To put it mildly, Saturday marked an unbelievably bad and downright disgraceful day for the liberal media in which they sided with North Korean in promoting their propaganda push at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
ABC’s World News Tonight did its part by smearing the memory of the late Otto Warmbier, who was brutally tortured and left in a coma before being shipped back to the U.S. Reporting from Pyeongchang, senior national correspondent Matt Gutman took aim at Warmbier’s father.
Gutman dubbed Fred Warmbier’s presence at Pence’s invitation as a “another perceived American jab at the Korean peace overtures” while mildly noting how the late University of Virginia student “died after being imprisoned in North Korea.”
Talk about an understatement. Warmbier was in a coma when he was released to the U.S. last year, likely the result of injuries sustained at the hands of his captors. This is the same country that had a senior military adviser executed by having an anti-aircraft gun fired at him after he fell asleep during a meeting, and Kim Jong-un’s girlfriend killed for violating the country’s sex laws. But sure, just dismiss Fred Warmbier as a “perceived American jab” at peace efforts.
Just as everyone from CNN to The Wall Street Journal did throughout the day, Gutman also cheered the North Korea cheering section that showed up for the Switzerland-Korea women’s ice hockey team.
“History on the ice. North and South Korea competing together in women's ice hockey, cheered on by squads of North Korean cheerleaders. The crowd chanting: ‘We are one.’ The team lost its debut, but these Olympics have already won South Korea something it hasn't had in over a decade — a presidential invitation from a North Korean leader,” Gutman declared.
Notice how there was no consideration of the “cheerleaders” there being under coercion or that they were less-than authentic. Instead, the ABC correspondent ate it up just like his colleagues have since the game aired in the wee hours of Saturday morning back in the U.S.
As for the other possible “American jab,” it appeared Gutman was alluding to Pence not initiating contact with the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-Jong (instead of the other way around).
Before Gutman’s piece, weekend anchor Tom Llamas fretted that “high-stakes diplomacy may be outshining the gold medal race” with “Kim Jong-un's sister [being] the key player there.” It’s safe to say that the news media are the ones that are making that a big story.
All in all, great work, folks. Somewhere, Walter Duranty must be smiling.
To see the relevant transcript from ABC’s World News Tonight on February 10, click “expand.”
ABC’s World News Tonight
February 10, 2018
6:43 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: High-Stakes Diplomacy]
TOM LLAMAS: To South Korea now and the Winter Olympics where high-stakes diplomacy may be outshining the gold medal race. Kim Jong-un's sister the key player there. ABC's Matt Gutman leads our coverage from Pyeongchang.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Winter Olympics; High-Stakes Diplomacy; Games Open Amid Shows of Unity Between Rival Nations]
MATT GUTMAN: History on the ice. North and South Korea competing together in women's ice hockey, cheered on by squads of North Korean cheerleaders. The crowd chanting: “We are one.” The team lost its debut, but these Olympics have already won South Korea something it hasn't had in over a decade — a presidential invitation from a North Korean leader. The invitation to the South extended by Kim Jong-un's sister and during those opening ceremonies laden with messages of peace, from giant dove shapes to John Lennon's Imagine —
SOUTH KOREAN SINGERS [SINGING IMAGINE]: And the world will live as one.
GUTMAN: — she sat barely an arm's length away from Vice President Mike Pence, but not a single word exchanged. Another perceived American jab at the Korean peace overtures? The Vice President's special guest at the Olympics, the father of Otto Warmbier, the young American who died after being imprisoned in North Korea.
