The Prize for Mind-Reading.

If there were a journalism prize for mind-reading, speculation and opinion — in the guise of a news story — The New York Times would be the sure winner. Take this one paragraph sentence in a Mary 24, 2019, story about “the war of words” between President Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

“But her decision to dramatize the fight also represented an embrace of Trump’s own signature political tactic: an attempt to divert attention from a divisive internal debate — in this case a drive by two dozen of her caucus members to push ahead with impeachment — with a headline-grabbing attack, in hopes of uniting her own political base.”

So the Times knew exactly that she decided to “dramatize the fight,” that her fight “represented an embrace,” was a “tactic… to divert attention,” and what she “hoped” to gain.

File under: Opinion in the guise of news.