Last Impressions #48: Journalist Blacklists Matter
Justin Katz warns of the danger created when mainstream journalists drop their objectivity to tilt stories in support of Black Lives Matter and Antifa.
Shaping the Narrative of Protests in Rhode Island
The coverage of two recent political events in Rhode Island show how social justice journalists tweak their stories to silence opposition and give a sense of conformity among everybody else.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Narratives All Over the Place
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for August 24, included talk about:
- Gina’s back to school battle
- Government by calamari
- Michael from Rhode Island
- The uncovered pro-Trump boat parade
I’ll be on again Monday, August 31, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Mail Ballot Fraud Never Happens… Wait, What?
Partisans and the news media can repeat that there’s no evidence of voter fraud until they’re blue in the face, but I’d venture to estimate that a majority of Americans would be suspicious.
Putting the Scare into the People
Just calling something “highest risk category” and saying there has been a “spike” induces fear.
Watching the News Without the Scary Soundtrack
If Block Island tourists’ behavior isn’t having a measurable effect, maybe it isn’t actually “behaving badly.”
In The Dugout: DOH Whistleblower On Media Lockout
Mike Stenhouse brings Lisa Camuso back on the show to talk about how pervasively the Rhode Island media is ignoring her story of problems at the state Department of Health.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Protests and Snitches
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for August 10, included talk about:
- Protests at Gina’s house
- The snitch line
- A dictated last call
- Will schools open?
I’ll be on again Monday, August 24, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
The Queen Seeks Higher Office
Is it crazy to think that our governing class has completely lost touch with the reason for its existence?
McElroy’s Ruling Undermines Election Confidence
The ruling of U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy changing election-security laws shortly before Rhode Islanders vote is a warning sign that Americans should think twice before trusting the results that follow.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: A People on Their Own
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for July 28, included talk about:
- Teachers protesting school
- Secretary of state protesting election security
- Councilwoman protesting enforcement of the law
- Journalists not protesting attacks on journalists
I’ll be on again Monday, August 3, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Update 7/27: DePetro Partially Blinded by BLM Protestor?
Radio talk host John DePetro is reporting possible damage to his eyesight after being hit with a laser after a Black Lives Matter protest, although no news media have covered the incident.
Looking for Reality with Schrodinger’s President
In the world of media and politics, ignoring reality in order to keep your preferred outcome a live possibility may be an option, but for the sake of a healthy reality it cannot be.
Daring to Look for Perspective on the Pandemic
The attitude of fear that has been fostered by the presentation of COVID-19 to the public has created a terrible atmosphere in which to be making major life-and-society-affecting decisions.
Fairy Tale Political Battles on the Road to Polygamy
Legislation that purports to clarify the laws around who can be and is a child’s parent does much more, and reportage is telling in a more-profound way than the light tone indicates.
Journalism Off Its Track
Trends in journalism accord with the impression that many conservatives have of the coming progressive totalitarianism — that it will be some kind of mixture of revolutionary France, the Google playhouse office campus, and Mean Girls.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: For the Image of the Governor
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for July 13, included talk about:
- Dan Connors’s $170,000 DUI
- General Assembly’s misplaced priorities
- Gina’s missing tested Rhode Islanders
- Protests on the governor’s lawn
- Mask wearing
- The odds of school
I’ll be on again Monday, July 20, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
The COVID Story’s Focus Isn’t Where It Should Be for a Free People
The narratives around COVID-19 may make for an easier and more-fun story to write, but they aren’t what we should demand as a free and independent people… unless that’s not what we are anymore.
The Narrative Determines Who Gets Marked for Life
Police officers injured during Black Lives Matter protests and riots were statistical scenery, in contrast to those hurt while tamping down the scourge of personal fireworks displays.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: Muted Independence
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for July 6, included talk about:
- Phase 3
- Lack of budget
- The secret consultant
- Nursing home problems
- Not a real Bristol parade
- RI schools’ future
- Lt. Gov. McKee tries an online petition
I’ll be on again Monday, July 13, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Headlines Designed to Divide
If you were trying to sow division and promote civil unrest (and maybe civil war), you would promote the narrative of these CNBC headlines.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: All About Protest
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for June 8, included talk about:
- Raimondo to the rescue or enters stage left?
- Who was in control of the march?
- Was no-discount donuts a mistake, a backlash against regulations, or good woke marketing?
I’ll be on again Monday, June 15, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
The Things the Viewers Believe Are True
Blue check marks on Twitter can guffaw about things that Fox News viewers believe, but maybe they should be thinking about the importance of collecting information from a wide variety of sources.
WPRI’s False Death Chart and Games with Models, 5/29/20
COVID-19 results continue to improve in Rhode Island, even the previously stubborn daily deaths… despite what one news team insists on reporting.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: In Search of Other Authorities
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for May 27, included talk about:
- #WeWantOurSummerBack
- Justice Flanders still protecting rights
- Trump v. Gina
- General Assembly… still out
- Mail ballots
- Money for insiders
- No jobs for Rhode Islanders
I’ll be on again Monday, June 1, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.
Right and Wrong, Narrative and News
When you’re claiming to be speaking from a position of science and advocating policies that restrict our rights and that have massive implications for the real lives of millions of people, details are important.
Fear Is How You Frame It
As we claw back our liberty little by little in the months ahead, we must adjust for the degree to which our opinions (and those of our neighbors) can be swayed by the Zeitgeist.
A Lesson on Class Division in Rhode Island
The assumptions of an ideological insider class in Rhode Island discount and brush aside diverse ideas that would help the state run better and recover from economic hits.
Distorted Details to Make Church Seem Deadly
Turning anecdote into fearful narrative is a disservice from our information institutions.
Politics This Week with John DePetro: The Push-Back Begins
My weekly call-in on John DePetro’s WNRI 1380 AM/95.1 FM show, for May 11, included talk about:
- The governor’s New Order
- Cops push back
- Protesters push back
- The press pushes back
- Will businesses push back?
- Will the General Assembly push back?
- Elorza gets push-back and stumbles
I’ll be on again Monday, May 18, at 12:00 p.m. on WNRI 1380 AM and I-95.1 FM.