CNN: Clinton News Network
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/15/politics/donald-trump-obama-birther-united-states/index.html
So, here's a summation of what happened today from CNN's website:
"'I just don't want to answer it yet'
Earlier Thursday, Trump refused to say whether he believes Obama was born in the US, despite recent efforts by his top surrogates to downplay the so-called "birther" controversy.
'I'll answer that question at the right time. I just don't want to answer it yet,' Trump told The Washington Post."
Now, you would think that would be the lead of the story. It's shocking, *came directly from the candidate's mouth* and timely.
How was it actually covered? Well, the headline is that "Trump's campaign: Obama was born in the USA."
The OPPOSITE of what Trump was suggesting today, by refusing to answer a very simple question.
And here's the first two paragraphs:
"Donald Trump's campaign on Thursday said he believes President Barack Obama was born in the US, a major reversal from a line of attack Trump launched five years ago.
The announcement late Thursday night is an attempt by Trump's campaign to take the controversial issue -- which helped propel him to political prominence -- off the table ahead of the first presidential debate later this month."
The first paragraph is covered as if what Trump said came from *years ago*, and that the story was that Trump's campaign was responding to a comment made years ago.
Trump refused to answer the question about Obama's birth today!
Over 90% of readers aren't going to make it past the headline and the first few paragraphs. Very, very few people will make it to the actual news story -- and buried lead -- in this article.
This, in a nut shell, is everything that's wrong with the media in this election.
They're letting Trump and his campaign lie and obfuscate and not call him on his bullshit.
The story of today is that Trump STILL refuses to say Obama was born in America. That is a horrifying reality and people have a right to know. It's CNN's job to tell them that. NOT carry Trump's water by burying the lead in an article that suggests the opposite of what Trump actually said on the same damn day he said it.
CNN is an embarrassment. This article is just horrible -- and so utterly problematic. And the worst thing of all is that this is how the media has acted this entire campaign, in a nutshell.
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