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As has been the case throughout his presidency, The Hill tends to take everything Trump and his allies say at face value, sharing their statements repeatedly without indicating whether they're actually true. (Photo: Ceci Freed / Media Matters | Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons)
The Hill Can't Stop Spreading Misinformation About Trump's Impeachment
The site’s social media strategy sows confusion and spreads lies.
Dec 19, 2019
President Donald Trump lies. A lot. On topics big and small, consequential and petty, Trump can't seem to help himself from saying things that are just flat-out disconnected from reality. The Washington Post's running total as of December 10 is 15,413 false or misleading claims from the president since he took office. By the time you read this, that number will likely have inched higher. He will lie tomorrow just as he lies today, just as he lied yesterday.
While there isn't much journalists and news outlets can do to make him tell the truth--especially since he tends to grant his interviews to friendly outlets--there's something they can do to stop his lies from infecting the public consciousness. Namely, the press can stop printing lies free from context.
The Hill's coverage of Trump's Ukraine scandal--specifically, its tweets on the topic--has helped the president spread false narratives for his own benefit.
In May, Media Matters published a study highlighting how frequently major news outlets amplify Trump's lies on Twitter. While we found that nearly every outlet we considered was guilty in some form or another, none pumped out the president's false talking points with more regularity than The Hill. (A follow-up study we published this month again found The Hill to be the worst offender at amplifying Trump misinformation.)
Earlier this week, Trump conducted a rally in Michigan while the House of Representatives was voting to impeach the president over the Ukraine abuse of power scandal. In response, The Hill did what it always does: Promote the president's spin about the events without any context, pushback, or attempt to assess the validity of what he was saying.
As has been the case throughout his presidency, The Hill tends to take everything Trump and his allies say at face value, sharing their statements repeatedly without indicating whether they're actually true. Promoting Trump's impeachment spin at this Michigan rally was nothing new for the outlet. Here's just a small sample of recent misinformation about the Ukraine saga boosted by the Hill without context or clarification.
Read the full story, with examples, at Media Matters for America.
And so it begins...
Political revenge. Mass deportations. Project 2025. Unfathomable corruption. Attacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Pardons for insurrectionists. An all-out assault on democracy. Republicans in Congress are scrambling to give Trump broad new powers to strip the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit he doesn’t like by declaring it a “terrorist-supporting organization.” Trump has already begun filing lawsuits against news outlets that criticize him. At Common Dreams, we won’t back down, but we must get ready for whatever Trump and his thugs throw at us. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. By donating today, please help us fight the dangers of a second Trump presidency. |
© 2023 Media Matters for America
Parker Molloy
Parker Molloy is an editor at large at Media Matters, where she has worked since September 2018. She has a bachelor's degree in arts, entertainment, and media management from Columbia College Chicago. She previously worked at Upworthy as a senior writer.
President Donald Trump lies. A lot. On topics big and small, consequential and petty, Trump can't seem to help himself from saying things that are just flat-out disconnected from reality. The Washington Post's running total as of December 10 is 15,413 false or misleading claims from the president since he took office. By the time you read this, that number will likely have inched higher. He will lie tomorrow just as he lies today, just as he lied yesterday.
While there isn't much journalists and news outlets can do to make him tell the truth--especially since he tends to grant his interviews to friendly outlets--there's something they can do to stop his lies from infecting the public consciousness. Namely, the press can stop printing lies free from context.
The Hill's coverage of Trump's Ukraine scandal--specifically, its tweets on the topic--has helped the president spread false narratives for his own benefit.
In May, Media Matters published a study highlighting how frequently major news outlets amplify Trump's lies on Twitter. While we found that nearly every outlet we considered was guilty in some form or another, none pumped out the president's false talking points with more regularity than The Hill. (A follow-up study we published this month again found The Hill to be the worst offender at amplifying Trump misinformation.)
Earlier this week, Trump conducted a rally in Michigan while the House of Representatives was voting to impeach the president over the Ukraine abuse of power scandal. In response, The Hill did what it always does: Promote the president's spin about the events without any context, pushback, or attempt to assess the validity of what he was saying.
As has been the case throughout his presidency, The Hill tends to take everything Trump and his allies say at face value, sharing their statements repeatedly without indicating whether they're actually true. Promoting Trump's impeachment spin at this Michigan rally was nothing new for the outlet. Here's just a small sample of recent misinformation about the Ukraine saga boosted by the Hill without context or clarification.
Read the full story, with examples, at Media Matters for America.
Parker Molloy
Parker Molloy is an editor at large at Media Matters, where she has worked since September 2018. She has a bachelor's degree in arts, entertainment, and media management from Columbia College Chicago. She previously worked at Upworthy as a senior writer.
President Donald Trump lies. A lot. On topics big and small, consequential and petty, Trump can't seem to help himself from saying things that are just flat-out disconnected from reality. The Washington Post's running total as of December 10 is 15,413 false or misleading claims from the president since he took office. By the time you read this, that number will likely have inched higher. He will lie tomorrow just as he lies today, just as he lied yesterday.
While there isn't much journalists and news outlets can do to make him tell the truth--especially since he tends to grant his interviews to friendly outlets--there's something they can do to stop his lies from infecting the public consciousness. Namely, the press can stop printing lies free from context.
The Hill's coverage of Trump's Ukraine scandal--specifically, its tweets on the topic--has helped the president spread false narratives for his own benefit.
In May, Media Matters published a study highlighting how frequently major news outlets amplify Trump's lies on Twitter. While we found that nearly every outlet we considered was guilty in some form or another, none pumped out the president's false talking points with more regularity than The Hill. (A follow-up study we published this month again found The Hill to be the worst offender at amplifying Trump misinformation.)
Earlier this week, Trump conducted a rally in Michigan while the House of Representatives was voting to impeach the president over the Ukraine abuse of power scandal. In response, The Hill did what it always does: Promote the president's spin about the events without any context, pushback, or attempt to assess the validity of what he was saying.
As has been the case throughout his presidency, The Hill tends to take everything Trump and his allies say at face value, sharing their statements repeatedly without indicating whether they're actually true. Promoting Trump's impeachment spin at this Michigan rally was nothing new for the outlet. Here's just a small sample of recent misinformation about the Ukraine saga boosted by the Hill without context or clarification.
Read the full story, with examples, at Media Matters for America.
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