304 Comments
Sep 30·edited Sep 30Liked by Jay Kuo

And then today the NYT editorial board unanimously endorsed Kamala Harris. Good to hear, but they should put their editorial efforts where they belong: in their news coverage and column headers.

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The NYT endorsement is pathetic. The first 5 paragraphs are about Trump and then a bit about why Harris is the only choice because she is not Trump.

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I didn’t see the endorsement. I dropped NYT and WaPo a long time ago.

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So did I, and frankly I would prefer that they endorse no one and actually report the news as it plays itself out. Poor Harris and Walz have to struggle against the fascist press and the fascist opponents. I do not think they owe the press anything because the press is not reporting the news, they are making shit up.

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No one decides who to vote on based on a newspaper endorsement.

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I did too, and not going to re-subscribe because of said "endorsement". I smell a rat.

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Exactly and that she still needs to tell us her policies. WTF.

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From the Times "endorsement":

"Unless American voters stand up to him, Mr. Trump will have the power to do profound and lasting harm to our democracy."

Oh, it's on us voters, is it, NYT? How about if your laughable stable of political "reporters" do THEIR job as well, and faithfully report not just a rewrite of a tRump murderous rant, but the words themselves...CONTEXT, mo'fo's, CONTEXT!

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Yes, the voters need to stand up to him after the largest news media organization in the world has totally shat on this election. Shame on the NYT. How they play into the hands of fascism will go down in the history books if we even continue to have any.

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That is Kamala (pronounced comma la), Richard.

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Sep 30·edited Sep 30

Dang. Thanks. Fixed in edit.

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The main stream media has failed completely and many people are searching for reliable, and truthful, news coverage. I personally am subscribed to Substack and many other independent newsletter that have cropped up with many of them "refugees" of the large media companies. I trust these new sources.

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The MSM are doing their level best to help Trump at every turn. It's not enough for the NY Times to print an OP-ED that excoriates Trump and says he's unfit for office, but then they print articles supporting him. They want Trump to win because long term that's what helps them.

They can stage fake wwf battles while actually helping each other profit!

I can’t wait to watch Trump lose epically to a woman of color.

I can’t wait to wear this "Kamala removes stubborn orange stains" shirt on November 5th 👇

libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/votek

It’s going to be a glorious day! Everyone will be celebrating in the streets.

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Just emailed CBS as a very disappointed viewer who is taking a long hiatus from the channel. So grateful for Substack.

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Sep 30Liked by Jay Kuo

I emailed CBS as well. Their job is to produce fact based NEWS, not lie based propaganda. This is the link I used...

https://www.cbs.com/showfeedback/success/

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Thank you for the link. I just wrote them now.

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Thank you for sharing. I just sent them my opinion that they are abandoning their journalistic integrity by not fact checking the candidates.

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I did as well.

Dear CBS Leadership,

How are you absolving yourself from journalistic and civic duty by not having any fact checking during Tuesday's debate?! The truth, facts, and reality are non-partisan basic expectations. Each candidate is responsible for what comes out of his mouth; each should be held accountable for telling the truth. What on earth are you--a supposedly major news network--afraid of?

The American people deserve better; the health of our country's democracy relies on truth-telling and factual information. These things used to matter to journalists. Please have live fact checking and inform the public in the critical ways that protect and serve the values of a democratic nation. Thank you!

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thank you. I just sent an email.

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Me, too. Thanks for the link, Liz K.

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Just FYI: If you use the link, you have to use the pulldown menus to indicate what program you are referring to. I selected "Primetime" and "CBS Evening News" .

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I chose all shows and then CBS News specials

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I did make selections.

Won't let me send.

I "didn't" make selections. >:(

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Done!

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Thanks for the link! It took me several tries to send my comments until I discovered it all needed to be in the same paragraph.

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I tried to comment to them and totally failed.

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Thanks for the link!

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thanks for the link, using and sharing.

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Done

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Done.

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Thanks. Just sent an email!

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Thanks and done just now!

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Thank you.

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When I try to leave a comment it wants me to leave the category and program. But it won't let me select a program and won't let me post my comment. Very frustrated. Maybe they've gotten so many they've stopped accepting more. That would be great

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See if you can find "CBS News Specials" from the pull down options.

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Thanks for the link. I just sent them this:

Shame on you cowards for not fact checking the VP debate in real time. Your efforts to support lies will result in a Trump crony determining YOUR network's future programming. Needless to say I will no longer watch any CBS shows. Sad sad sad, but I've always known that executives are ball-less sycophants.

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Emailed! Thanks for providing the link.

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Just emailed them as well!

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It may be time to begin Boycotting CBS News Sponsor's!

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Thank you for the link. I sent a message.

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Sent them a message, too.

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deletedSep 30
Comment deleted
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It’s up above.

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When she wins, I'll probably be sobbing. Seriously. With joy, of course.

The Dems have a MASSIVE ground game. As I understand the reports I'm reading, Trump has almost nothing out there. It's all mean speeches and bad ads.

What's funny was I saw one of his mailers from a bit of a distance. All I could see on it was the name Kamala and a fairly flattering photo of her face. These people are idiots.

That's one of our secret weapons, lol.

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Sep 30Liked by Jay Kuo

I'll be a bit relieved, but the BIG relief will not come until January, when she actually takes the Oath of Office. That day, I'll probably start drinking for breakfast. LOL

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Sheesh. That’s a good point.

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I've been drinking for breakfast for a short minute these last couple of days. So fed up. It's getting downright insane and nasty......

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I will be sobbing with relief and happiness, too. It's been a long and hellish 8 years with the odious (putting it extremely mildly) Trump repeatedly getting a pass for behavior that at one time would have been excorciated, back when the media and leaders in Washington and most Americans had morals.

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The problem is that too many people actually believe the lies and are convinced that Trump is the better choice. I just don't get it but it's real. I've seen it with my own eyes.

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Looks like we've got far too many "mentally disabled" voters in this country.

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She has a hard time taking an unflattering photo!

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I want to show the world a view of joy and beauty rather than an orange piece of leather glued onto a corpse.

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Yes, but who knew there were so many of them? I'm scared.

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Unfortunately, the Trump cult is a collection of people ranging from those having below average intelligence to complete idiots. They are easily brainwashed and they’re inherent prejudices and bigotry are being fed a daily diet of violent rhetoric. They are eating up every word about “immigrant criminals slitting your throat in your kitchen“ bullshit; so with a large segment of the population being this unbearably stupid, I will be a nervous wreck until I see Kamala installed in the White House. And yes, I will be crying too, tears of joy.

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I was a wreck during the debate. I can only imagine how I’ll be during the election. Even though she kicked his ass like a prosecutor taking down a stupid criminal testifying for himself on the stand, I was exhausted at the end of it just listening to him. I’ve never heard him speak that much in one sitting. It was grueling.

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I need to stock up on sedatives and/or wine for election night. I was in the same condition in 2020 and 2016.

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I mean their, not they’re. Damn autocorrect.

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His money is going to attorneys (if they’re lucky).

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Thank you for boosting my spirits on a dark day. I still fear, but don't really believe, that he will actually win. But it's a drag on ones soul.

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We all remember how we felt in 2016. It's a reasonable, legitimate fear. The mainstream media isn't helping with their utter irresponsibility.

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That last sentence is the truth.

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I have the "removes orange stain" shirt as well. Solidarity in November. As for MSM, I have abandoned it for Substack. Who needs sane-washing propaganda in this time of fpotus's violent, authoritarian, candidacy.

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Any corporate news agency is missing the fact that no one will be immune from his vitriol and revenge.

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I’ll have to find a street to celebrate in because I’m rural but I’ll find one!

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Yes we will be! 💃🏼

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I wish I shared your Optimism about the Outcome of the election!

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We no longer call them mainstream, but corporate media. Mainstream normalizes them too much!

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We no longer say mainstream, but call it corporate media. Mainstream normalizes it too much. They are press supporting fascism.

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Substack is much more honest and reliable.

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Same here. I live in both the US, although less so, and the EU, so I keep up with world news, but am focused on this election.

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author

You can write CBS here:

CBS Evening News

524 West 57th St.

New York, NY 10019

E-MAIL: evening@cbsnews.com

Or tag them on social media @CBSNews

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Just wrote them a “sternly-worded” email, telling them that I’ve cancelled my subscription to their streaming service and will NEVER watch their network again.

If a so-called “news” organization can’t follow the basics of journalistic integrity, I can never trust them to tell the truth.

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Thanks Jay. Sent them an email.

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So what is Walz supposed to do in the face of what are bound to be Vance’s lies? Spend all his own time fact checking him, and have no time for his own answers, or ignore the lies and look as if he is condoning them?

Either way this disadvantages Walz and gives Vance carte blanche to lie his head off.

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Kamala did it perfectly in her debate by leading off with, "He's gonna lie constantly to you."

At a minimum, Walz should do the same thing in his debate with Vance. Hopefully he'll add on and say something like, "get ready for some *weird* lies," then tell people how to fact check the lies.

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I hope Walz is practicing dismissive eye rolls along with an occasional "That's a lie. Look it up."

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Walz is being prepped by Pete Buttigieg!

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I think a good opener is if Walz starts talking about how much Vance hates and fears women. Vance's foot will head right for his mouth!

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I agree. There was however some fact checking by the moderators so she didn’t have to do it all herself. Different when the mods have abrogated all responsibility for it.

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Oh, absolutely. I am most definitely not defending CBS's cowardice. And maybe if enough noise is made about it, they'll change positions. It's not like they don't have the staff to run chirons in real time. Most of his lies are well documented. They can just start now.

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At least put reliable fact checker web sites in the chiron.

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And, it’s really least. Too much “tape delay” between a lie and its correction. Debate may have hatched new lies in the interval.

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What do they really "moderate"? Absolutely nothing. There needs to be another term for them - perhaps "5th grade level readers".

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Exactly. The debate will not be moderated.

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So true. It's more like an opportunity for the more obnoxious participant.

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Useless potted plants?

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A “debate” between an evil liar and a decent, honest person. What could go wrong? I hope decency shines through.

I hope enough people protest to CBS to either have them reconsider, or at least (as one commenter suggested) have fact check sites on screen. I hope Vance can be shown for what he is.

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SPOT ON!!!! I like those ideas!

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I always hit the "Like" heart when someone says they like an idea of mine. :-)

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That would be so perfect for Tim Walz to warn viewers - if he's first up. I can picture him saying that and making us all laugh at Vance. I like that approach to make vance and trump look smaller, devious, and nothing useful to say.

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Great idea.

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Not too worried. Walz has character and can hold his own.

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I'm not too worried as I'm sure 30 years as a HS teacher has prepared him well. Plus, he knows going in that it will be gish gallops so he won't be blindsided by it like Biden was.

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I'm not real worried either

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As David Frum wrote in the Atlantic recently, all Walz has to do is get under Vance's very thin skin early on and watch him discombobulate.

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I think you're right, Judy. I would hope that in the debate instead of spending his time and effort to play wack a mole with vance's lying (because CBS won't have their moderators fact check vance because they don't want trump getting furious with them for fact checking him for 90 minutes - let Walz do it instead). I hope he asks him some rhetorical question like "Wow, you really think people are going to believe that that stuff? Wierd." Walz can also hit him repeatedly on his admitting on CNN that he created the story about the Springfield Haitians eating pets and that vance admitted he knows it isn't true and has knowingly caused harm to his own constituents in his quest to become VP. Who wants a VP that willingly harms his own constituents? Think of the damage he could do other working people. I think Walz could really have some fun with vance precisely because vance has no sense of humor and is thin skinned and uber-arrogant and he seems to love to troll him anyway and is good at it, too.

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A good debate coach will have tips for handling Vance. And I’m guessing Walz will be ready. Vance also seems clumsy and less skilled.

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Our great Transportation Secretary Pete is prepping Waltz. Pete does a stellar job when on Fox.

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Reaaaallly! Hadn’t heard this.

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Vance can't put good sentences together while speaking under pressure. His book was unreadable and he had an editor! He also lacks a sense of humor which will make him roadkill with Walz.

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And vance makes up biased and inaccurate stuff on the spot.

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yup. Professional 'fictioneer' after all!

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He's been taught by the best in the business.

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Walz had Pete Buttigieg as his debate prep coach, he will be well prepared.

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It’s maddening!

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I agree. But Kamala did an amazing job and the campaign's experience will guide Walz.

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Notes not allowed, but I assume taking notes is. So while Vance speaks, Walz can keep a tally of his lies (and a repeated lie counts again). Then on his turn can say “you just heard 18 lies in 2 minutes. I counted. He almost beats Trump. Almost.” Then either address the one most important falsehood or just answer his question directly.

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I feel that Walz has absolutely got this one.

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That is exactly what I think too.

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I also think CBS is way out of line (actually lazy!) to leave it up to each candidate to fact-check the other. Perhaps Governor Walz could keep a tally of Vance’s lies - then when it’s his turn instead of wasting time countering all the lies he could just say something like, “well, Vance just told you 3…4…5 lies; you can fact-check them yourself at *give a source* or wait until tomorrow when *blank* news does it, but NOW I will actually answer the question he was asked.” Just keep poking at him instead of wasting precious time trying to correct him.

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What these cowards in the mainstream media don't realize is that their greatest fear, that Trump will somehow disable them, will happen no matter how subservient they are now. Have they not seen what he does to the many minions he's thrown under the bus?

Besides, the easiest way to avoid losing their license is to treat him like the mentally unwell neonazi that he is. Reveal it on a daily basis to the public, dammit.

As for blowback, that's a little harder. How to do this? There were protests in front of the NY Times last week, but they have probably fizzled out. There doesn't seem to be any concerted effort to boycott advertisers.

We have our echo chambers, but that doesn't seem to have any impact. Very frustrating.

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THANK YOU!!! That's what I've been saying too. How do journalists not realize that, if Trump takes office again, they're toast? They may even be imprisoned. He's never going to allow them to do their real jobs or publish anything other than propaganda. Do they not look at how journalists are treated in places like Russia?

I understand that it's the publishers and editors who are truly at fault in this but damn! Talk about short-sighted.

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AND in Hungary and Turkey also!They lock up journalists for fun.

THIS is the future tfg wants!!

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I wrote a short story about a journalist who disappears during Trump 2.0.

Not to brag, but it should be in every editor's inbox.

https://www.ruminato.com/p/the-neighbors-beyond-the-yard

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deletedOct 1
Comment deleted
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(bows) Thank you.

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The billionaires who control the journalists, if you can call them that anymore, don't care. They want the tax cuts, and they will employ "new and improved journalists" who will print all the the propaganda trump and his new rethuglican party want. It's straight outta the playbook don't cha know?

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People who are in news organizations who neither understand nor read history to cure their ignorance are DISGRACEFUL. Timothy Snyder’s books “On Tyranny” and “On Freedom” are quick and easy, yet accurate reads to anyone wondering about how tyranny starts and freedom erodes.

There are TONS of great books about Strongmen (Ruth Ben Ghiat) and Fascism (Jason Stanley). Of If I can commute and run two businesses and have a life why can’t those idiots in the LEGACY NEWS whose job it is to keep us informed do their job also and READ or grab an audiobook.

And not having Civics classes (which I understand happened with No Child Left Behind education changes) is no excuse. Sorry, but the failings and sanewashing of the legacy media is infuriating

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On protests & blowbacks) I think the general public (just like in Germany) aren’t fully tuned in. So many people thinking it’s politics as usual.

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😢😢😢

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Well stated, although I prefer the term corporate media.

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Me too. I need to remember to use that phrase instead.

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And Convicted Felon DonOLD.

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A few days ago someone on Substack admonished me for suggesting that legacy media was helping Trump either on purpose or indirectly through greed and incompetence. This person said my comments were irresponsible as I was contributing to erosion in trust in the media. That’s like yelling at someone for pointing out a giant fire next door by saying that’s contributing to people’s increased fear of fires. And yeah I get that there are good journalists even at corporate media outlets, but the institution itself is not meeting the moment at all.

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We can’t deny when the media is failing. It’s like pretending there isn’t a cancerous lesion.

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Well said. As a female, "irresponsible" is a dog whistle for "little lady you're going too far and don't understand what you said". It may apply to men too now!

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I hadn't thought about that way of reading it, but I do believe you have a very good point!

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Why is it that so many people think you are the problem when you point out that the emperor has no clothes???

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Well stated. The admonisher likely supports the Convicted Felon.

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I wish Jay had provided some concrete steps for holding the corporate media accountable. Should we all email CBS and complain about their lack of fact-checking? Seriously, what can we actually do?

I feel so bad for Tim Walz. Either way it goes, he's going to have a tough job and will be treated unfairly. I'm sure he's up for the task and knows what he's facing but this is unacceptable. I'm so very tired of bullies not being held to account and being treated with kid gloves.

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Contacts for CBS News Executives:

https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/contacts/

I follow Scott Dworkin and encourage others, especially those on social media ,to share his links/hastags..He has a massive online campaign calling out the media and last week generated over 2 billion impressions.📣 https://open.substack.com/pub/dworkin/p/time-for-the-press-to-stop-working?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

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Thank you. I subscribed to Dworkin. Free Press is also a good site for this.

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Thanks!!!!

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Thank you so much!

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Walz can also make demands and should insist on fact checking.

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I think Walz is head and shoulders greater than Vance. He is a very together guy.

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I think every single one of us should email them to protest their lack of journalistic integrity. Our democracy demands it. I sent my email a few minutes ago.

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Tim Walz is solid gold. If you want something a bit lighthearted to ease your mind, watch the You Tube, WeWalkDogs, featuring Tim Walz with Scout. Will give you a bright space for a minute. This is humanity at it's best.

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Don’t expect emails to cbs or any other media organization to have any effect. They only care about money, and neither canceling a subscription nor writing an email will have any real consequence. Their corporate overlords have plenty of other sources of cash.

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It can’t hurt!

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It's actually therapeutic.

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You have a strong point. Canceling advertisers is more effective. Slightly.

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Then what do you suggest people do instead?

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The media is unreliable primarily because it’s either profit driven or controlled by people for whom truth is not their primary value. So people who want the truth have to really search hard for it and most don’t have the time to do so. It’s a problem with no obvious solution. Therefore, the Harris campaign will have to spend the time and money to highlight the dangers of Trump, because the media isn’t going to do it.

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The obvious solution won't help right now, but it is more non-profit news media. As Thiel pointed out, democracy and capitalism are incompatible. I choose democracy. Capitalism is highly over-rated anyway..

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I’ve been saying done many months that the fix is in for the convict. Corporate media want the shit show he brings because it drives ratings and the oligarchs that run the corporate media outlets want the tax breaks and repeal of regulations that the convict will give them. It’s disgusting how these so called respected journalists and news readers like Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell, David Murray, Anderson Cooper and Lester Holt will say nothing when it is right in front of their face. Someone needs to step up or resign. The convict is desperate and knows his followers love it when he goes violent. This is only going to get worse in the lead up to the election and people are going to get killed.

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Totally agree. I have read that for the CNN anchors that their jobs are at stake if they say something since the most recent went are determined to push the coverage towards the center. Which is yet another indictment of how moneyed interests are swaying what should be a factual representation of what is being said by political candidates. It’s just disgraceful

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CNN and their what about both sides stand is probably the worst of them all. It’s frightening how these convict has cowed the networks.

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According to Mary Trump's book, as a kid, Donald threw rocks at the neighbor's toddler in a playpen.

He was the only one of the five children to be sent to Military School. Personality disorders require treatment. Don didn't get any.

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"Kamala is mentally impaired!" Consider the source, who was intellectually crushed by her.

"They're eating the dogs!" He jumped the shark.

"Crooked Joe Biden." Says the convicted rapist thief felon.

"Police should beat up shoplifters!" From the cowardly bully.

"I won the golf tournament!" While cheating on every hole.

Please! Give us one ethical main stream journalist on CBS, NBC or ABC to push back.

Eric Engberg, Edward R Morrow, Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley. They would have called bullshit on all of this.

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ABC did fact check trump on his most blatant lies. They also received death threats for their efforts, but they showed integrity, which CBS is abandoning.

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Or Tim Russert. Boy do I miss him!!!

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The journalism I learned in college and on the ground as a young reporter has died in corporate America. The new god is money; greed is the motivator.

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This is who and what they have long been and who and what they are. It's not state run propaganda. It's corporate run propaganda. Given the long standing failure of traditional, corporate media, you and other alternative media outlets are the new free press, the new fourth estate, the place where more and more of us get news we can trust.

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I will be honest&say I’m not over 16.

Only 9% of NYC voted for Trump in 16, so it wasn’t as if there was no negative info out there. I know Hillary Clinton was just no fun. She just wanted to talk about issues. +she studied&knew the answers.

Turns out lots of ppl including Karl Rove during GWB presidency had fiddled with information systems. Many of members of congress too, while being critical of her.

Now it’s possible the corporate media will usher in a 2nd Trump presidency even more corrupt, over seen by a never very bright, displays evidence of both vengeance&dementia.

The press is treating VP Harris in much the same way they treated Hillary.

All I want from the press is the truth. I’m sorry if that’s less entertaining than Trump chaos, but better to live up to the constitutional imperative.

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Here's what I wrote CBS:

Hello CBS, Like millions of others, I am appalled that you will not be fact-checking the VP debate, especially since JD Vance is an admitted fabulist and liar. I imagine Tim Walz will make errors of fact, as we all do during our day, but not as a deliberate effort to mislead and misinform the public. My impression is that CBS is abandoning its proud heritage of truth-telling, as exemplified by Edward R Murrow's reporting in Europe and the US, and is instead embracing ratings over truth, tyranny over truth, tax cuts over truth, and fear of MAGA retribution over truth. You must know that Trump and MAGA will go after the press if he's elected, and your ratings and tax breaks will mean nothing. Your cowardice and greed in refusing to fact-check will be your pathetic legacy. Surely you can do better.

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Hi, love this. Where did you write this? thanks

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thank you! I also finally found Jay's reply earlier in the comments :)

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How exactly can we call CBS to account before the debate to encourage (force?) them to actually practice journalism and have the moderators fact-check the debate in the moment? This is outrageous that they are cutting and running rather than fact-checking.

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Email them, Jay posted the email address above. I sent mine a few minutes ago.

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