NYT Discards Factual Headline To Appease Far-Left Fanatics
Late last month, the Washington Post published an article with the title “Mitch McConnell Is A Russian asset”. Even as an opinion piece – which the article by Dana Milbank is – the headline errs itself as confirmed fact. Only conjecture and an attempt to misinform readers by using absolutes exists within the lede-in, a precedent which is sadly not new for WaPo’s headlines.
However, this kind of reporting is both irresponsible and dangerous.
For proof, look no further than the angry mob that surrounded McConnell’s home on Monday night. One could argue that Milbank’s article added fuel to the hashtag, “#MoscowMitch” and gave false credence to the idea that McConnell is in Putin’s pocket. The tactic seems very familiar considering Mueller’s investigation into President Trump having ties with Russia wrapped up after two and a half years with no evidence supporting the theory long held by the left.
Last night, an angry left-wing mob of Amy McGrath supporters stormed Senator McConnell’s Louisville home screaming obscenities and hoping someone would ‘just stab the motherfucker in the heart.’ pic.twitter.com/Ygo1mbQSk5
— Team Mitch (@Team_Mitch) August 6, 2019
Compare this situation to the recent outcry that surrounded The New York Time’s headline for yesterday. Pictured below is the first, original headline the newspaper went to print with in their first edition:
Something as simple as “Trump Urges Unity Vs. Racism” was met with huge online backlash.
Enough backlash to the point where The New York Times changed the headline. Bear in mind, the headline wasn’t changed for accuracy, nor was it changed to update; it was altered to appease outraged leftists that couldn’t bear to see a mainstream media outlet be even halfway partial to Trump. Below is the revised headline that was printed in the second edition of the paper:
Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by – and often relies upon – the cowardice of mainstream institutions. https://t.co/ynjgtT66yI
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 6, 2019
Unbelievable. https://t.co/rLgaacttDS
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 6, 2019
the new york times wants us dead. because that's the only reason you'd watch that racist slime squish his way through this and come up with that headline. prove me wrong. pic.twitter.com/mq3yxDf5l5
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 6, 2019
Just years ago, anti-Trump resisters decreed supporting The New York Times was a vital act of insurgency once the President affixed “failing” before the publication’s name. Now, the same “resisters” demand The New York Times capitulates to their objections and caterwauling – and even accomplished their goal. Is it not entirely fascist when offended, senseless people can force a supposedly historic media institution to change their frontpage headline?
With Milbank’s Washington Post headline, we have fake news masquerading as fact; with The New York Time’s headline we have fact altered as to not hurt the feelings of the deluded.
There was no outcry at the obviously misleading headline from WaPo but instead at a factual, unbiased headline. It is truly a sad state of affairs when crybaby outrage mobs can demand a news publication change their front page as to cater to their false narrative of Trump being a racist. News is no longer based on reality, apparently – news is what people want to be told.