukraine. However, I do not remember President Biden claiming nothing would happen to Putin if he only ordered a small incursion into Ukraine. Maybe he said it and I missed that statement. That is where the gaslighting appears. Is the media trying to gaslight America into believing President Biden said something he did not say?