Well, journalism today just exudes excellence, doesn't it?
Dude, you're getting a Foolitzer.
From Charlie Rose, the dean of television broadcasting, to Glenn Thrush, ace reporter for the New York Times, and beyond, the news business has never attracted better citizens and role models for society.
In the 21st century, we are blessed with highly skilled and trained reporters, and impartial and fair presenters who, in the words of Lord Byron, "sketch your world exactly as it goes" and do so "without, or with, offense to friends or foes."
And according to them, the way the world goes in 2017 is that President Trump is irredeemably deplorable and racist, sexist, and Hitler, Hitler, Hitler.
Of course, there are always a few bad apples out there trying to spoil the whole bunch.
To help weed out the bad actors from all these superior people who have devoted their lives to speaking truth to power, I have devised the Foolitzer Prize, awarded to the best Fake News in 2017.
Whereas reporters and news organizations submit their works to the committee, I am asking readers to nominate the stories, personnel, and news organizations that deserve special recognition for their terrible works this year.
In 30 words, more or less, tell me why you think a story, personality, or news organization, deserves a Foolitzer.
Either email me at DonSurber@GMail.com -- or leave a comment in the comments.
Try to include a web link to the story.
The Foolitzers will help me both promote my third real-time history of journalists covering Donald John Trump. (Spoiler alert: they do a terrible job.)
The first was "Trump the Press," which covered his nomination.
The second was "Trump the Establishment," which covered his election.
This one is tentatively titled "Fake News Follies of 2017."
I vote for (hopefully I can stuff the ballot box - need some time to think for others):
ReplyDeleteMechanical engineer Bill Nye the non-science Guy. He has become one of the more deranged and disgusting global warming evangelists while masquerading as a man of science. Especially disturbing is his ability to lie to children who watch his shit on tv.
Go get 'em Don! I like that book title too. -- BJ54
ReplyDeleteMy nomination goes to the Russian language Ukrainian publication korrespondent.net for posting a planted story:
ReplyDeleteOne of my trusted news sources for the Ukrainian side of the civil war posted news from a fake website which claimed that the People's Republic of Lugansk was planning to go to war with its sister republic, the Donetsk People's Republic for "poisoning the Lugansk water supply" with fluoride.
The tip was that the website included a quote from the US film "Doctor Strangelove:"
To wit:
"Bandits from the Donetsk People's Republic treacherously attacked our homeland without declaration of war, to wreak havoc, discord and undermine the centuries-old foundations of Lugansk, our cultural identity and precious body fluids."
The political leadership of Donetsk was not amused, and because of its current political turmoil, the Lugansk political leadership had nothing to say.
The Foolitzer Prize: Awarded to self-important, self-aggrandizing, partisan hacks who are doing the jobs that no self-respecting, patriotic, truth-seeking American journalists will do. - Elric
ReplyDeleteI nominate J. BERKOWITZ at GQ FOR this piece of garbage: https://www.gq.com/story/the-case-for-ruining-thanksgiving
ReplyDeleteThere's always The New York Times. Calling it Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia was classic denial.
ReplyDeleteLet's help Don pick a title for his next book. I suggest:
ReplyDeleteThe Fakey Fake News of 2017 (or: How You Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Donald Trump)
Big D, this is an impossible task. So much garbage, so little time. I nominate whoever of the jack wads wrote the "strongest" piece in defense of Kathy Griffin after her flat-out felonious pic with Mr. T's head. Just brought it up a few minutes ago. Disgusting. Utterly disgusting. This is what we're up against. Sickness. Evil. Depravity. I am not joking when I say they will all go to hell.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.gq.com/story/trump-calls-for-death-penalty
ReplyDelete"Edit: An earlier version of this article used a headline noting that Trump had publicly called for the death penalty in the New York attack, but not the Las Vegas shooting in particular. That discrepancy is probably related to the fact that the Las Vegas shooter is dead. We regret the error."
Bingo!
DeleteCandidate for Correction of the Year
I'll have to get back to you once I've winnowed through the vast putrid fields of rubbish that the MSM have spewed forth-
ReplyDeleteBut can I suggest a beneficial tie-in?
It would warm the cockles of my heart, to have the Fake News Follies of 2017 associated with the Darwin Award!
After all, one deserves the other! (OK, I'm kidding... kindasorta!)
Via Twitter, this nomination: "Foolitzer Lifetime Achievement: CNN. Foolitzer worst clickbait attempt: Newsweek article on Trump = Charles Manson."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newsweek.com/how-murderer-charles-manson-used-language-gain-followers-717399
I would suggest two categories: FOOLITZER PRIZE FOR PUBLISHED FAKE NEWS: I would like to nominate Jim Acosta, the face of #FakeNews CNN, who who tried to paint President Trump as a racists this summer after Charlottesville by his inane questions and false assertions during a presser: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-shuts-down-cnns-jim-acosta-for-spreading-fake-news/article/2631475
ReplyDeleteFOR FOOLITZER PRIZE for Most Important Suppressed News Story: The severity of the attack on Rand Paul, with the prize going to Kasie Hunt of MSNBC for saying she was glad it happened. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpDiDT3x9iw
This could turn out to be one awards show I would actually watch.
So glad Newsweek already has a nom! Frees me up to select ESPN, the business who both bores and insults its viewers with social justice babble.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, you pretty much just reach out into a pile to find nominees, or even winners. The level of reporting vs unsupported opinion journalism has declined ever more sharply in recent years.
ReplyDeletethis, I'm afraid, is akin to responding to the shout from the thunderbox, "Quick! Somebody bring me a camera!"
ReplyDeleteAnother entry in Yahoo's "Really Important Stories": https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/people-distracted-tiffany-trumps-bare-legs-white-house-turkey-pardon-165701517.html
ReplyDeleteNotable for all the Trump-positive comments it engendered.
Wow, that really was amazing!
DeleteYahoo is well-named, it's aimed at and mostly read by yahoos of the "progressive" variety, but the comments went on & on, all in favor of the Trumps!
Hey! Nobody nominated Neil deGrasse Tyson! So I will. For anything he's written.
ReplyDelete