Tornado Alley (PROG)

[StephanieVanbryce]

Cable Networks Were "Played Like A Fiddle" By Donald Trump’s “20-Second” Birther Statement

A slew of media critics and commentators shamed cable news networks for being “played” into providing free live coverage of a campaign event for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. After Trump teased a “major announcement,” cable news networks provided wall-to-wall coverage in anticipation that Trump would address criticism over his role in pushing conspiracy theories that President Obama was not born in the U.S. Trump’s mere seconds-long statement “came only after a lengthy campaign event featuring military officers and award winners who have endorsed him,” turning it into “a de facto commercial for the GOP candidate.”

BOBBY LEWIS
5 hours 19 min ago

Donald Trump Bills Event As A Major Address On His Role In Birther Conspiracy, Instead Uses It To Showcase Veteran Endorsements Of His Campaign

Chicago Tribune: Major Cable TV Networks Aired Trump Showcasing Veteran Endorsements At Event Promoted As An Address On His Birtherism. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, in a September 16 speech at his new hotel in Washington, D.C., “finally acknowledge[d] Obama was born in [the] U.S.” As the Chicago Tribune reported, Trump’s statement came after he spent "five years as the chief promoter of the false idea that President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States.” The Tribune noted that Trump’s “statement of a few seconds came only after a lengthy campaign event featuring military officers and award winners who have endorsed him. Trump did not address the issue until the end of the event, turning it into a de facto commercial for the GOP candidate, as the major cable TV networks aired the full event live in anticipation of comments Trump had hyped hours before.” From the Chicago Tribune’s September 16 report:

After five years as the chief promoter of the false idea that President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States, Donald Trump admitted on Friday that the president was — and claimed credit for putting the issue to rest.

"President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period," Trump said in brief televised remarks. "Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again."

But as Trump sought to put that false conspiracy theory to rest, he stoked another, claiming that the "birther movement" was started by rival Hillary Clinton. There is no evidence that is true.

[...]

Trump spoke against a backdrop of veterans in a sprawling ballroom at his new Washington hotel. His statement of a few seconds came only after a lengthy campaign event featuring military officers and award winners who have endorsed him. Trump did not address the issue until the end of the event, turning it into a de facto commercial for the GOP candidate, as the major cable TV networks aired the full event live in anticipation of comments Trump had hyped hours before. [Chicago Tribune, 9/16/16]


how horrid .. sure glad I didn't have to watch this dirty pig


Much MORE ...
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/16/cable-networks-were-played-fiddle-donald-trump-s-20-second-birther-statement/213149