The White House just did something the press absolutely hates, it turned their own tactics back on them. After weeks of media hysterics, bogus narratives, and reporters acting personally offended that President Trump doesn’t treat them like royalty, the administration unveiled a brand-new “media bias tracker” on Friday. And let me tell you, it’s already giving the usual suspects a collective migraine.
The live webpage lays it out plainly in a way only this administration would dare. It compiles articles from major outlets and tags them for what they actually are, omissions, distortions, mischaracterizations, bias, and in more than a few cases, straight up malpractice. For years, the media kept score on Republicans with their little “fact-checks” that were usually nothing more than opinion wrapped in snark. Now the White House has its own scoreboard, and the press can’t stand it.
At the top of the page sits an “offender hall of shame,” a leaderboard showing which outlets push the most mistruths. And no shock at all, the Washington Post is leading the pack. Right behind them is MSNBC, now rebranded as MS NOW because apparently slapping on a new name is easier than improving their coverage. CBS, CNN, The New York Times, Politico, and even the Wall Street Journal round out the list. Not exactly a lineup of integrity. These are the same outlets that just lost their Pentagon press badges for refusing to comply with updated rules requiring advance clearance on certain information. Instead of adapting, they threw tantrums.
Of course the administration has a few ongoing legal tussles with some of these organizations. CBS settled. The Journal is still fighting. And meanwhile Trump has kept up his trademark habit of calling things exactly as they are. He recently labeled a New York Times correspondent “a third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out” and told a Bloomberg reporter “Quiet piggy” when she wouldn’t stop yapping on Air Force One. Cue the media clutching their pearls.
After being designated a repeat offender on the tracker, the Washington Post rushed out a quote from an internal spokesperson claiming they’re “proud of their accurate, rigorous journalism.” Sure. And I’m proud of my ability to dunk a basketball. The Hill also made the repeat offender list, which tells you just how widespread the sloppiness has become.
This tracker is long overdue. The press built an industry around policing everyone else, while refusing to police itself. Now they finally get a taste of accountability, and they’re melting down on cue. The truth hurts, especially when it’s documented in real time for the whole country to see.
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