Have you ever felt like the mainstream media is playing favorites with political candidates? Like there’s some kind of unfair double standard at play?
Well, get ready, because we’ve got a prime example of media bias that’s bound to raise your eyebrows.
You’re probably aware that political speeches are a critical way for candidates to rally support and gather donations.
Every detail matters – from the words spoken to the visuals displayed. Now, imagine if one candidate’s vital donation information was deliberately blurred out during a live broadcast while their opponent’s was left untouched. Sounds a bit fishy, right?
Well, that’s precisely the situation that unfolded recently, and it’s got people talking.
You see, during a speech given by Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, he stood in front of a podium bearing a simple message for those who wanted to support his campaign: “TEXT TRUMP AT 88022.”
But when ABC News aired the speech, something was off.
Trump’s message had vanished, replaced by an obvious blur. If that doesn’t scream “media bias,” I don’t know what does. And just to add fuel to the fire, this altered version of the podium was even used as the thumbnail for ABC News’ YouTube feature on the event.
https://twitter.com/burackbobby_/status/1644078435386417153
BREAKING: Clear #Election Interference By @ABC News As They Blur #Trump's Podium Ad During Speech But Leave @JoeBiden's Clear & In Frame! pic.twitter.com/CoPsA4kFMw
— John Basham (@JohnBasham) April 6, 2023
On Tuesday, @ABC blurred out the 'Text Trump' phone number on Trump's podium during his post-indictment speech.
Will they do the same for Biden's speeches? pic.twitter.com/UBIJtIAYiI
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 6, 2023
Now, you might be thinking this is just an isolated incident, right?
Well, think again.
Outkick has more details:
ABC News’ airings of Donald Trump’s post-arraignment speech from Tuesday appeared noticeably different than clips from other networks.
At Mar-a-Lago, Trump stood in front of a podium that read “TEXT TRUMP AT 88022.”
But on ABC, that message is non-existing. It’s blurred out.
ABC edited out the donation line to Trump’s campaign.
The edited version of the podium also appeared in the thumbnail for an ABC News feature of the arraignment on YouTube.
For those wondering, blurring out a campaign text line is not common practice at ABC. Take the broadcasting of Joe Biden on the campaign trail for example.
Again, this is just a small example of liberal media bias.
When people think of media bias, they think of something that’s more “obvious,” such as anchors and so-called journalists pushing an agenda.
But simple things, such as blurring out part of Trump’s podium, appears to be its own kind of “interference.”
Screenshot from ABC news last night.
State-Run Media at Work: ABC Blurs Out “TEXT TRUMP AT 88022” on Podium During Tuesday’s Speech to Block Donations to His Campaign – But They Didn’t Blur the Ad for Joe Biden! pic.twitter.com/ZxFFaV0LhW— Bruce Snyder (@realBruceSnyder) April 6, 2023
ABC Blurred out Trump's
Text 88022 from the podium, for fund raising! pic.twitter.com/s2unAlQKkV— Resa Speaks 🚂 🇺🇸 👠 (@resamarie001) April 6, 2023
Screenshot from ABC news last night.
State-Run Media at Work: ABC Blurs Out “TEXT TRUMP AT 88022” on Podium During Tuesday’s Speech to Block Donations to His Campaign – But They Didn’t Blur the Ad for Joe Biden! pic.twitter.com/kglwfkHOtZ— Annie C (@Annie6774) April 6, 2023
Of course, ABC isn’t taking any responsibility.
They’re blaming it on a misunderstanding instead.
Per the Daily Beast:
The Wednesday broadcast of ABC’s Good Morning America blurred the portion of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago podium that showed a number through which supporters can contact—and donate to—the indicted former president’s 2024 campaign.
The network was airing footage from Trump’s grievance-filled, post-arraignment speech the previous night, during which time he spoke in withering terms about the Manhattan district attorney who brought the case, the prosecutor’s family, and the sprawling 34 felony counts of falsifying business records that he now faces.
The number on the podium was also blurred in a video of the segment on the show’s Twitter account and in a video on the network’s YouTube account. Other ABC shows, including David Muir’s World News Tonight, aired the unaltered footage later in the day.
ADVERTISEMENTA network source told The Daily Beast that the blurred podium was attributable to a “misunderstanding.” Nevertheless, many conservatives saw the incident as an example of media bias against the twice-impeached and now indicted former president.
Right-wing media personalities latched onto the footage Wednesday evening, writing online that the alteration amounted to “election interference,” among other things—and pointing to past instances where the network hadn’t blurred out similar messages from Joe Biden’s campaign podiums.
So what do you think?
Was this truly a “misunderstanding”?
Or do you think it’s yet another example of bias in the mainstream media?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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