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Fox News yesterday told the Erik Wemple Blog to be ready to discuss the very broad topic of media bias and the 2016 election on our appearance last night on Tucker Carlson Tonight. Instead, host Tucker Carlson wished to discuss the appearance in The Washington Post of native-advertising supplements promoting Russia what he termed paid propaganda for the Kremlin. He folded this offense into the larger context of discussions about fake news.

So this was purposely deceptive ambush journalism. So what?! From watching a great deal of Tucker Carlson Tonight, its clear that blindsiding his guests and keeping them from issuing fully formed answers is the official MO. Plus, this blog has been critical of Carlsons work, both at the Daily Caller and at Fox News. There was no question that he was using the smokescreen of a vague topic to blast away at the Erik Wemple Blog. Deal with it.

Another level of deception occurred on air, when Carlson alleged that the Erik Wemple Blog fails to provide accountability coverage of The Post. In contrast to Carlson himself who doesnt referee Fox Newss mistakes and formerly ordered his underlings at the Daily Caller not to criticize Fox News this blog has repeatedly criticized The Post over a number of journalistic and management issues. News outlets commonly dont allow such internal scrutiny.

We pointed out to Carlson that wed written a critical piece of The Post just last month, after the newspaper stumbled by inaccurately reporting that Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. electrical grid. Our post explored the mistakes and what we viewed as the insufficient explanation for them.

In our chat last night, Carlson didnt view the post as a work of accountability. You didnt interview the reporters who wrote the story and then you end with this, the missteps mar an otherwise spectacular run for the Post. Now when you write something that brown nosy, do you feel guilt?

Since we had no idea Carlson would pursue this line of argument in the segment, we didnt have the post in front of us. But we did remember that we didnt end the post with those words. So we implored Carlson to provide the context necessary to properly inform the viewers eager to see the Erik Wemple Blog bloodied on live television. Now to the transcript:

CARLSON: Now when you write something that brown nosy, do you feel guilt?

ERIK WEMPLE BLOG: No.

CARLSON: Do you feel like Im doing my job as a hard-hitting media reporter, a spectacular run of my own publication, my own employers?

ERIK WEMPLE BLOG: Finish the post, Mr. Carlson. Read till the end, please.

CARLSON: Thats actually the last thats the end of it, and then you go

ERIK WEMPLE BLOG: No, read until the end. Read the entire last paragraph, please, for me.

Carlson declined to do so, choosing instead to deflect the request.

The notion that we chose to end this post with these words is an out-and-out lie. Have a look at the the following paragraphs of the post, which include the ending. Bolding is inserted to highlight the words that Carlson decided to pluck for his broadcast:

So theres a duel going on at The Posts website between a more recent story that features correct information and a more dated one that oversells the hacking threat. The result is a clicky version of Russian roulette: If you choose the wrong version, you get the wrong news.

A number of critics have blasted The Post for its handling of the story, and this blog will forego a laborious reconstruction of the affair.

What stands out about the incident, however, is that the newspaper published its salacious story based on the accounts of the officials, though without input from the utility folks. Burlington Electric executive Neale Lunderville told Vermont Public Radio, It could have easily been corrected, well first, had this federal official not leaked this information inaccurately, and second had the news outlet got in touch with us to confirm it or deny it, and we would have told them, Not so. Thats not the case. And they could have printed a correct story the first time around.

The Erik Wemple Blog today asked top Post officials for interviews on the screw-ups, though we didnt get any sit-downs. Kris Coratti, a spokeswoman for the paper, issued this statement: We have corrected the story, prominently displayed the correct information after further reporting, evaluated what transpired, and had the appropriate discussions internally to make sure something similar does not occur again.

Again would be the third time, considering that The Post was forced to publish an editors note over a Thanksgiving-weekend story fingering Russia for assisting in the spread of fake news.

The missteps mar an otherwise spectacular run for The Post, which nailed exclusive after exclusive in the presidential campaign. With traffic surging and editorial ranks growing, The Post, you might suppose, would have the self-confidence to sit for an extensive interview about its occasional failings. Apparently not.

Selective editing is a scourge of news production, and one that has frequently angered conservatives vis-a-vis mainstream media outlets. Think of NBC Newss handling of the 911 call in the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin incident or the extremely legitimate complaints about how a Katie Couric gun documentary slimed Second Amendment advocates.

Though the Erik Wemple Blog makes no claim that weve endured the same degree of distortion, theres one thing that generally knits together these instances. The unmolested record, that is. On the one hand, we have Carlsons statement that he read the end of the post in question; on the other, we have the post itself, which refutes his claim in a consequential way. The material before and after his quote provides critical coverage of this newspaper. The lesson here about Tucker Carlson Tonight is that surprise, surprise its all about in-the-moment entertainment. The folks who have filled our Twitter mentions with TUCKER-DESTROYED-YOU messages, after all, dont seem to care much about the actual circumstances. They got the fact-challenged presentation that Carlson so reliably and brilliantly delivers.

Not all of Carlsons fans, however, bought the presentation. One viewer from Maryland emailed the Erik Wemple Blog last night:

I saw your interview on Tucker Carlson show tonight and was intrigued by the back and forth you two had on the Vermont power plant story.

Im a big fan of Tuckers and think he usually brings up some interesting points and unique takes on the days events. I wanted to see what you had written and if you were as critical of your own papers reporting as you had claimed, so I went back and reread your piece.

I was shocked to see how wrong Tucker was on this topic. He really did cherry pick some points on his claims that you did not interview the reporters of the story without mentioning their unwillingness to answer your questions. It would be harder to be more critical of anyones reporting as you were of these reporters, let anyone reporters who write under the same banner as you.

I commend you for maintaining your composure during that onslaught of an interview. Im sure youre aware of the type of interviews Tucker likes to conduct and how we would try to frame you as a typical liberal media operative, and yet you still went on to defend your work.

I write this as someone who usually agrees with Tuckers points but felt you really got railroaded on this segment tonight.

I also write this as a subscriber to the Washington Post and reader of your columns, and just want to thank you for putting out honest writing in the face of such a combative and divided atmosphere.

1:28 p.m.: Updated to include reader email.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, the Erik Wemple Blog conducted a phone interview with FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly. This is a part of their conversation. (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

Read more here:
The stupendously dishonest Tucker Carlson - Washington Post (blog)

wbur

February 15, 2017Updated 02/15/2017 5:50 PM

It's been five years since the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. Martin was shot by George Zimmerman who claimed self-defense. Zimmerman and his family claimed that Martin threatened him and attacked him, forcing him to shoot. Zimmerman was found not guilty in 2013.

One of the laws surrounding the case was known as"stand your ground." Zimmerman waived his right to a "stand your ground" hearing before the trial. Florida passed the first such law in 2005 that allows people to stand their ground instead of retreating, in order to protect or defend themselves.

Colorado's version of the law is even named after Clint Eastwood's famous quote, "Make My Day."

Harvard historian Caroline Light calls these laws part of the, "Do It Yourself Security Citizenship" movement. It's a movement she says crosses political spectrum and is provoked by anxieties in the world that lead us to think, as NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre has said, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

Caroline Light will be reading on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 at the Harvard Book Store.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said one of Zimmerman's early defenses was a law known as "Stand Your Ground." Zimmerman did not cite the law in his defense during the trial, but it was cited in jury instructions.

Caroline Light, director of undergraduate studies in Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Harvard University. Her new book is "Stand Your Ground: The History Of America's Love Affair With Lethal Self-Defense."

This story aired on February 15, 2017.

More:
'Stand Your Ground' And America's History Of Lethal Self-Defense - WBUR

Every day for the month of February this year, I have posted, to my Facebook page, the photo and story of a Black person who was killed by police. I have done this because I am tired. Tired of the generic Black History facts taught by our schools. We all grew up reading about Dr. King and looking at that same layout of a slave ship in our U.S. History books. But, our history is far from beautiful. Its been so sugarcoated over the years. We are still making history. Every time an officer of the law murders one of us, history is made.

I feel as though we are placed on one of two sides of Black history. One side being I have a dream, and the other being, By any means necessary. But, there is so much more in between.

The world needs to know, my 13-year-old son needs to know, that Rekia Boyd had a family. That Tamir Rice was someones son. That Tanisha Anderson wasnt crazy. That no matter what the media has told you, Chavis Carter did not commit suicide. We need to know them. We need to say their names. Our children need to know that Alton Sterlings son Cameron watched his father die in that parking lot. And that he shouldnt have had to.

I cry as I write this. Because Michael Brown being called a thug is my history. The little girl being in that backseat of Philando Castiles car when the police murdered him is my sons history. I cry because George Zimmerman will continue to rack up mugshots, while the picture on the front of Trayvons obituary is the last picture of him that will ever be published. I shed tears because Terence Crutcher will never be able to finish college. I cry because the world will continue to revolve without them, and thats not fair.

I love and appreciate the Martin Luther Kings and the Harriet Tubmans for the way they paved and the sacrifices they made. But I never want to forget the George Stinneys, the Emmett Tills, the Sandra Blands. The ones who gave their lives in the past 100 years, for simply wanting to be Black and free.

See more here:
A new kind of Black History Month - Amsterdam News

Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, parents of Trayvon Martin, will be at the DuSable Museum Friday to discuss their new book about their son's death. View Full Caption

Flickr/David Shankbone

HYDE PARK The parents of slain teen Trayvon Martin will be at the DuSable Museum of African-American History Friday to talk about a new book that gives their perspective on their sons death.

Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin will talk about Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin at 6 p.m. Friday at the museum, 740 E. 56th Place.

In 2012, 17-year-old Trayvonwas shot by George Zimmerman after an altercation in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. Trayvon'sdeath gained national attention, and Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder charges under Floridas "stand your ground" law.

The new book steps back from the media controversy to give the familysperspective on Martins life and the events that led to his death.

Tickets are $20,$15 for students, and are available on the museums website or by calling 773-947-0600.

More here:
Trayvon Martin's Parents Coming To DuSable Museum In Washington Park Friday - DNAinfo

The nightmare ends the same way every time: I drive up on my house and see police cars with lights on. Policemen with guns drawn. I see a young man in a red hoodie lying face down. Bleeding. Shot. I approach the person on the ground cops yell to stop, but I push past them. I roll him over and pull off the hood... and its RJ, my teenaged son with autism.

Parents of a child on the autism spectrum have similar dreams. And nightmares.

Since my RJ was was diagnosed with autism in 2000 at age 3, our journey on the autism express, as we call it, has been filled with high-highs, low-lows and countless small wins.

On diagnosis day, or the Never Day, a pediatrician rattled off an exhaustive, hope-starved laundry list of things he would never do: develop language, attend a mainstream school, have meaningful friendships, play team sports, drive, self-advocate, live on his own or say I love you unprompted. It was a devastating and suffocating day.

When RJ was a toddler through elementary school, I hovered over him like a relentless momma bear trying to keep him safe and understood. He had very little language until he was almost 10, so I was always on alert because he couldnt articulate what happened to him when I was not around.

Courtesy of Holly Robinson Peete

Eventually, he developed language, thank God. But he was still so misunderstood by the world around him. I was there to navigate that world. I was a snow plow mom, meaning I just plowed away all of RJs life obstacles. (Autism moms, I often like to half-joke, can be gangsta! We are our kids most loyal and ferocious advocates, so we have to be thick-skinned and often blunt.)

Our family or, Team RJ has fought diligently to help him overcome obstacles and check many of those nevers off of that list! I get weepy when I think about how far he has come. He speaks, has some friends, got a job and now he is actually driving! He got his license at 19 after being demoralized by failing the test several times. But, when I tell you this kid wanted to drive so badly, I am not even exaggerating one bit. He kept proclaiming, That doctor said I would never drive. So, I have to make her wrong, Mom. She was wrong about a lot of things, right?

RJ is amazing behind the wheel. He is relaxed and focused and determined. His fantastic brain came equipped with a built in GPS. RJ driving is a huge, huge win.

Courtesy of Holly Robinson Peete

All his life, we have been preparing RJ to live independently, to turn him over to the world. Now I am petrified to do just that.

What happens when he gets pulled over by police? Will he get nervous or scared? Will he process the officers cues properly? If not, will the officer not see my sweet, special son, but instead perceive him as a threat or a bad dude? Has the officer ever been around someone with autism? Will he mistake RJs quirkiness or difficulty making eye-contact for non-compliance? RJ loves to wear his hoodies sensorily, he loves the way the hoods feel on his head. Will that cause an officer to stereotype him? RJ stims. (That is short for self-stimulating.) It can include flapping and tics and sudden movements, which petrify me for him when I imagine him one-on-one with a cop. Will the officer know what stimming is?

Earlier this month would have been the 22nd birthday of Trayvon Martin, a young man who was minding his own business walking home from the store when his fate was sealed by the blatant racial profiling of an overzealous neighborhood watchman who we came to know as George Zimmerman.

For myself a mom of three sons and for practically every other mother of a black boy, Trayvons senseless murder and the ensuing vindication of Zimmerman haunts us in every way, literally every day. It told us our sons lives did not matter. Though Zimmerman was not a cop, there have been entirely too many incidents of unarmed black men being shot and often killed by police.

So we have that obligatory talk with all three of our boys about what to do when you encounter law enforcement.

But, RJs autism makes him unique, and, in my mind, makes him especially vulnerable to a bad outcome.

I knew for my mommy peace of mind, we had to drill him on how to comply and hopefully avoid every moms nightmare. I also knew I had to advocate for him. So, I took him to our local police station and introduced him around. I told them, You may see him walking up and down Ventura Boulevard. He likes to wear his hoodies and listen to his headphones. He loves to walk to local restaurants and eat by himself. Sometimes he talks to himself. If you see him say Hi, RJ! After that visit, I was feeling pretty positive about RJ moving freely with autism in our community.

Then, this past summer, a tragic shooting of an unarmed autism therapist shook me to my core. In North Miami, Charles Kinsey was trying to deescalate an incident where the young man with autism whom he cared for left his group home in a moment of distress and sat in the middle of the street with a toy truck in his hand. The police were called, and they surrounded both men with guns as Mr. Kinsey desperately tried to shout to officers with hands held high in full compliance that the young man had autism and was unarmed. Yet, inexplicably, Mr. Kinsey was shot anyway. It was all caught on video and my three sons played it for me. RJ said, I thought you said if we complied, we would not get shot, Mom. I was at a total and complete loss for words.

I felt helpless but motivated to try to do anything to prevent something so awful from happening again. The first thing I did was reach out to Mr. Kinsey through his lawyer, Hilton Napoleon, II. I invited them to Los Angeles to take part in a panel to try and come up with solutions and discuss implementing autism training in law enforcement. We would document this on our docuseries, For Peetes Sake.

OWN

I have tremendous respect for police officers. I remember going on a ride-along with LAPDs 77th precinct in preparation for my role as Officer Judy Hoffs on 21 Jump Street in 1986. I was 20 years old. I saw so much that night everything from domestic violence to armed robberies to a hit-and-run death of a toddler and it really made me realize firsthand how difficult, dangerous and nuanced this job was. So, I invited some former LAPD officers to be on the townhall panel with Mr. Kinsey, myself and other autism advocates and activists.

My goal was to find common-ground solutions. I wanted to explore every option to try to connect the autism community and the law enforcement community. With autism prevalence at 1 in 68 and growing, surely police will encounter people with autism on the beat. And surely there are autism families within the police force.

Our townhall was everything I wanted it to be. We listened to each other and kept our emotions in check with a common goal of developing understanding and awareness. We all agreed that the more familiarity and relationships cops had inside the areas they work, the more invested and less fearful they will be. If communities could establish a mutually earned respect for one another, everyone would benefit. We acknowledged that we need to teach our kids how to show respect for authority and law enforcement, and the importance of following basic commands. We also agreed that if law enforcement made an effort to show more consistent accountability towards the communities it serves, that would go a very long way. The cop who shot Mr. Kinsey has not been held accountable in any meaningful way, and to this day, Mr. Kinsey has never even received any sort of apology for the shooting. This creates more mistrust and, in my opinion, make communities less safe for police as well.

But most importantly, the officers on the panel admitted they had never had any autism training and could benefit from knowing what autism looks like in the community.

If the officers surrounding Mr. Kinsey and his client with autism had some training, they might have understood and recognized that the young mans apparent disconnection with all the intensity going on around him was due to autism. Maybe that would have changed the moment. Maybe no shots would have been fired and instead the officers might have helped Mr. Kinsey escort the young autistic man safely back to his group home.

After the townhall, I felt infused with a renewed energy to continue this dialogue on a national level. I want to take this forum on the road, into major American cities and attempt to implement autism training programs in police departments everywhere. I also want to explore the possibilities of the DMV implementing autism diagnosis notification on drivers licenses.

I will never stop trying to prepare RJ for the world, but the world needs preparation for young people like RJ as well.

Holly Robinson Peete is the author of Same But Different: Teen Life On the Autism Express & My Brother Charlie. She and her family appear on the OWN docuseries For Peetes Sake, returning Feb. 18.

Read more from the original source:
Autism And Police: My Plan To Protect My Driving-Age Son (And Yours) - Huffington Post