Congratulations to Estelle Parsnips, winner of this week’s local media bias contest! The name is fictitious as our reader wishes to remain anonymous but her submission pointing out the fawning, uncritical coverage of Rep. Erin Maye Quade’s gun control “sit-in” stunt is very real.
If you follow Minnesota news in the slightest you couldn’t help but get soaked in the tsunami of propaganda-level coverage over far Left Maye Quade, who plopped down on the floor, the literal floor, of the House to pout about gun grabbing legislation not getting the hearings she somehow thinks are due despite being in the minority. Someone should remind her of what Obama once said: We won.
Like the Regressive Left nationally, the far Left in Minnesota have been throwing a temper tantrum when the presidential election didn’t go their way. For some reason, the DFL believes that attacking the constitutional rights of law abiding Minnesota gun owners is some sort of electoral magic bullet. In reality, it’s virtue signaling and mollycoddling to their increasingly extremist base.
Media coverage was the definition of uncritical. Not a single outlet had the journalistic integrity to call out the stunt for what it was. Where was a question like “Rep. Maye Quade, I realize your actions are designed to garner attention but given that you’re in the minority, isn’t this all a pointless stunt?” It was nowhere and I doubt the question ever entered the mind of any of our local reporters who covered Maye Quade’s tedious stunt.
In fact, the coverage was so glowing that Briana Bierschbach found it necessary to inform us that Maye Quade plopped down with a blanket and orzo salad. As I said on Twitter, all she needed now was a pacifier.
This kind of nauseating coverage was the rule, not the exception. Outlets such as MPR, WCCO, and MinnPost all lead with Maye Quade but what’s interesting is they don’t mention what bill she promoting. Why would that be?
WCCO said “At least 26 different gun safety bills have been introduced in 2018, including measures on universal background checks. Only two of those got a hearing and they were both defeated.” But there is a difference between gun safety and gun control. Gun safety is training on how to use guns safely.
Maye Quade suspiciously removed her name from what had been called “the worst gun control bill in years” and blamed the Revisor’s Office, as Alpha News’ Christine Bauman reported last month.
Imagine Republicans being in the minority in the House and conducting a stunt like this, a 24 hour sit-in on the actual floor, in order to demand hearings on pro-life legislation. Do you think it would get any coverage and, if it did, it would be as fawning and laudatory as that given Quade?
There’s your answer to anyone who questions the pervasive media bias in Minnesota. They long ago chose sides and it wasn’t ours.
Please keep examples of media bias coming. Click on the banner ad above to learn how to submit. Another winner will be announced next Friday.
John Gilmore
John Gilmore is an author, freelance writer & former opinion columnist for Alpha News. He blogs at minnesotaconservatives.org & is @Shabbosgoy on Twitter