Typical journalism in the year of fake news?

So while journalists who produce fake news are still running about producing fake news, and putting an unsourced press release from some subset of CIA agents at the top of the fold on page 1 (claiming that the Russians were involved in all 6,000 state, local and federal elections that the Democrats lost), Will Sommer, a former Washington City Paper columnist and a frequent radio quest, has now been hired to cover campaigns and Congress by TheHill.com.

We’re sure he will be objective.

But he may need a good copy editor.

Note the sentence below in his personal email newsletter where he “covers” “right wing” news people:

“Dave Weigel from fired from The Washington Post“

A Disturbing Tucker Carlson Development, Pt. 1: So Tucker Carlson has this new show on Fox that consists mostly of him bringing on journalists for self-criticism sessions. He managed to get Newsweek‘s editor to scourge himself over a commemorative presidential issue, and he got the Times‘ public editor to say some genuinely ridiculous things. All of this has played into Carlson’s image on the right as a puckish boy-king debater. So maybe it’s not a surprise, but no less disconcerting, that his fans have come up with a new slogan for him: “Can’t Cuck the Tuck.” On its face, the slogan is absurd. None of Carlson’s debating foes are trying to actually cuckold Carlson. That hasn’t stopped “Can’t Cuck the Tuck” video compilations from doing well on YouTube. Even Carlson’s own Daily Caller is using it. Oh, Patrick Howley: Remember Breitbart reporter Patrick Howley, who ditched the site after the election because it was getting too staid? Now he’s claiming he organized anti-Clinton hecklers during the election while still working for Breitbart, but that might just be a thing he’s saying to get attention. Now What Am I Going to Watch?: RIP to Million Dollar Extreme, the alt right Cartoon Network show. The Daily Caller has a long, confusing gripe about the show’s end from its creators, most of which consists of railing against comedians who would go on Marc Maron. Prager on SEX: Pedantic Salem Radio Network host Dennis Prager may be one of the worst talkers in the game, with his Socrates by way of Charles Krauthammer antics. Prager kept his streak going this week, with a story arguing that Trump isn’t misogynist because…well, see for yourself:    If sexually objectifying women makes men haters of women, then gay men hate men, because gay men sexually objectify men exactly the same way heterosexual men objectify women.  Don’t Hurt ‘Em, Hannity: For most people, CNN’s Brian Stelter is a harmless moppet–if a very successful one. But Fox’s Sean Hannity hates him! In their latest go-round, Hannity calls Stelter “a little pipsqueak.”  Is It Just Me Or…: Has the quality really gone down at RedState? The site has been hobbling through a brain drain–Erick Erickson ditched its for “The Resurgent,” and they just lost another editor to Glenn Beck. Now we’re seeing the effects. Stay tuned! A Disturbing Tucker Carlson Development, Pt. 2: This one is going to get insidery. Long ago, the Daily Caller published emails from Journolist, a Beltway listserv that mainly featured left-leaning reporters and academics talking about baseball their favorite healthcare policy. It was run by Ezra Klein, is what I’m saying. The Daily Caller published the mostly innocuous but still unflattering emails, Dave Weigel from fired from the Washington Post, and the idea that the mainstream media is a leftwing conspiracy seemed a little more believable to the people who are prone to believe that. The unsolved mystery of the whole thing, though, was which lefty reporter did his friends in by leaking the emails–could it have been a member of the Juicebox Mafia? In a story this week on Carlson, though, the Post‘s Erik Wemple proposes another theory: there was no leaker at all. Instead, in this telling, the Daily Caller just impersonated a reporter to get on the listserv. Tomi Lahren Taking Over: The Blaze’s Tomi Lahren continues her Right Richter-predicted media takeover, with an appearance on The Daily Show and a Times profile. It’s not unreasonable to say that Daily Show host Trevor Noah, who’s opted for niceness and “both sides do it” nonsense in the age of Trump, is woefully unprepared for Lahren’s media canniness. An Unusual Angle: Breitbart has an interesting take on Ben Carson‘s HUD nomination: he’ll be a hero for millennials! In their telling, Carson will tear down regulations in hot cities to open them up for more housing. Brap, Brap!: The Blaze’s war correspondent headed to the Mosul frontlines in Iraq, but not just for reporting. Jason Buttrill grabbed a sniper rifle and took some shots at ISIS fighters, much to the dismay of other war reporters who don’t want to be viewed as legitimate targets in war. After first running a laudatory story on Buttrill, the Blaze suspended him on Friday. Right Richter by Will Sommer  123 Not Real St Washington, DC 20005 USA Delivered by

With enemies like this, you can’t be all wrong

Betsy Rothstein’s Fishbowl D.C. is the Gossip Column the Beltway Media Deserves

(Full disclosure:  I was Ms. Rothstein’s agent when she bought a home, in the busiest part of the pre-crash real estate bubble.  I was working 70 hours a week and exhausted, and though her transaction went fine and she liked her home, she felt neglected and so we did not get along.  I know a teeny bit more about her than the average DC journalist or resident.  I’ve watched her new career with neither strongly positive nor negative feelings, until I read this article.  Now I think DC needs 12 of her.)