Reporters as mind readers

Reporters these days can get away with just about any generalization, speculation, opinion, slant, guess or personal viewpoint. An illustration was in a New York Times story, May 22, 2017, about Trump’s speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: “Addressing more than 50 leaders from across the Muslim world…” And a few graphs later, “….in a cavernous hall filled with heads of state eager to find favor with the new president.”

Now how the hell do the Times reporters know what the “more than 50 leaders from across the Muslim world’ were eager for? Did they ask the leaders? Did they take a poll? Did the leaders make a statement, put out a press release or have “I ♥ Trump” on their keffiyeh? Did the reporters have sources? If so, they don’t say. Did the more than 50 Muslim leaders just want to see the guy who has insulted their religion? And were they eager to put the kibosh on him?

File under: Opinion in the guise of news.
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Contact: BobSkole@aol.com