Rachel Maddow made the case that Trump’s lie-filled coronavirus briefings are a danger to public health and the networks should stop broadcasting them live.
Maddow said:
Even when he’s talking about what he has done or what he will do, he’s consistently lying and giving you happy talk that is stuff that the federal government isn’t actually doing. And it’s making people around the country count on the fact the federal government is doing that stuff when they’re not.
There may be people in the federal government saying stuff that the not true but it’s a lit knee of things from the president that would be awesome if they were true and happening but they’re not and so the sooner we come to terms with that, I think the better for all of us.
If it were up to me and it’s not, I would stop putting those briefings on live TV. Not out of spite but because it’s misformation. If the president does end up saying anything true, you can run it as tape. But if he keeps lying like he has been every day on stuff this important, all of us should stop broadcasting it. Honestly, it’s going to cost lives. Honestly, it’s going to cost lives.
Video:
Rachel Maddow calls on TV networks to stop live broadcasting Trump's coronavirus briefings because they are full of lies and misinformation that will get people killed. pic.twitter.com/7iYQ2xSZpv
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 21, 2020
Trump’s briefings never contain vital statistics. The briefings don’t mention the number of confirmed cases, test kits available, or the amount of federal aid distributed. The briefings are a substitute for Trump’s rallies. They are a propaganda tool
The reason why we at PoliticusUSA live share clips from these briefings is that they need to be real-time fact-checked. The best way to fight against Trump’s information is to share the truth as he is speaking. The goal of the press should be not to let Trump’s lies take root, and if the responsible thing for the networks to do would be to stop live air Trump’s coronavirus briefings, and instead run fact-checked taped highlights.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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