Media top headlines July 7
Washington Post finally calling for a serious investigation into COVID origins, Rachel Nichols getting replaced as a sideline reporter for the NBA finals, and CNN's April Ryan saying voting rights in the US have 'collapsed' round out today's top media headlines
CNN was accused of "gaslighting" and portraying critics of critical race theory as "idiots" after airing a report that suggested concerned parents don't understand the contentious theory that has swept the nation in recent months.
"Everything wrong w/ the modern media: Rather than interviewing subjects of a story & reporting their comments, the reporter starts w/ her own preconceived notion — these parents are idiots — cherrypicks a few for mocking, then shapes her report around advancing her own narrative," Grabien Media founder Tom Elliott observed.
CNN ran a long segment on Wednesday's "New Day" that mocked parents protesting critical race theory, and co-host Brianna Keilar introduced reporter Elle Reeve by asking, "Do these vocal opponents of critical race theory actually understand fully what it is?"
"No," Reeve said. "Why should they? It’s an academic theory mostly taught at the grad-student level."
The CNN reporter then claimed CRT critics "think it means" that White students will be taught that "all White people are bad and racist," before the liberal network cut to footage of critical race theory opponents protesting at a school board meeting.
CNN’s Reeve, who previously worked at the left-wing outlet Vice News, enlisted a high school history teacher to echo liberal talking points.
LARGEST TEACHERS UNION SAYS CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS 'REASONABLE AND APPROPRIATE' FOR KIDS
"Critical race theory is not being taught in schools," teacher Keziah Ridgeway told CNN.
"Can it influence the way that some teachers teach? Yeah," Ridgeway said. "But that’s a good thing, right? Because race and racism is literally the building block of this country."
Earlier this week, the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers union, voted to promote critical race theory, arguing it is "reasonable and appropriate" to use CRT in social studies classes. The move undermined a left-wing talking point that critical race theory is not being taught to children.
Reeve then claimed during the CNN segment that "critical race theory is an academic framework that says racial inequality is perpetuated by the racism embedded in America’s laws, not by individual bigotry" and told viewers that "relentless propaganda" from conservatives has created a panic that White people are under attack.
The high school teacher then admitted she’s teaching children to "question America."
The CNN segment pivoted to concerned parents who object to CRT and featured video of the reporter bickering with an anti-CRT activist. Reeve peppered CRT opponents with questions about scholars and specific theories while asking the pro-CRT teacher questions like, "Are you teaching White kids to hate themselves for being White?"
Keilar fawned over the "fascinating report" as the CNN on-screen chyron said, "CNN asks both sides of debate to define ‘critical race theory.'" The critics quoted in the segment were largely college Republicans who Reeve found at a Baltimore diner.
CNN also published a lengthy online version on its website headlined, "The critical race theory panic has White people afraid that they might be complicit in racism," which elaborates on many of the points pushed on air.
Many took to Twitter to criticize CNN’s report.
"Parents: I encourage you to listen to what your intellectual and moral betters think of your small-minded, silly concerns, and remember that the candidates with a (D) next to their name when you go to the polls next year feel this way, too," journalist Drew Holden wrote to caption video of the segment.
"It's a sloppy report and @elspethreeve asked classic strawman questions. The issue is not about ‘teaching white kids to hate themselves for being white,’" Washington Examiner magazine managing editor Jay Caruso wrote.
Republican strategist Matt Whitlock responded to the segment, "Amazing to use this level of cherry picking and straw-manning to make an argument then argue that the OTHER SIDE is pushing propaganda."
"It’s pretty incredible to see so many in media refuse to cover the woke education debate with even a modicum of good faith and good journalism," Whitlock added.
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Another critic observed, "The teacher they interviewed went from ‘CRT is not being taught in schools’ to ‘CRT is just a lens that can influence how teachers teach’ to ‘but that’s a good thing!’ In like 30 seconds."
Others accused CNN of "gaslighting" and political pundit Stephen L. Miler sarcastically urged CNN to keep up with the schtick.
"Yep. Please go this route, media. Please," Miller wrote. "If you think your approval is in the sewer now. Please, please start going after parents over their kids education. Please."