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Karmadillo

(9,253 posts)
Wed May 18, 2016, 02:35 PM May 2016

The Faux Fracas in Nevada: How a Reporter Manufactured a Riot

More lies from the Clinton camp. Not, unfortunately, much of a surprise given the history. The supporters of a strong candidate with a solid New Deal Democratic platform wouldn't feel the need to continually make shit up.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/05/18/the-faux-fracas-in-nevada-how-a-reporters-pack-of-lies-ran-riot-in-the-fact-averse-media/

MAY 18, 2016
The Faux Fracas in Nevada: How a Reporter Manufactured a Riot
by DOUG JOHNSON HATLEM

Jon Ralston, the dean of political reporting in Nevada, has spread nothing less than a pack of lies about what went down at the state’s Democratic convention on Saturday. And the fact averse oligarchic national media has run completely riot with the provable falsehoods. No chairs were thrown at the convention Saturday. No death threats were made against the chair of the convention Roberta Lange. And Bernie Sanders delegates were not simply mad because their louder shouting was ignored.

Ralston has been the culprit behind each of these falsehoods; and the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and a dizzying array of other outlets have swallowed them whole then regurgitated them for their much more massive audiences.

While as late as 2012 Ralston could be counted on as someone with a known Liberal establishment bias who would nevertheless stand firm where it came to truth and journalistic integrity, his ethics began to slip in the years since. (And let’s be clear, refusing to write for an outlet anymore that pulled a column unfavorable to Harry Reid is honorable; waiting over two years to reveal that fact is a bit dastardly.)

Here are the details of the lies originating or spread by Ralston, followed by how they spread among the chattering elite who attempt to pass themselves off as unbiased media:

Ralston reported live from the convention for most of the day, but decided to leave before tensions boiled over. Nevertheless, it was taken as a simple fact that he had observed Sanders supporters throwing chairs when “Roberta’s Rules” were enforced with finality at the end of the proceedings. Ralston tweeted:

Jon Ralston ?@RalstonReports
Convention ended w/security shutting it down, Bernie folks rushed stage, yelling obscenities, throwing chairs. Unity Now! On to Philly 2/2
1:01 PM - 15 May 2016
427 427 Retweets 270 270 likes
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js


As it turned out, Ralston finally admitted last night that he hadn’t seen this himself but was relying especially on local reporter Andrew Davey. Davey first said he had still frames showing the chair throwing which he would publish. He has not produced the stills in question, but did retweet a still image of a chair held high that was initially posted on Reddit. I spoke with the person who posted it to Reddit and confirmed that it was grabbed from the video now widely seen which shows that other Sanders supporters quickly took away the chair in question. I asked Davey by Twitter if he still had photos to publish, then criticized him for retweeting the Reddit image instead. He blocked me.

more...

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CompanyFirstSergeant

(1,558 posts)
1. It does not need to be true...
Wed May 18, 2016, 02:39 PM
May 2016

Just a huge, outrageous lie. Therefore it will be believed.

People would rather believe a huge lie than a small truth.

 

scscholar

(2,902 posts)
8. And Clinton is probably...
Wed May 18, 2016, 03:00 PM
May 2016

jealous of him when she sees people so passionate about supporting him.

 

Doctor_J

(36,392 posts)
10. I do believe that chafes just a bit. The bank account probably soothes her somewhat, and
Wed May 18, 2016, 03:17 PM
May 2016

the party big shots seem OK with not bringing the Sanders voters in, but the enthusiasm gap must gnaw.

 

ViseGrip

(3,133 posts)
2. Well if Hillary's numbers can sink further, working with the party in this way.
Wed May 18, 2016, 02:42 PM
May 2016

I want to see this on every fucking show. He should be ashamed of himself, and he is NO reporter! He should offer himself up for the TV shows, and say he's sorry.

gordyfl

(598 posts)
9. Jon Ralston: "Convention ended w/security shutting it down, Bernie folks rushed stag".
Wed May 18, 2016, 03:17 PM
May 2016

Bernie supporters wanted "proof" chairs were thrown. Well, here it is...



felix_numinous

(5,198 posts)
11. Manufactured consent, paid trolls, votes, profiling Sanders supporters
Wed May 18, 2016, 03:27 PM
May 2016

it's a FAUX campaign, and should disqualify Clinton's legitimacy as a legal candidate NOW.

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