Burying the Lede on Reopenings

CNN’s recent criticism of the reopening of Texas and Mississippi has once again proven its journalists merely engage in partisan coverage. This time it is accompanied by the added demerit of not understanding the nuances of federalism in America’s governance.

With Govs. Greg Abbott and Tate Reeves both deciding it is high time to re-open their states and get back to business, a CNN headline reports that “Biden urges patience on Covid as Republican governors go rogue on reopenings.” The same article states that the governors have “defied federal government warnings to not relax restrictions.”

Newsflash to CNN and President Joe Biden: you don’t have the authority to shut down whole states for indefinite periods of time. But let’s give CNN some credit, for the article in question is an excellent example of organizing information in such a way as to produce an effective smear job. If only CNN was honest about it instead of pretending to engage in journalism. Milumia Women’s ... Check Amazon for Pricing.

In the fourth paragraph CNN claims that the two southern states and their Republican governors are “going it alone as new infections plateau at high levels.” It is not until the 15th paragraph that it admits that “Republicans are not the only governors easing restrictions as new cases of Covid-19 and deaths from the virus have fallen.”

The attack on Abbott and Reeves is doubly apparent in that last sentence alone.

To begin with, the fact that Democratic mayors or governors are also reopening is buried. It may be, as CNN says, that these reopenings are not nearly as dramatic as those of Texas and Mississippi, but how is a reader supposed to judge that? No Democratic controlled locality that is partially reopening is mentioned in the article, nor are any of the partial reopening measures defined. We are simply supposed to take CNN’s word that Abbott and Reeves are acting irresponsibly, while Democrats supposedly engage in more practical steps. Ross-Simons Italian Bl... Buy New $139.00 (as of 10:07 UTC - Details)

Meanwhile this piece condemning reopening as a mismanagement of the pandemic omits any mention of how New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may face impeachment proceedings for shuttering elderly patients into nursing homes, and hiding the death toll of his policy. Nor does it mention that he is currently facing a federal inquiry into the same policy. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in similar hot water, as a recall petition gains steam on the back of his repeated violations of his own COVID-19 emergency orders.

Second is the note regarding COVID-19 caseloads and deaths. The dramatic fall in new cases and deaths is likely the data informing Abbot and Reeves’ decisions to reopen, but that information is buried about halfway down the article.

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