Jim VandeHei Claims NY Times, Wash. Post Reporters On Twitter Are “Biased” Against Trump

VandeHei: “It's Not Just An End-Zone Dance, They’re Doing Their Little Shimmy And They All Slap Each Other On The Back”

From the October 4 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

Video file

JOE SCARBOROUGH (CO-HOST): We're just talking about the Twitter feeds of reporters for top newspapers across this country going on Twitter and opining as irresponsibly as if they were like me.

JIM VANDEHEI: In a way they never did before. I've said this before. I've always been a defender of the media. I think these accusations of bias are usually overdone. I think that that's all out the door, all out the window in this campaign. And I think reporters have become so biased, so partisan, particularly on Twitter. Go look at the Twitter feeds of the reporters from your major newspapers -- The New York Times, The Washington Post, others -- and tell me if those are things that they would say on TV or that would have ever been acceptable in previous campaigns. That doesn't mean [Donald] Trump doesn't say plenty -- that you should get all worked up about, but you don’t need to. Just let the facts be out there and let people make a judgment because that's why people turn on all of us.

[…]

WILLIE GEIST (CO-HOST): Somewhere along the line in this presidential race, a decision was made by many members of the media that Trump had to be stopped, that this couldn't happen, that this year was different, that it was incumbent on people to stop a bigot, all those things that he's been called -- and maybe is -- that this time was different. And so when you go on and you see reporters, reporters tweeting out things -- like oh my gosh, you're the guy who's going to write the lead news story above the fold on a major newspaper tomorrow, you shouldn't have that out there on the record.

VANDEHEI: And they're not speaking truth to power. That's a cover-up. They're not speaking truth to power. They're not saying anything that we don't already know. Trump says everything that people need to hear and they are making their judgements on him. They're not helping it by doing -- it's not just an end-zone dance, they’re doing their little shimmy and they all slap each other on the back -- "Haha, you’re even wittier than I was.”

Previously:

Trump’s 12 Biggest Lies That Debate Moderators Should Be Prepared To Address

New Roundups Of Trump’s Lies Prove Why Fact-Checking Is Vital During Presidential Debates

President Obama Calls Out Media's Complacency When It Comes To Fact-Checking Trump's Lies

Myths & Facts: A Debate Guide To Donald Trump’s Most Common Lies About The Economy