TDS media pump out Chinese propaganda

Almost nine decades ago, one of the most egregious acts of biased media reporting occurred – for which the reporter involved was never held accountable. He deceivingly set a hopeful tone for Westerners concerned about an emerging foreign power. Those concerns consumed our foreign policy for the rest of the 20th century.

This media malfeasance need be revisited in hopes it serves, in time, as a lesson learned for similar acts occurring today.

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, the media remain more focused on defending their source of origin. But, unlike 88 years ago, we can ill afford to ignore accountability today, letting it set in stone a dangerous 20th century precedent for the 21st century and beyond. It is a precedent of betrayal, involving portrayal of belief as fact, under a false flag of journalistic professionalism. It robbed readers back then of the right to make an educated judgment. It does so again today.

Between 1928-1932, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin sought to implement his first "Five Year Plan," mapping out the country's economic growth using quotas focused on developing heavy industry and collectivizing agriculture. A 13-part series of articles on its success was published by the New York Times (NYT) in June 1931.

The Times reporting was based on exclusive interviews with Stalin and its Moscow bureau chief, Walter Duranty. The story Duranty conveyed about the Ukraine – a region known as Russia's "bread basket" – was positive.

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In 1932, the NYT submitted Duranty's work for Pulitzer Prize consideration – which he received later that year. But, in 1933, news about famine in the Ukraine finally reached the West, generating criticism of Duranty's reporting.

What Duranty's readers never heard about was the "Holodomor" – the man-made famine Stalin's policies created, ultimately causing the deaths of millions of Ukranians. Duranty had asserted in 1931 that famine reports were greatly "exaggerated." Debate ensues as to whether his reporting was irresponsibly inaccurate or intentionally fraudulent. In either case, it hid the fact genocide was occurring.

Giving Duranty the benefit of the doubt, his irresponsible folly was reporting that which he decided was happening – not that which actually was happening. Best-case scenario was that Duranty was an unapologetic mouthpiece for Stalin and a poor journalist.

As the famine news emerged, Duranty used the NYT – since 1896 priding itself for publishing "All the News That's Fit to Print" and deemed America's "newspaper of record" – as his bully pulpit to defend himself. While the paper later acknowledged Duranty's defensive writings lacked journalistic integrity, subsequent efforts, mounted after his 1957 death, to revoke the Pulitzer failed.

In a 2013 statement refusing to withdraw the award, the Pulitzer Prize board determined the 1931 articles "measured by today's standards for foreign reporting, falls seriously short. … However, the board concluded that there was not clear and convincing evidence of deliberate deception, the relevant standard in this case. Revoking a prize 71 years after it was awarded under different circumstances, when all principals are dead and unable to respond, would be a momentous step and therefore would have to rise to that threshold."

A board decision critic later wrote, "Duranty's name is but one on a long list of public intellectuals who must be held accountable for their biased worldviews." Then, referencing the book "Politial Pilgrims," the critic noted "many other 'disillusioned' people, after completing similar 'pilgrimages' to places such as Cuba, China, and Vietnam with the hopes of finding 'the future,' eagerly covered up similar catastrophes in order to support their political agenda. The American writer Anna Louise Strong became'an honorary member of the Red Guards'for her dedicated support for Mao's regime; Sidney and Beatrice Webb, two of the founders of the London School of Economics, defended the Soviet Union by telling the world that the 'liquidation of the individual capitalists in agriculture … [was necessary] if the required increase of output was to be obtained.'"

Clearly, Duranty's reporting, whether applying the standard of his day or our's, is to be faulted as uncritical of the Soviet Union, "presenting Soviet propaganda as legitimate reporting."

That brings us to today's media reporting on the coronavirus, "presenting Chinese propaganda as legitimate reporting."

Previous articles by this writer established how, why and where the coronavirus originated, leaving little doubt about Beijing's key role in spreading it. It is ludicrous for the media to devote air time and printing space to convince the American people calling it the "Chinese virus" is racist – a position undoubtedly influenced by Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).

But most disturbing is how the American media, aided by our politicians, mimic China's anti-U.S. propaganda. The U.S.-aided Chinese pitch began early in the coronavirus crisis as Beijing assured us it was related to bats and was not transferable to humans. Despite this outrageous lie, U.S. media dingbats continued promoting Beijing's propaganda – a line that included claims the virus was contained when it was not; that it was a natural virus when it was not; and, now, that it is in abeyance in China when it is not. Just this week we learned Beijing fudged on coronavirus case numbers, excluding 43,000 who showed few or no symptoms.

Despite China's never-ending chain of lies, our media continue running stories minimizing Chinese responsibility for the virus while maximizing irresponsibility linked to President Donald Trump's actions or inactions. CNN recently ran a story projecting Beijing in a positive light for sending a large shipment of medical supplies to Italy, filling a U.S. void. It ignored the dark side of China's responsibility for Italy's medical situation as Beijing embarks upon a public relations gambit, denying its own people badly needed supplies.

Jumping on the Chinese propaganda bandwagon too is Hillary Clinton – joining pro-China advocate Joe Biden in condemning Trump while promoting Beijing's agenda. While not as prestigious as the Pulitzer, Hillary meanwhile receives accolades from China for her anti-Trump comments.

Receiving far less media attention are important considerations such as the non-stop operation of China's crematoriums disposing of virus victims, or of citizens being pulled from their homes to unknown locations, or of doors being welded shut to keep victims forcefully quarantined.

Contrast the media's pro-China propagandist mindset today with the late Vietnam War hero and Medal of Honor recipient Vice Adm. James Stockdale. The enemy was never able to break Stockdale – shot down over North Vietnam and imprisoned for over seven years. At various times in prison, he beat his own face to a pulp or slit his own wrists to prevent being paraded out and used as a propaganda tool.

With Duranty, a single reporter's malfeasance propped up a lie. Today, propping up another lie is a media's collective mindset blinding them to the evil in the forest through the TDS trees.