Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00025108
MEDIA
SOME DECENT MEDIA BEHAVIOR
Andrea Mitchell created a false equivalence with her question to Senator Chris Coons seemingly, equating both Trump and Hunter Biden’s legal problems ... but she apologizes!
SOME DECENT MEDIA BEHAVIOR
Andrea Mitchell created a false equivalence with her question to Senator Chris Coons seemingly, equating both Trump and Hunter Biden’s legal problems ... but she apologizes!
Original article: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/28/2183834/-Senator-challenges-Andrea-Mitchell-for-Hunter-Trump-false-equivalence-She-apologized-on-air
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Senator challenges Andrea Mitchell for Hunter/Trump false equivalence. She apologized on air.
Written by Egberto Willies
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Friday, July 28, 2023 at 1:50:15p EDT
Senator Chris Coons challenges Andrea Mitchell
The framing that Andrea Mitchell used in asking Senator Chris Coon about Trump and Hunter Biden’s legal woes points out a consistent flaw in our mainstream media.
“I want to move on, though, to Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, actually,” Mitchell said. “Your reaction as a family friend, as a Delaware senator, as a longtime, you know, intimate of the Bidens to this? It’s more than a hiccup. The deal fell apart, and it has to be put back together again if he’s going to figure out a way not to face a trial.”
It was clear that Coons was troubled that Mitchell would create a false equivalence between Trump and Hunter Biden. After distinguishing the two cases and making it clear that the two legal cases are in no way similar, he had a stark statement for Mitchell.
“Here’s what matters, Andrea,” Coons said in a matter-of-fact manner. “In one case, it is the former president who is trying to be the presidential nominee for the Republican Party who is facing very real legal challenges. And in the other case, it’s a private citizen. Yes, the president’s son, but someone who never served in the White House, who had no official role. I think that is a significant difference.”
Andrea did the right thing and acknowledged the false equivalence stating it was a mistake.
“You are absolutely correct,” Andrea said. “And I should not have analogized those two things together. And in my haste. There is no question that they are of very, very different proportions. There’s no comparison.”
How often does a seasoned journalist cop to a temporary failing? I respect her for doing that. We must not allow any false equivalence to metastasize. We must rebut immediately, and that is what Senator Coons did.