A "both sides" framing is almost always deployed to help the worse, wrong, lying side. Almost never to provide balance.
Trump suggested household disinfectant to his extremely credulous, ignorant, and worshipful audience. A fathomlessly irresponsible thing.
The paper of record:
Trump suggested household disinfectant to his extremely credulous, ignorant, and worshipful audience. A fathomlessly irresponsible thing.
The paper of record:
There are people who want to give Trump the benefit of the doubt no matter what he does or says, and the Times wants to capture that market.
Fortunately for them, this market needs only the scantest excuse.
Unfortunately for them, Trump just suggested injecting disinfectant.
Fortunately for them, this market needs only the scantest excuse.
Unfortunately for them, Trump just suggested injecting disinfectant.
It's not the stupidest thing he's said, or the most irresponsible, it's neither a peak or a valley; he'll say dumber more irresponsible things in the near future, and those who want to keep giving him the benefit of the doubt will keep doing so, and so the Times will keep it up.
Since "injecting disinfectant is proving too dumb and irresponsible to cover with a 'both sides' framework, what's going to happen soon is a couple pieces suggesting that's not really what he said, or if he said it that's not what he meant.
Benefit of the doubt uber alles.
Benefit of the doubt uber alles.
The benefit of the doubt is the most elastic and opaque blanket I've ever seen; I'm constantly amazed by how far it can be stretched, and what people are willing to cover using it, and for what ends.
People still clinging to the idea that "both sides" are politicizing this, that "both sides" are exacerbating the problem—like somebody observing "both sides" are wrecking the store, the bull and the wranglers who haven't yet managed to remove the bull from the china shop.
It's always this.
Either: it's out of context.
Or, if you ask what IS the context: oh he didn't really say that.
Or if you show the video: well he didn't mean it that way.
Or, if he says it again and insists he DID mean it: well maybe he IS right.
Either: it's out of context.
Or, if you ask what IS the context: oh he didn't really say that.
Or if you show the video: well he didn't mean it that way.
Or, if he says it again and insists he DID mean it: well maybe he IS right.
And ... scene
