As NewsBusters had documented in recent weeks, the liberal media were refusing to cover the rash of anti-Semitic attacks as Palestinian extremists were hunting Jews on American streets in liberal cities. Well, during Sunday’s edition of MediaBuzz on Fox News Channel, the media show called out the liberal media for the double standard in their outrage at anti-Semitism, such as ignoring The Squad but harping on Rep. Marjory Taylor Greene (R-GA).
“While the media have slammed Marjorie Taylor Greene, there's been virtually no criticism of the most liberal lawmakers using what some critics call anti-Semitic language against Israel. But The Squad’s rhetoric is drawing harsh criticism on Fox News,” anchor Howard Kurtz announced at the top of the segment.
After playing soundbites of some of the lies and smears members of The Squad were using to attack the Jewish State of Israel, Kurtz looked to lawyer and podcaster, Gayle Trotter and asked, “Why are members of The Squad not drawing much media scrutiny in stark contrast to Marjorie Taylor Greene, for ripping Israel as a terrorist state, an apartheid state?”
Adding: “Whether people agree with them or not, you’d think that would draw some serious coverage.”
Trotter described them as “the media darlings” who were benefiting from “this protection that the media run cover for the Democrat Party. And it's a study, in contrast, to see how CNN, for example, selectively denounces rhetoric.”
Further, Trotter pointed out the liberal media’s double standard in how they wouldn’t report on anti-Semitism from the left:
And the mainstream media seems like they want to go after anti-Semitism, perhaps, except they're not willing to denounce anti-Semitism from the left. And we see this over and over again with the vile, reprehensible, anti-Semitic remarks of The Squad, and yet the left and the media and the Democrat Party don't want to be tied to these comments by The Squad.
Instead, they want to bury them and not hold any Democrat politicians accountable for what members of their party are saying and it's typical. It's not something that's unusual from the mainstream media but here is yet again more evidence for the mainstream media running cover for the Democrat Party.
A short time later, Kurtz recalled how it was only the ridiculous comments from Greene that would send liberal journalists scurrying to badger Republican lawmakers and leadership for quotes.
“When Marjorie Taylor Greene talks about the Holocaust or, you know, lasers controlled by a Jewish family, reporters run to Republicans and Republican leaders and said, what's your reaction, do you condone that,” he said. “I don't see the press asking Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi to respond to some of The Squad's harsh rhetoric toward Israel.”
In agreement, Trotter argued that “this is yet another example of professional malpractice by the media.”
“They're not fair and balanced,” she added. “They don't make sure they hold both sides accountable to the same values or standards. And you couldn't have said it better, that they're not asking the same types of questions of huge Democrat leaders like Schumer and Pelosi, and they’re not hammering them with headlines about this all the time.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Cannel’s MediaBuzz
May 30, 2021
11:32:24 a.m. EasternHOWARD KURTZ: While the media have slammed Marjorie Taylor Greene, there's been virtually no criticism of the most liberal lawmakers using what some critics call anti-Semitic language against Israel. But The Squad’s rhetoric is drawing harsh criticism on Fox News.
(…)
KURTZ: When Israel launched a bombing campaign in response to Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza, such Congresswomen as Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley tried to link was they view as oppression of the Palestinians with the problems of black Americans.
REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): The systems of oppression here in the United States and globally [Transition] Palestinians are being told the same thing as black folks in America, there is no acceptable form of resistance.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MN): Palestinians aren't going anywhere no matter how much money you send to Israel's apartheid government.
(…)
KURTZ: Why are members of The Squad not drawing much media scrutiny in stark contrast to Marjorie Taylor Greene, for ripping Israel as a terrorist state, an apartheid state? Whether people agree with them or not, you’d think that would draw some serious coverage.
GAYLE TROTTER: They're the media darlings. They have this protection that the media run cover for the Democrat Party. And it's a study in contrast to see how CNN, for example, selectively denounces rhetoric.
And the mainstream media seems like they want to go after anti-Semitism, perhaps, except they're not willing to denounce anti-Semitism from the left. And we see this over and over again with the vile, reprehensible, anti-Semitic remarks of The Squad, and yet the left and the media and the Democrat Party don't want to be tied to these comments by The Squad.
Instead, they want to bury them and not hold any Democrat politicians accountable for what members of their party are saying and it's typical. It's not something that's unusual from the mainstream media but here is yet again more evidence for the mainstream media running cover for the Democrat Party.
(…)
11:36:00 a.m. Eastern
KURTZ: All right, Gayle. When Marjorie Taylor Greene talks about the Holocaust or, you know, lasers controlled by a Jewish family, reporters run to Republicans and Republican leaders and said, what's your reaction, do you condone that? I don't see the press asking Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi to respond to some of The Squad's harsh rhetoric toward Israel.
TROTTER: No. And this is yet another example of professional malpractice by the media. They're not fair and balanced. They don't make sure they hold both sides accountable to the same values or standards. And you couldn't have said it better, that they're not asking the same types of questions of huge Democrat leaders like Schumer and Pelosi, and they’re not hammering them with headlines about this all the time.
Instead, they run headlines to try to deflect from it. And you see this over and over again and this is just the latest example of this professional malpractice by the mainstream media.
(…)
