Here is a classic example that illustrates why Americans continue to lose faith in the media. MSNBC cut off an attendee to the Trump rally in DC who wanted to give a more appropriate view of the event than the silly story MSNBC was spinning.
The problem with down-the-middle reporting that MSNBC purports to do is that it is easily used to control and promote false narratives. The type of reporting that simply reports what spokespeople and attendees of some event say with little other input does not make good journalism. It creates gullible journalism that over time is dangerous.
This report by Mike Viqueira was severely lacking. The organizers and seven or eight people he spoke to snowed him.
“They say this is not an Alt-Right or an Alt-Left rally,” Viqueira said. “It’s about unity. Now unity behind president Trump, that’s the driving force here. But even listening to some of the militia members gathered here to help provide security, — there is no open carry here in Washington, they are not armed as far as we can see — and they are emphasizing that they are working with the U.S. Park Police which as you can imagine, has a significant presence here. They are saying there should be no Confederate flags. There should be no communist flags as they phrase it, no foreign flags they’ve told people as they are coming here. They are stressing unity behind president Trump and stressing non-violence. What happened in Charlottesville was very much on the minds of many people here and in many respects this is intended to be an anti-Charlottesville event here on the national mall.”
MSNBC’s Alex Witt asked Mike Viqueira if there was enhanced security given what happened in London. As he was answering the question, a cyclist who was apparently listening to all the platitudes Viqueira gave about the Trump Rally attempted to get a word in as best they let him.
“What network is this,” the cyclist asked.
“I am with MSNBC,” Viqueira responded. “Why are you here.”
“I heard some stuff you were talking about,” the cyclist said. “It sounds like you were saying that this is not an Alt-Right event; that they are rallying behind Donald Trump. That’s what these people are saying? You, are not interrogating that idea at all?
Viqueira told him he spoke to several people.
“You realize that that is like totally incorrect,” the cyclist said.
Alex Witt came to Viqueira’s aid and cut the cyclist off who was challenging MSNBC’s lack of journalism.
“Thanks for your input,” Viqueira said to the cyclist and turned away.
Trump Rally misrepresented by MSNBC
Thanks for your input? You did not allow any input. Viqueira took input from the Right but had no desire to engage in reality-based reporting. It isn’t like most Americans don’t know the general character of a large percentage of Trump supporters. Putting on a rally where there is militia without overt symbols do not change what many of these people represent.