How the sexist backlash to AOC and Gretchen Whitmer at the Munich Security Conference led me to a scammy "local news" outlet pushing a coordinated right-wing narrative
This is amazing work! How disgraceful that Politico and the NYT are reporting such lazy work at such an important political moment. It really makes you want to tear your hair out!
Literally felt like I was losing my mind or being gaslit by the media. I watched both of her events live & thought she did extremely well. Then, the media told me I should ignore my own eyes and ears and trust them when they said she committed gaffes and embarrassed herself. Insanity. Thank you for this article.
Thank you! I had not heard this term until your article today, and I've been in journalism in one capacity or another for decades. How embarrassing! :-D Thank you so much for spreading the word.
Great report. Reminds me of Anand Giridharadas’s discussion of ‘concentric circles’ of knowledge and complicity with Epstein’s crimes in his recent podcast episode with Ezra Klein. The increments of credibility turn what would (mostly) be an impossible leap (direct from some right-wing trollagandist into NYT) into a staircase of slightly less disreputable sources.
I’ve heard of pink slime before; thank you for the deeper dive. Both Politico and NYT seem to have a pattern of having some well researched fair articles, but then also publish numerous articles based on poor sourcing or of the ‘some people are concerned’ variety. Oddly enough this later group seems to predominantly favor right wing viewpoints or positions and are generally critical of left wing ones.
I see this kind of shit daily under the “Local News” links list in both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press online editions. Remarkably, none of the featured stories are “local” to Detroit or Michigan.
Fantastic reporting. I first read the negative AOC reports via New York Magazine, which reproduced the right-slant. Most commenters rejected the idea that her comment was a major gaff. But i had no idea till now about the pink-slime media mills responsible for the framing.
This is a powerful piece of journalism, whether or not the author considers herself a journalist.
It would be interesting to see whether pink slime has managed to slip into the Times targetting more moderate Democrats - any pieces on Josh Shapiro or or Hakeem Jeffries getting through?
Or is it just AOC and Mamdani (remember that attrocious piece on his application to Columbia U, which turns out to have used an outspoken white supremacist as an anonymous source?)? I guess the question I'm asking is how "unwitting" an error this was.
That’s an very kind compliment, thanks Adam. There are indeed a lot of citizen journalists, content creators, and other non-journalists doing great reporting these days.
Re pink slime, I’m sure there are similar outlets going after both individual Dems and the Democrat brand in every other state. There are so many it’s hard to keep track even for those who do this full time (which I don’t).
I wouldn't expect a progressive to recite the "established policy" on Taiwan, though. The correct response would be that Taiwan is an internal affair of China, period. The U.S. recognizes Taiwan as part of China and the Beijing government as the sole legitimate government of China. So if that government were to assert its authority in Taiwan, any external interference with that would be an aggression on China.
Hello, I am a progressive from Eastern Europe. Sucking up to genocidal dictatorships just because they call themselves "communist" (even though they really, really aren't) does not make you progressive. It just makes you a parrot of genocidal dictatorship's official propaganda line. Not sure if you do that out of ignorance or out of contrarianism, but in the grand scope of things it does not really matter.
That has nothing to do with "sucking up to dictatorships" but simply with upholding international law. Trying to skip the level of governments and "help" people in other countries directly by way of "humanitarian" interventions is not progressive, but really, really stupid, as practically the entire historical record shows.
This is amazing work! How disgraceful that Politico and the NYT are reporting such lazy work at such an important political moment. It really makes you want to tear your hair out!
Literally felt like I was losing my mind or being gaslit by the media. I watched both of her events live & thought she did extremely well. Then, the media told me I should ignore my own eyes and ears and trust them when they said she committed gaffes and embarrassed herself. Insanity. Thank you for this article.
Thank you! I had not heard this term until your article today, and I've been in journalism in one capacity or another for decades. How embarrassing! :-D Thank you so much for spreading the word.
Great analysis, thank you. I am a bit of a news junkie and have been for many years but have not heard of “pink slime” in this context. It seems like the print equivalent of the video of Sinclair TV reporters all reciting the same script that came to light in 2018 - https://freespeechproject.georgetown.edu/tracker-entries/local-anchors-at-oregon-television-station-refuse-to-read-sinclair-broadcast-script/
Great report. Reminds me of Anand Giridharadas’s discussion of ‘concentric circles’ of knowledge and complicity with Epstein’s crimes in his recent podcast episode with Ezra Klein. The increments of credibility turn what would (mostly) be an impossible leap (direct from some right-wing trollagandist into NYT) into a staircase of slightly less disreputable sources.
That was a phenomenal conversation
Love this post, Emily! Excellent work and so important. I never think to question either of these news outlets but will certainly do so now!
I’ve heard of pink slime before; thank you for the deeper dive. Both Politico and NYT seem to have a pattern of having some well researched fair articles, but then also publish numerous articles based on poor sourcing or of the ‘some people are concerned’ variety. Oddly enough this later group seems to predominantly favor right wing viewpoints or positions and are generally critical of left wing ones.
I see this kind of shit daily under the “Local News” links list in both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press online editions. Remarkably, none of the featured stories are “local” to Detroit or Michigan.
Facebook is now flooded with pink slime posts. All sorts of sites with 4 letter call signs that are likely fake. It has exploded recently.
Fantastic reporting. I first read the negative AOC reports via New York Magazine, which reproduced the right-slant. Most commenters rejected the idea that her comment was a major gaff. But i had no idea till now about the pink-slime media mills responsible for the framing.
Fascinating… and infuriating.
Really great article, but a bit long.
I agree— and you should see what I cut!
Thank goodness… 😁
P.S. This article is EXCELLENT. Thank you for doing these deep dives. Just one more scam we need actual leaders to call out and regulate.
Thank you Colleen!
THANK YOU
This is a powerful piece of journalism, whether or not the author considers herself a journalist.
It would be interesting to see whether pink slime has managed to slip into the Times targetting more moderate Democrats - any pieces on Josh Shapiro or or Hakeem Jeffries getting through?
Or is it just AOC and Mamdani (remember that attrocious piece on his application to Columbia U, which turns out to have used an outspoken white supremacist as an anonymous source?)? I guess the question I'm asking is how "unwitting" an error this was.
The failure to correct it is perhaps a hint.
That’s an very kind compliment, thanks Adam. There are indeed a lot of citizen journalists, content creators, and other non-journalists doing great reporting these days.
Re pink slime, I’m sure there are similar outlets going after both individual Dems and the Democrat brand in every other state. There are so many it’s hard to keep track even for those who do this full time (which I don’t).
Shades of Al Gore circa 2000.
I wouldn't expect a progressive to recite the "established policy" on Taiwan, though. The correct response would be that Taiwan is an internal affair of China, period. The U.S. recognizes Taiwan as part of China and the Beijing government as the sole legitimate government of China. So if that government were to assert its authority in Taiwan, any external interference with that would be an aggression on China.
Hello, I am a progressive from Eastern Europe. Sucking up to genocidal dictatorships just because they call themselves "communist" (even though they really, really aren't) does not make you progressive. It just makes you a parrot of genocidal dictatorship's official propaganda line. Not sure if you do that out of ignorance or out of contrarianism, but in the grand scope of things it does not really matter.
That has nothing to do with "sucking up to dictatorships" but simply with upholding international law. Trying to skip the level of governments and "help" people in other countries directly by way of "humanitarian" interventions is not progressive, but really, really stupid, as practically the entire historical record shows.