Speaking of keeping an eye on how liberals, progressives, and journalists move forward from the shocking election of Donald Trump to the presidency, here’s an excellent example of the sort of thing that has made so many of us distrustful of the mainstream:

The [Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC’s)] widely cited report — “The Trump Effect: The Impact of the 2016 Presidential Election on Our Nation’s Schools” — reported that 40 percent of the more than 10,000 educators who responded to the survey “have heard derogatory language directed at students of color, Muslims, immigrants and people based on gender or sexual orientation.” …

But the SPLC didn’t present the whole story. The Montgomery, Ala.-based nonprofit self-censored results from a key question it asked educators — whether they agree or disagree with the following statement: “I have heard derogatory language or slurs about white students.”

Asked last week to provide the data, SPLC initially said it was having a hard time getting the information “from the researchers.” Pressed, SPLC spokeswoman Kirsten Bokenkamp finally revealed that “about 20 percent answered affirmatively to that question.”

In other words, we can file any SPLC reports under “fake news” and arguably treat the organization as a hate group for crafting a message to increase hatred of a particular demographic group — not as an isolated slip, but fully in line with its demonstrated mission and ideology.

Keep an eye out for journalists who cite its work uncritically, but be understanding and compassionate when they do.  It’s a difficult thing to learn that the good guys and watchdogs are actually the bad guys and attack dogs.  Of course, don’t rule out the possibility that they’re not exactly innocent, themselves; after all, the SPLC’s hiding of significant information is very much in keeping with my observations of the news media’s reports since the election (and before).