Remember earlier this week when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went ballistic on PolitiFact and the Washington Post for daring to fact-check some of her many lies and error-laden statements? She managed to squeeze some contrition out of PolitiFact after calling them out:
One of the biggest challenges for us is that for all the work we do (1,500 fact-checks published last year) there are only about 12 of us. It's probably accurate to say we wish we could fact-check every politician more. Here's to hoping to cover more ground in 2019.
— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) January 7, 2019
Thank you @PolitiFact! ? https://t.co/9K2JSFm1l9
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 7, 2019
We’ll say this much for her: She gets results. Because now, New York Magazine suddenly sees the error of fact checkers’ ways:
Which truths and falsehoods the mainstream press chooses to spotlight — and which it leaves unscrutinized — reflect the ideological biases of the “objective” press. @EricLevitz writes https://t.co/AsRVtxH6EO
— Intelligencer (@intelligencer) January 9, 2019
More from the Intelligencer:
In other words: Like every other politician in D.C., Ocasio-Cortez seeks to downplay the potential costs of her policy preferences, while spotlighting their benefits (especially when giving interviews on national television).
That this habit is ubiquitous among politicians does not mean that journalists should indulge it. It’s perfectly legitimate for reporters to ask members of Congress about the trade-offs inherent to their proposals. And when a congresswoman implies that such questions betray an indifference to moral truth, it’s understandable that some reporters take exception.
And yet, Ocasio-Cortez’s critiques of “fact check” journalism are also valid. The nonpartisan political media does often obscure the moral stakes of policy debates beneath semantical nitpicking. And which truths and falsehoods the mainstream press chooses to spotlight — and which it leaves unscrutinized — does reflect the ideological biases of the “objective” press.
Gee, how come nobody seemed to notice any issues with the media’s ideological biases until Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez threw a tantrum?
As someone who's been critiquing media "fact checkers" forever, this article is hilarious and validating. AOC gets fact-checked and now the wider press sees the problems with what they do? Before it was just the GOP lies so ¯_(ツ)_/¯ https://t.co/ctkCEgU7sF pic.twitter.com/nUmCjeQ8zs
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) January 9, 2019
We’ve been calling out ostensible “fact checking” outlets like PolitiFact and the Washington Post for years, but it’s only now that it’s fair to question how their bias affects their judgment? When Donald Trump accuses the media of bias, it’s a veritable assault on our democracy. When Ocasio-Cortez does it, it’s stunning and brave.
Forgive us if we find all of this very irritating.
It's the modern equivalent of Berkeley's tree in a forest question. Does something happen if it doesn't happen to progressives?
— Lionel Mandrake (@LMandrakeJr) January 9, 2019
Evidently not. Because meanwhile:
23 hours and this tweet is still up.
23 hours and no correction on this blatantly false claim has been issued.
23 hours and not one "fact checker" has called this blatantly false claim out.
Is lying acceptable now? https://t.co/47hiO79vkX
— RBe (@RBPundit) January 9, 2019
This really doesn't look good for you and your fellow fact-checkers, @GlennKesslerWP. https://t.co/1RTAPAvtkq
— RBe (@RBPundit) January 9, 2019
¯_(ツ)_/¯
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