Bias by Omission: What the WaPo Didn’t Include in Its ‘BullyGate’ Hit Job

Susan Swift at Big Journalism located a profile feature about Mitt Romney in Automobile magazine, including quotes from some of the same sources used in Jason Horowitz’s “BullyGate” story. One of the common sources was Phillip Maxwell, who is quoted by the WaPo as an authority on the Infamous Homophobic Bullying Haircut. So, what didn’t Horowitz tell us about Maxwell that Automobile does?

“I’m a Democrat, so I won’t vote for him. . . . He’s determined to claim the highest office in the land — to be the first Mormon to do it. He keeps that undercover because he doesn’t want to frighten people.”

Hmmm. Let me get this right:

  1. Democrat.
  2. Thinks the Mormon-quest-for-power theme would “frighten people.”

Kinda like Lawrence O’Donnell, really. But it’s rather curious that the same Philip Maxwell who told Automobile magazine that he’s a Democrat is not clearly identified as such by Horowitz. And, as John Nolte notices, ABC News also presented Maxwell as apolitical.

I have “long been bothered” by this . . .

12 comments

  1. I have “long been bothered” by this . . .for about 48 hours! LOL! Nah, I am not bothered at all. Once again, it is the libertard left doing a hit piece and so cocooned that they seem to forget there is something called, what is it, . . .oh yeah, the internet! Invented by their EnviroGod, Al Gore, no less. Yeah, its funny how the internet seems to work for people really doing research and find out some FACTS. Oh well, chalk up another dumb move by the money-bleeding WaPo.

  2. Another omission was the man’s family, who were upset by the portrayal.  Surely Horowitz had talked to them.

    And all the unnamed sources being quoted is almost as bad as the hearsay dead man’s quote. 

    As I commented on the original story (at WaPo), this is hack propaganda, not journalism, and explains why you are losing $7 million+ a month, circulation and ad revenue dropping like rocks, and whatever residual reputation you had is fading away.

  3. Bob Belvedere finally issues his formal statement on Bullygate:

    Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha – to infinity!

  4. “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” Yes indeed I hate with every fiber of my being those who peddle dishonesty and and deconstructionism and make no mistake about it we are in the middle of the biggest deconstructionist wave since the 60’s.

  5. Five sources give the exact same account of an incident from nearly 50 years ago?

    Ask any cop, lawyer, or judge about the chances five witnesses will give the exact same description of something that just happened, much less half a century ago.

    They think we are stupid.

  6. Let ’em keep thinking that – it makes our job of exposing and ridiculing them much easier.

    The Raygun took full advantage of people thinking he was dumb.

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