A media dam burst this morning, in that the Old Grey Lady used what for many media outlets is as bad as saying the eff word.
The New York Times said "lie" in a headline.
That doesn't sound like much to readers of C&L and other blogs, but it's a big effing deal. Reporters and editors have been pearl clutching about what to do concerning Trump's clear lack of a filter when it comes to simply telling the truth versus flat-out lying.
We have said more than once that Trump's lying clearly isn't to get away with something (he doesn't) or to hide an inconvenient fact (he can't).
Can the Wall Street Journal be far behind? Yes. Yes they can.
The Wall Street Journal is, of course, owned by Rupert Murdoch of Fox News notoriety. And not by accident the editor of the Wall Street Journal has definitely nixed the idea of calling Donald Trump a liar. Instead, they adopt a very familiar guideline: "We Report, You Decide." Wonder where they got THAT from?
I think it's then up to the reader to make up their own mind to say, "This is what Donald Trump says. This is what a reliable, trustworthy news organization reports. And you know what? I don't think that's true." I think if you start ascribing a moral intent, as it were, to someone by saying that they've lied, I think you run the risk that you look like you are, like you're not being objective.
And I do think also it applies -- this is happening all the time now, people are looking at Donald Trump's saying and saying, "This is false. It's a false claim." I think people say, "Well, you know what? Hillary Clinton said a lot of things that were false." I don't recall the press being quite so concerned about saying that she lied in headlines or in stories like that.
The Washington Post falls down on the job with "Trump makes unsupported claim" garbage, but sometimes they get it right.
And CNN and particularly their chyron department gets it right often enough that it gets a regular mention on this blog.
http://crooksandliars.com/2017/01/alternative-facts-are-lies-cnn-fact-ch...
And when a news outlet gets it right we have to compliment them on this, and when they don't, let them know with fierce and swift reaction.
Trump isn't lying because he wants something, he's lying to break down trust in all institutions, particularly the media, that would keep his power in check.
We will continue to say when he lies. Because he does.
