In today’s installment of “Well, that was quick,” conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt confirmed everyone’s worst fears about the Washington Post’s recent decision to bring him on as a columnist. In his first piece as a contributing columnist, Hewitt suggests a commission to study climate change. But instead of scientists or experts on the panel, he suggests Oprah and Rush Limbaugh. (Instead of linking to the column itself, here’s a MediaMatters piece on it, with some amusing links to Limbaugh’s past climate nonsense.)
And in today’s installment of “About damn time,” Politico’s media critic Jack Shafer puts Rupert Murdoch “on notice” for whatever role the Wall Street Journal owner might have played, even indirectly, in slanting the paper in favor of Trump. For some of us, the WSJ’s typically inaccurate opinion page coverage of climate science has been reason enough to know not all is on the level there. Because while the reporting and opinion parts of the team are different, Murdoch’s well-know political preferences loom over both. So it’s nice to see others acknowledge it.
Beyond the newsroom drama at the WSJ over the “Muslim ban” terminology, a key to Shafer’s warning is the news that Murdoch sat in on Trump’s interview that ran in Murdoch’s Times. It was the first interview Trump did with UK press, and it was free from the sort of Trumpiness seen in other interviews. While Murdoch’s presence at an interview that went well for Trump isn’t too scandalous in and of itself, the fact that Murdoch’s presence wasn’t disclosed in the story (or photos) makes it the latest of many concerning signs about the budding bromance between the man behind so much media and the man who hates so much media.
The (perhaps unlikely) partnership of Trump and Murdoch is also mirrored in a story in DeSmog. According to two recent polls, despite the ocean of differences between Trump voters and the general voting public of the UK, about 75 percent of both groups strongly support renewable energy. Which is encouraging, and hopefully Trump will respect the wishes of his constituents rather than the fossil fuel interests behind more and more of his administration.
Less encouraging is the news broken by Reuters that when Trump talked to Putin the other week, he had to pause the conversation to ask aides about a nuclear non-proliferation treaty between the US and Russia. After being informed about what New START was, Trump said it was a bad deal. Perhaps if Trump had had a briefing before the call, which until now was standard practice for a president, he wouldn’t have to ask aides for help.
Or since it seemed to help with the Times interview, maybe Murdoch can babysit Trump on a full-time basis.
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