NEWS AND OPINION:
Terrorist attacks continue, but Americans broadcasters still avoid using the term “terrorist” in their coverage, says a close new study by Newsbusters.org. “Though perpetrators often claimed allegiance to ISIS and ISIS celebrated the slaughter, the ABC, CBS and NBC evening news shows chose to call the terrorists ’gunmen,’ ’shooters,’ ’attackers,’ and basically any word in the thesaurus other than terrorist,’ by a ratio of 5.8 to 1,” writes Elliot Polsky, an analyst for the conservative press watchdog.
“In effect, the networks preferred to discuss the tools used in committing a crime rather than the reasoning (such as it is) behind it,” he continues, noting that “gunman” and “shooter” comprised 45 percent of all references to terrorists by the Big Three networks during an entire month of coverage.
“The left’s habit of blaming guns met the media’s discomfort with holding radical Islam accountable for its violence. In that way, they obfuscated the truth about terrorists and did a disservice to their audience,” Mr. Polsky observes.
He found that the broadcasters used the terms gunman or shooter 189 times during the study period in June; they used such terms as killer, attacker, perpetrator, suspect and other neutral terms 83 times, and terrorist or terror group 61 times.
MCMULLIN’S MOMENT
Media coverage is steadily increasing for independent presidential hopeful Evan McMullin, a former CIA officer who holds both a law degree and a master’s in business administration, and served as chief policy director of the House Republican Conference.
“It’s time for a generation of new leadership to step up. It’s never too late to do the right thing, and America deserves much better than either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton can offer us. I humbly offer myself as a leader who can give millions of disaffected Americans a better choice for president,” Mr. McMullin said upon announcing his intent to run exactly two weeks ago. Find his campaign here.
He will have his say Monday on C-SPAN at 9:15 a.m. ET, discussing “what he hopes to achieve in his 2016 presidential bid,” the network says.
TRUMP ISSUES PUBLIC OPINION POLL NO. 4
In keeping with a strategy to bypass major pollsters and the media, Donald Trump has issued his fourth public opinion poll. The first three sought voter advice for his campaign strategy, insight on the news media and ways to counter rival Hillary Clinton. This one — the “Platform for America Survey” — looks for input on major issues, including immigration, abortion and the federal debt.
Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s new campaign manager, offers an introduction, reaffirming the GOP nominee’s belief that the American people are his greatest advisers.
“We have 79 days to broaden our support and win over the hearts of undecided voters, fight back against Hillary’s slanderous attacks with ads of our own and execute a massive, nationwide grass-roots ground game,” Ms. Conway advises respondents.
“Your honest, critical feedback helps us keep our campaign on message and ensures it’s resonating with the American people. I don’t have to tell you — the mainstream media is always going to try to distort our message. But my job is to help cut through the media’s noise and get our message straight to the voter. To successfully do that, I need your help,” she concludes.
ABOUT THOSE WAR CHESTS
Just in case anyone is still keeping track: the Democratic National Committee reports it raised $32.3 million in July; the Republican national Committee raised $27.2 million during the month. To date, the Democrats have raised $151.3 million for the 2016 election cycle’ the Republican $199.5 million.
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, meanwhile, appears pleased with Donald Trump.
“He’s been on message and showing maturity as a candidate. I think he’s getting into a groove. I think he likes the new style that he’s been out on the campaign trail producing and speaking of,” Mr. Priebus told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “I think he’s done a great job and I think the polls will begin to tighten in the next couple of weeks. By Labor Day, or thereafter, we’ll be back to an even race.”
THE RELEVANCE OF STEPHEN DECATUR
“Decatur was a deft seaman, a fierce warrior and a born leader with democratic manners and an easy rapport with his sailors, rare at a time of pronounced class stratification between officers and men. He was graced with the sort of stormy eyes, defined features and determined bearing that might have seemed wasted on one any less equipped to fulfill the role of epic hero,” writes Daniel Wattenberg, a long time essayist, editor and cultural analyst in his just released, compact look at the life and times Stephen Decatur, the naval officer and commander of seven ships who died in a duel in 1820.
“Decatur’s Wake: The Fateful Rivalry Behind the Lightning Defeat of Barbary Terror” is but 95 pages; it has won accolades for meticulous details, and is ranked No. 1 in several Amazon niche categories.
“In setting its historical context, ’Decatur’s Wake’ recapitulates much of America’s lamentable early experience with ransom payments to foreign powers. With the revelation of President Obama’s de facto ransom payment to Iran, this history now resonates with striking new contemporary relevance,” says the author, whose new work can be found on Amazon here.
POLL DU JOUR
• 57 percent of U.S. voters say more people of different races and ethnicities in the U.S. makes it a “better place to live in.”
• 72 percent of those who support Hillary Clinton, 40 percent of those who support Donald Trump, 59 percent of Hispanics voters, 58 percent of white voters and 51 percent of black voters agree.
• 34 percent of voters overall say more diversity in the U.S. makes no difference.
• 26 percent of Clinton voters, 43 percent of Trump voters agree, 36 percent of Hispanics, 58 percent of whites and 51 percent of blacks agree.
• 8 percent of voters overall say more diversity makes the U.S. a “worse place.”
• 2 percent of Clinton voters, 16 percent of Trump voters agree, 3 percent of Hispanics, 9 percent of whites and 5 percent of blacks agree.
Source: A Pew Research poll of 1,567 registered U.S. voters conducted Aug. 9 to 16.
• Ballyhoo and balderdash to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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