In the immediate aftermath of the tragic shooting spree of an alleged sex addict against a series of Asian spas in Atlanta last week, the hammer that was the liberal media saw everything as a racist nail. On Thursday and Friday morning, the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) took their cues from Vox liar Aaron Rupar and falsely smeared Cherokee County Sheriff’s spokesman, Captain Jay Baker with an out-of-context quote making it seem like he was downplaying the attack.
They also suggested it was “racist” to acknowledge the fact COVID-19 came from China.
ABC’s World News Tonight, led the way with the false story angle with anchor David Muir putting Baker alongside hate: “What's being done to stop the hate? And the county sheriff who will no longer be the spokesperson on this case, one day after he described what the suspect told investigators going on to say yesterday was ‘a really bad day for him.’”
But as Reason magazine’s Robby Soave pointed out on Friday, the liberal media were taking Baker out of context based on “a 20-second video clip.” “But that's not what Baker did. In fact, many of the people so infuriated about the quote were misled by Rupar's edit of the video,” he said.
Adding: “The full video (the relevant section starts at about 13:50) makes clear that Baker was not providing his own commentary, but rather summarizing what Long had told the investigators. The ‘bad day’ line was proceeded by a clarification that this was Long's own explanation, as related to the police. Baker did not endorse it.”
But the facts be damned as ABC, CBS, and NBC pushed that narrative, as NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt did. “And the Sheriff's captain facing backlash after saying the suspect had had ‘a bad day,’” he said. And on CBS Evening News, correspondent Mark Strassman claimed Baker “framed the killer's mindset” that way.
All three networks also pounced on Baker for a Facebook post from last year featuring a novelty t-shirt that said the coronavirus pandemic came from China; a fact they didn’t like apparently.
NBC proved itself to be the biggest source of misinformation on that front. Correspondent Blayne Alexander never said it was a picture of a t-shirt that Baker post. Instead, she called it a “racist anti-Asian image” and never showed it (click “expand”):
ALEXANDER: As investigators continue their work, one official is facing scrutiny of his own over a 2020 Facebook post showing a racist anti-Asian image related to coronavirus and for these comments about the suspect.
BAKER: Yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.
Strassman also parroted the false anti-Asian line. “Making matters worse, Baker's anti-Asian Facebook post last year promoted t-shirts with the message, ‘COVID-19, imported virus from China,’” he told viewers.
On ABC, Steve Osunsami suggested Baker was peddling the same kind of hate the community was fighting against:
Baker was trying, unsuccessfully, to share what the alleged gunman told investigators, but now you an old Facebook post of his is causing even more concern. It reads, "Place your order while they last" above pictures - of t-shirts that read "Covid-19, imported virus from China." It's the same type of message, that people bringing flowers to memorials tonight are hurtful.
These false claims were repeated on Friday morning before being dropped with no explanation later that evening.
This fake news about Captain Jay Baker was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Pacific Life on ABC, Oral-B on CBS, and WeatherTech on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund. CBS Evening News has also asked people to text anchor Norah O’Donnell their thoughts at this number: (202) 217-1107.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
March 18, 2021
6:30:42 p.m. Eastern [Opening tease]DAVID MUIR: What's being done to stop the hate? And the county sheriff who will no longer be the spokesperson on this case, one day after he described what the suspect told investigators going on to say yesterday was “a really bad day for him.”
(…)
6:33:42 p.m. Eastern
MUIR: And news tonight involving the sheriff's captain who will no longer be the spokesperson on this case, after what he said and serious questions about a post on social media.
(…)
6:35:39 p.m. Eastern
STEVE OSUNSAMI: The police in the suburbs have had to replace the officer who runs their briefings after Captain Jay baker said this about the accused murderer --
JAY BAKER: He understand the gravity of it and he was pretty much fed up, had been kind of at the end of his rope and yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.
OSUNSAMI: Saying that the 21-year-old had “a bad day” felt ridiculously insensitive to friends and family of the people killed.
In a statement, the sheriff apologized, saying that these words "Were not intended to disrespect any of the victims," or "The gravity of this tragedy."
Baker was trying, unsuccessfully, to share what the alleged gunman told investigators, but now you an old Facebook post of his is causing even more concern. It reads, "Place your order while they last" above pictures - of t-shirts that read "Covid-19, imported virus from China." It's same type of message, that people bringing flowers to memorials tonight are hurtful.
(…)
CBS Evening News
March 18, 2021
6:34:54 p.m. Eastern(…)
MARK STRASSMAN: Social media also jumped on how Captain Jay Baker framed the killer's mindset.
JAY BAKER: Yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did.
STRASSMAN: Making matters worse, Baker's anti-Asian Facebook post last year promote t-shirts with the message, “COVID-19, imported virus from China.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
March 18, 2021
7:00:37 p.m. Eastern [Opening tease](…)
LESTER HOLT: President Biden ordering flags at half-staff. And the Sheriff's captain facing backlash after saying the suspect had had “a bad day.” And the racist anti-Asian t-shirt he promoted on Facebook.
(…)
BLAYNE ALEXANDER: As investigators continue their work, one official is facing scrutiny of his own over a 2020 Facebook post showing a racist anti-Asian image related to coronavirus and for these comments about the suspect.
JAY BAKER: Yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.
ALEXANDER: The Cherokee County Sheriff writes, in part, the captain's words “were not intended to disrespect any of the victims, the gravity of this tragedy or express empathy for the suspect.”
(…)
