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No, the New York Times did not talk to six “swing voters” about impeachment. The article quotes a handful of devout GOP voters who the NYT has repeatedly interviewed multiple times. A thread....
The NYT article includes an interview with Donna, presented as a swing voters who doesn’t favor impeachment.
The problem? NYT interviewed the same woman last year. She voted for Trump and the Republicans again in the Midterm.
This isn’t a swing voter.
The problem? NYT interviewed the same woman last year. She voted for Trump and the Republicans again in the Midterm.
This isn’t a swing voter.
The NYT article also includes an interview with Trisha, who admits she’s been to 23 Trump campaign rallies. 23! She wrote a book about Trump! NYT has interviewed her at least twice in the past two years.
She’s a Trump fanatic, not a swing voter.
She’s a Trump fanatic, not a swing voter.
The NYT article also includes an interview with Reggie. Reggie was highlighted in an AP story last year entitled ‘In the heart of Trump country, his base remains unshaken.’ Reggie has a portrait of Robert E. Lee hanging in his living room.
No, Reggie is not a swing voter.
No, Reggie is not a swing voter.
The NYT is repeating its exact same 2016 reporting antics, presenting devout Trump supporters as some sort of forgotten swing constituency. Why does this keep happening, and why do they keep going back to the same individuals for interviews?
How frequently has this happened? @gregpinelo not only guessed the NYT would do this ‘swing voter on the street’ reporting, but correctly guessed exactly how many interviews they’d reference!
The reporter deleted the tweet.
But the tweet isn’t the issue. This type of ‘swing voter’ reporting is an issue. Talking to the same voters and saying they’re representative is an issue. It’s not news that devout Trump fans are hardened in their views.
But the tweet isn’t the issue. This type of ‘swing voter’ reporting is an issue. Talking to the same voters and saying they’re representative is an issue. It’s not news that devout Trump fans are hardened in their views.
To note: this has been an issue for years. In 2017 @nycsouthpaw found the same reporter wrote a story about a Trump supporter who still supports Trump. The article never mentioned the supporter was actually a GOP convention delegate.
Stories like this in reputable newspapers matter immensely. They shape narratives. They persuade elected leaders at the very highest levels of government. But they’re also wildly misleading. These aren’t random swing voters that should have a platform in the New York Times.
