Throughout most of this election cycle I thought it was curious, and very noticeable, that the mainstream media, and CNN in particular,
just so happened to coincidentally be focused on the same talking points and issues in their interviews and reporting as the DNC and the Clinton campaign. It leaves the distinct impression that these issues and talking points are not merely campaign strategy, but are rather the most important issues on which the voters should focus and heed as most important. Now we know.
It's interesting that CNN's Brian Selter, who CNN and his own self present him as an impartial media critic, has consistently defended CNN and the mainsteam media as being unbiased. He even did a show where he had 4 critics (3 of them Trump supporters) who listed many examples of clear bias. The plan was obvious that he was going to debunk them and smack them down, but he got owned. He wasn't deterred, and has since kept up with the ruse.
On Sunday he did a lengthy piece about how the public's distrust of the media is all Trump's fault, because of his war on the "crooked" media, never once mentioning that even 79% of Democrats think the press is biased.
After that he had a panel of four real,
actual journalists who ripped him and CNN a new one over mixing journalists and partisan shills on their conversation panels. They were particularly critical of CNN's use of Donna Brazile and Corey Lewandowski, both partisan shills on CNN's payroll. It's an interesting discussion. I find it funny that he lambasted Brazile for embarrassing all of CNN with what she did (because, of course, she got caught). But early on in the discussion, as Selter tries to downplay what Donna Brazile did, he gets smacked down by, of all people, Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post. The topic of the debate question about the Flint water problem, he notes that, "to be honest...it was such an obvious question," as if her giving that question to the Clinton campaign was no big deal. Tumulty stops him in his tracks with, "But if it's so obvious, why send it?" His reaction is hilarious. Just pretended she never said it.
