Member-only story
The AP Tweeted an Extremely Biased Take on Trump’s Wall Last Night
Here’s why that should concern all of us.
In a media landscape plagued by infotainment masquerading as news, the Associated Press has long enjoyed an unusually prestigious reputation. Founded in 1846 as a way for news organizations to share the cost of telegraph transmissions, the AP is, according to people who quantify media bias, one of the most factual, least biased sources of reporting. (The bar is not very high.) Among other things, the AP has been responsible for collecting and verifying the results of elections held in every US state since 1848—and declaring the winners.
That’s why this tweet, issued after the Democratic response to last night’s prime time Oval Office address, is one of the most ominous things I’ve seen in a while.
“AP FACT CHECK:” tweeted the verified account @AP_Politics. “Democrats put the blame for the shutdown on Trump. But it takes two to tango. Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion for his border wall is one reason for the budget impasse. The Democrats refusal to approve the money is another.”
