NYT and WaPo reporters confess incompetence on Twitter
Twitter has turned out to be a very dangerous addiction for a number of journalists. But within a few hours of each other, two famous journalists at the nation’s two most prestigious metropolitan dailies tweeted out what turned out to be confessions of incompetence.
Maggie Haberman of the New York Times outed herself as an ignoramus with this tweet:
Other than San Bernardino shootings, has there been a terrorist attack involving a non-US-born attacker since 9/11?
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 28, 2017
Many tweeters were eager to help her, and Twitchy collected some of the best responses:
Boston bombers, Times Square bomber, underwear bomber, Ohio State attacker, Chattanooga shooter, & numerous plotters... https://t.co/pZac6XLNoO
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 28, 2017
@maggieNYT @nytimes and Rahami was born in Afghanistan, but, again, came to US young, was naturalized https://t.co/45DgZVLsFI
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) January 28, 2017
Many AT readers remember that Haberman was revealed by the Wikileaks emails to be a Clinton campaign adjunct during the election. Glenn Greenwald:
One January 2015 strategy document — designed to plant stories on Clinton’s decision-making process about whether to run for president — singled out reporter Maggie Haberman, then of Politico, now covering the election for the New York Times, as a “friendly journalist” who has “teed up” stories for them in the past and “never disappointed” them. (snip)
That strategy document plotted how Clinton aides could induce Haberman to write a story on the thoroughness and profound introspection involved in Clinton’s decision-making process. The following month, when she was at the Times, Haberman published two stories on Clinton’s vetting process; in this instance, Haberman’s stories were more sophisticated, nuanced, and even somewhat more critical than what the Clinton memo envisioned.
But they nonetheless accomplished the goal Clinton campaign aides wanted to fulfill of casting the appearance of transparency on Clinton’s vetting process in a way that made clear she was moving carefully but inexorably toward a presidential run.
There were no professional consequences for Haberman when her perfidy was revealed. Does anyone think her ignorance will be a disqualifier at the dotty old Gray Lady?
Then there’s the case of Glenn Kessler, the WaPo’s purported “fact-checker.” He took the bait when Sean Davis tweeted this:
Obama banned all refugees from Iraq. He enforced a de facto ban on Christians from Syria. Media didn't say a word. https://t.co/47jHl181eF
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 28, 2017
Kessler didn’t think through his one:
@seanmdav @FDRLST two big differences: 1) pause was not announced at the time, done quietly. reporters only found out years later. 2) not based on religion.
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 28, 2017
Once again, Twitchy collected the responses that are devastating:
Shorter @GlennKesslerWP:
— A Raised Eyebrow (@ARaised_Eyebrow) January 28, 2017
We weren't really into doing our jobs back then. https://t.co/21n6l1PbTq
Your first rationalization here is a massive indictment of media performance under Obama. https://t.co/7KPS8G06lo
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 28, 2017
@GlennKesslerWP @seanmdav @FDRLST 1) We don't do our jobs when Dems are in power 2) QED
— 100 Proof (@ChampionCapua) January 28, 2017
@GlennKesslerWP The most transparent adm did things they didn't publish? Isn't it the job of a free press to monitor that?
— Roxanne Chester (@ggm281) January 28, 2017
I think the best word for this is “implosion.”