Episode 57: Hit Pieces

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As soon as it started, a listener alerted Josh: an avalanche of “hit pieces” about Sen. John Fetterman was on the way. Soon, big news organizations did come forward with a slew of reports about the senator, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. The reporting involved allegations about his mental health from one named former staffer — and a bunch of anonymous people.
This triggered a debate. Did the media learn a lesson from Biden, or is it helping far left activists try to take down Fetterman for stances they don’t like? In addition to being willing to reach across the aisle, Fetterman has been unwavering in his recognition of Israel’s obvious right to fight to destroy Hamas after the most evil terrorist attack of modern times.
Today, Josh explains that this story is about much more than one man. It’s about anonymous sourcing, rules over vetting information, and coverage of mental health. It’s a tale of buried lines that are crucial for context and fairness, the media’s tendency to forget the whole point of doing a story, and the gullibility that makes big news agencies ripe for a political operative to manipulate.