Associated Press mocked for reporting GOP ‘seized’ on Cuomo scandals to distract from Biden’s greatness
‘Cuomo literally seized women who worked for him,’ one critic responded
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The mainstream media often frames stories about scandals by high-powered Democrats by framing it as Republicans taking advantage of the situation, and the Associated Press continued the tradition over the weekend, claiming "Republicans have seized" on multiple sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The story, "Top Dems call on Cuomo to resign amid harassment allegations," noted that Cuomo is "fighting for his political survival" after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., called for him to step down. Yet the article managed to praise President Biden and decry Republicans.
REPORTER ACCUSES GOV. CUOMO OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT: ‘IT WASN’T ABOUT SEX. IT WAS ABOUT POWER’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The escalating political crisis has spawned an impeachment inquiry in an overwhelmingly Democratic state, and threatens to cast a cloud over President Joe Biden’s early days in office. Republicans have seized on the scandal to try to distract from Biden’s success tackling the coronavirus pandemic and challenge his party’s well-established advantage with female voters," the AP wrote in the story’s fourth paragraph.
Cuomo has been accused of sexual harassment by at least seven women and many Democrats have called for his resignation, but the AP essentially declared Republicans are using the scandal to distract Americans from Biden’s coronavirus success.
National Review editor Charles C.W. Cooke mocked the writing style last year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"At this stage, any journalist who frames a mistake or controversial statement made by a Democratic politician with ‘conservatives pounce’ has to be either woefully out of touch with reality or consciously trolling," Cooke wrote.
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Journalist Becket Adams noticed the AP’s framing and shamed it on Twitter. "Just breathtaking bulls—t," he wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Others had similar objections: