QATSPY® Saturday’s Morning Sports POST
By: Charles W. Boatright
Espresso Laptop Journalism Talking Points– Laptop Journalist Reporting Existentially Soundbite by Press their Objectives of Their Politics
I began to have an interest in doing sports writing from reading the investigative reporting conducted by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post in 1972. It wasn’t their reporting that got my interest, as it was their investigative reporting they did in breaking open the Watergate Case. This investigating reporting has become a lost art in today’s Journalism. Espresso Laptop Journalism is the practice of writing stories based on unsubstantiated leads as being hard news; from journalist laptops; and what’s worst perpetuating the story, over-and over.
Watergate
I was 14 years old in June of 1972 when the Watergate Coverup occurred in the Nixon Administration. The more serious crime wasn’t the break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters, as it was the cover-up that ensued afterwards. A lot of this cover-up was discovered and reported by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein that worked for the Washington Post at the time. The trail started when it was discovered that money (the MONEY FACTOR) was used improperly from the campaign to fund the break-in at the Watergate office complex. Always follow the money. There are three things that cause people to compromise their principles and reputations- Money, Sex, and Power. If you want to start an investigation, these are great starting points.
This type of investigative reporting is a lot more impressive, even to a 14- year old boy who was reading the accounts from Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s work. This type of reporting was so impressive that it became a movie entitled- All The President’s Men. Facts are always more interesting and compelling than fiction will ever be. Those days were when journalist did their investigative reporting for hard-hitting news that has become extinct now since the mid 1980’s. Real Journalism has been on the endangered species list since the mid 1980’s. You have to question what you read or listen to now; I give you the Laptop suppression by the press and media recently.
The Timeline in Watergate
If you go back and read the timeline of Watergate, you will find that the Nixon Administration used the FBI and the CIA to suppress information about a botched break-in at the Watergate building. We have found out that this isn’t unique to this case in how the FBI used their influence on the Press to shape a narrative. What the sad thing about that election was that Nixon won in a landslide against Senator George S. McGovern. Nixon was paranoid, and that was a significant weakness of his.
We the Americans Deserve a FREE, Independent Press
We, as the American People, need and deserve a press that is FREE from undue influences where they are reporting as what Sergeant Friday, on Dragnet used to state- Just the Facts Ma’am. We have what is loosely could be described as Editorial Journalists, NOW, that is even a stretch of the term, sitting by their laptops each morning with their espresso waiting for the talking points du jour from their sources in the Democrat Party and White House. This is the case where the tail wags the dog.
Key Indicators to Propaganda
What is the key indicator to look for and to listen to in these type cases that can only be described as propaganda, is how some in the White House Press Corps use the same keywords in their reporting. These same keywords are recited almost for verbatim used in these media outlets’ broadcasting. You could almost superimpose their scripts on top of each other and have the same report.
What I admired about Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s work at the Washington Post is that they didn’t take press releases at face value, but they examined and did their own digging and followed the leads and money that led to the cover-up. This was not just about the crime of the break-in that was done at a low level, but the cover-up done at a much highest level of our government for control (the POWER FACTOR). Now we’ve got the Money and Power in Control.
Fast Forward to 2020 and the FBI
Now fast forward to 2020, where some in the FBI that had a laptop that they had authenticated by spring of 2020, approached media outlets for them to look for certain information coming forth, which is more than likely to be false and misleading information to influence an election. The majority of the media didn’t even pursue those claims or leads to verify what the sources were of the information that could have been key in their reporting FACTS, and to have something that is now bigger than Watergate to report. My question is how does the FBI come in possession of this misleading information and what was their source. If they couldn’t give that information you can’t report on hearsay, even from the FBI.
If the journalist did one thing on their own they could had verified if there was a laptop and who’s it was for starters. The information about a laptop was out there and who had it that would had been a great place to have start for our inquisitive media.
Like in real hard-hitting Journalism, it isn’t the end that is so compelling to people; as it is the trail that leads to the end of the movie that is so compelling. Don’t just look for the PUNCH LINE to report, but investigate the trail of facts. The press are like writers for a poorly written sitcom, where the show is only as good as the writers are.
Anheuser Busch Failed Campaign
The Press is like the debacle that occurred at Anheuser Busch in their campaign to promote Bud-Light Beer to a larger customer base. You can’t dictate to the American people what they should think, say, or like. This was learned by a bar in Indiana that told their patrons that they could not cast discouraging remarks about Bud-Light Beer. If they did, they were be asked to pay their tab and leave. Well, leave they did. Freedom of expression is a basic fundamental of our rights as Americans. Once you compromise your reputation on conveying your message, your reputation is forever damaged. And forever is a longtime.
The trust factor for the national media has been eroding to now where it is in the mid 20’s over the past decade. We can’t even trust our local news because they read verbatim from the key notes that are supplied them by their national media. Why think and ask questions when it is easier just to report what is given to you and sip on your espresso. Even when you do catch them (our media) in reporting incorrect information, you seldom hear of a retraction being issued by them; this only adds to their alliance with a particular political party.
Media Bias Proven with Rise of Fuel Prices
The rise of fuel prices was a great example of the media bias in reporting that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was what caused fuel prices to be higher. That report was totally wrong; fuel prices have been on a rise since Biden took office and saw their highest jump in April of 2021, refer to chart below.
Russia didn’t invade Ukraine until late February of 2022. A point that was missed by our media with their deep and inquisitive minds. My advice to our mainstream media, just report facts, as they are more compelling than fiction that you export in your reporting that only further your damaged reputation.
I spent 33- years in the energy industry and prices was of great interest to me that I track on a weekly basis that is key to our economy. Ever since early humans existence on earth, energy was the primary basis of their survival in a form of gathering food, preparing food, and keeping warm. Not much has changed since early humanization, has it?
The Russia Hoax Promoted by Our Media
Starting in 2017, we heard nonstop about Trump Russia collusion, wall-to-wall coverage that the FBI perpetrated, which was another media smear campaign that was a total hoax. All Russia collusion was proven to be false in the Trump’s case, promoted by our fake news. Now we hear crickets about the Biden family ties with foreign investments and the Laptop (Money, Sex, and POWER) it comes up as drivers again. The media has finally spilled their espresso coffee in the public eye on to our Bill of Rights over their lack of investigative reporting that used to be the Gold Standard in Journalism, that I even could remember.
Now there is little division between the mainstream media and the Democratic Party; they are joined at the hip. I’m just wondering why the Democratic Party even needs a media campaign department when they’ve got the mainstream media doing their work for them. Look at all that money the Democratic Party could save just by letting the mainstream media do what they do best.
Just listen to the White House Press Conferences and these will tell you everything you want to know to prove this. You have to be suffering from Psychosis to not compare reality to perception. You wonder why the White House Press Corps even show up when the only thing they really need to do is to sit by their laptops with their espresso to get their talking points each morning.
Cognitive Health Issues between President Trump and Biden, an Epiphany Moment for the Press
There was one thing that kept coming up during President Trump’s Presidency, that was his cognitive ability. Now that same scrutiny is like crickets to the journalist now in the case of Biden cognitive declining condition. The same press, like The New York Times, raised issues of invoking Section No. 4 of the 25 Amendment during President Trump Presidency. Now they, New York Times, are under the impression that Biden cognitive decline isn’t an issue that the Government can run itself.
What would be interesting to know was when did our liberal press had their metamorphosis, or their epiphany, in their view of cognitive health of the president.
This been tried one time during President Eisenhower Administration after his Myocardial infarction (heart attack) that left him incapacitated while he recovered.
Cognitive decline has nothing to do with age. Harry Kissinger, Secretary of Sate in the Nixon Administration, is 100 years old and is still cognitive to write books, with the latest entitled- Leadership Six Studies in World Strategy. There one important component about journalism- It isn’t the answers that are given that are important and compelling as the questions that are asked! Even more important, the follow up questions that are asked.
Just Do One Thing- Report the FACTS, as you Prove Them
Just do something really simple for us for a change as Americans and you being the PRESS; just report FACTS as you prove them! I realize that is a novel idea to some of you in the press, but then again why should you allow facts to get in the way of your narrative that you are writing?
Where a great piece of advice I found to have worked very well for me- Examine everything; hold firmly to that which remains as fact. That’s right, I forgot, that takes work on your part!