Lester Holt: Poster Child for Media Bias

[The Purge]

We have another demonstration of MSM bias. When on March 30, 2021, NBC News anchor Lester Holt received the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism from Washington State University, he argued "That fairness is overrated."

Holt remarked:

"The idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in... Decisions to not give unsupported arguments equal time are not a dereliction of journalistic responsibility or some kind of agenda. In fact, it's just the opposite, Providing an open platform for misinformation, for anyone to come say whatever they want, especially when issues of public health and safety are at stake, can be quite dangerous. Our duty is to be fair to the truth."

By adding that final sentence, his rationale, I'm certain, was to justify what he does during his nightly "news" broadcasts. In an effort to legitimize his comments, Holt said, "That the sun sets in the west is a fact. Any contrary view does not deserve our time or attention." He attempts to minimize his neglect of any point contrary to his own by trivializing the issue. It reminds me of Kamala Harris' attempt to laugh off the fact she hasn't visited the southern border. Ironically, she was being interviewed by Lester Holt.

Holt said, "Decisions to not give unsupported arguments equal time are not a dereliction of journalistic responsibility or some kind of agenda." Sounds noble. But he neglected to specify who decides if an argument is unsupported. Can we assume Holt and the MSM do?

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...

“The idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in...”

Bet he didn’t believe that “principle” applied when all sorts of leftists challenges (homo marriage, abortion, anti-nukes, etc) to the legal and social order in our country were being promoted. He should be made to live by his words someday by being silenced.

 

[WTF19]

every one with a brain should keep away from the LYING PUBLISHERS OF MSM....especially this racist shit stain

 

[DGS49]

This philosophical question is analogous to the question that criminal defense attorneys must answer periodically: How/why can you defend a guilty person?

For the attorney, the correct response is, the person is neither guilty nor not guilty until a judicial fact-finder so decides. My job is to force the State to prove its case, beyond a reasonable doubt.

For the journalist, it is not her "job" to decide what viewpoints or versions of reality are correct. It is her job to report what is said and done by the Movers and Shakers, and if it is not obvious why something is said or done, to provide a bit of background to explain.

To illustrate, consider the "news" reporting of President Trump's personal campaign to overturn the election. The Media reported (reports) his claims as "false." This is bullshit. If they want to say that some of Trump's claims are "unsupported," or "unproven," that is factual reporting. The fact is that NOBODY KNOWS whether there was massive fraud in the November election; every rational observer knows that the opportunities for fraud were rampant. All we do know is that it has been alleged, but not proven. It is not the Journalist's job to save the viewing public from possibly being misled by an opinion with which the Journalist disagrees.

And if the Journalist cannot see the basis for a public figure's claim (that he disagrees with), then he had better do a little research. EVERYTHING they say has some basis, and if they don't want to report something that they think is baseless, then just leave it out.

And Lester Holt receiving any Journalism award is a joke.

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

Leftists like Holt determine what is worthy of consideration and what doesn't merit serious thought.
Thank God for award winning journalists like Lester Holt who know what is worthy of his attention,
and therefore ours, and what is not.

That really simplifies things. What Would Lester Holt Think. What would the NY Times print?
What would CNN pay attention to? Etc.
I'm glad we live in a world where these wise, fair minded, enlightened sages determine
for us what is appropriate to inform us of and not.

What a relief. Holt says that the sun sets in the West is a fact therefore we need not deal with
anyone that states otherwise. Okay. So far so good.

The problem is that Holt, and his fellow wise men, all deign that
what they chose to turn their attention to is incontrovertible, like the movement of the heavens.
And ipso facto, what they choose not to cover is not worth mentioning or giving
attention to. Because clearly it is not serious news worthy of the Great Lester Holt.

Shame on Washington State University (my mother's school) for giving credence to such
a pompous ass. This very line of non-reasoning is how the left shuts down free speech.
We deem Ben Shapiro, or whoever, to be a fascist, or whatever. So therefore to give him a
forum from which to speak is to endorse his fascism, or whatever, and promote injustice
and cruelty.
It's Left-Think and Lester Holt promotes it. In fact he seems proud of it.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

Holt is the living definition of Yellow Journalism

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

Holt and Tapper are in the vanguard of the new fascism and they aren't afraid to say
they know what is worthwhile speech and what is dangerous and evil speech.

How is it they still have their jobs and positions of influence?

 

[my2¢]

It's pretty ignorant to make Lester or MSM as poster boys for media bias. There are plenty of liberal and conservative media sites that when it comes to fake news go way beyond the crap Lester and his comrades are shoveling.