The New York Times finally broke its silence over the controversial ’60 Minutes’ report on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida, but significantly underestimated the setback that CBS News faced this week.
Amid a report published Thursday focusing on former President Trump’s role in the IDP following his departure from the White House, the Times noted that DeSantis emerged almost entirely as ‘presidential wood’ because he criticized the news coverage for his handling of the coronavirus. . “
‘The reaction of Mr. DeSantis on the crisis is not what conservatives rejoice; it is rather the way he covers skeptically, just like mr. Trump when he ‘disturbed’ the ‘fake news’, reads the report. “The most recent example came this week when ’60 Minutes’ aired a segment suggesting that DeSantis Publix, a Florida-based grocery store, mistakenly made coronavirus vaccine distributors after the company raised $ 100,000. contributed to him. “
Instead of mentioning on the setback ’60 minutes’ the Florida Democrats received, one of which was the ‘pay-for-play’ narrative ‘bulls —‘, or the accusations of misleading editing of the comments of the governor, the Times kept the focus on DeSantis’ response.
COVER OF ’60 MINUTE ‘FIASCO FOCUS ON’ GIFT ‘TO DESANTIS, NOT JOURNALIST FLOWER
“Mr. DeSantis is not working with CBS for the play. But with the sympathy of other Republicans, he cried foul about the segment after it ran out and was rewarded with a prestigious first-time interview on Fox News to vent his grievance. lie, “the Times continued.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a media conference on COVID-19 vaccines at the Publix supermarket at Treasure Coast Plaza on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 in Vero Beach.
(Reuters)
The Times reported a similar tone to other media, setting up the controversy over ’60 minutes ‘as a’ political ‘gift’ to DeSantis rather than journalistic malpractice on the part of CBS News.
“The report – and the setback – comes down to a big gift to DeSantis as he looks at his re-election race next year, and he hopes it will be a 2024 election for the Republican presidential candidate,” wrote Chris Cillizza, editor-in-chief of CNN. Tuesday. ‘Like any ambitious national politician, DeSantis tried to move quickly to take advantage of the situation … Trump-confessed commentators rushed to DeSantis’ defense and showed this episode as proof of how scared the media is of the prospect of the governor of Florida in 2024. “
TV NETWORKS SHIELD CBS; CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC IGNORE FIRESTORM ON ’60 MINUTE ‘DESANTIS REPORT
Cillizza added: “DeSantis could not have written this text better. He is getting more national attention and love from Trump conservatives while he can frustrate the media. Win, win, win.”
It seems that the Poynter Institute for Media Studies agrees, referring to Cillizza’s piece and noting that ‘ultimately everything can benefit DeSantis.’
“It does not destroy the ’60 Minutes’ brand, but it was not one of the most beautiful moments of the program,” Poynter’s senior media writer Tom Jones softly scolded the CBS program.
Axios expressed a similar sentiment in a report entitled ‘DeSantis milk ’60 minutes’.
“Florida Government’s Ron DeSantis, an ally of Trump with a view to the White House, is working to resolve a ’60 minute ‘dispute – and is using a juicy opportunity to interfere with the GOP base. by basing the media, “the report began. “It’s a political gift related to all the Fox feed that Sen. Tom Cotton eats after the NY Times revolted over his op-ed.”
While the Washington Post did not use the “gift” phrase, he made the same argument with the headline: “How Ron DeSantis’s critics make him a hero for the right.”
‘But more than anything, [DeSantis] has an acceptable case to Republicans that he is politically singled out by ominous Democrats and the media, ‘wrote senior political reporter Aaron Blake.
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“DeSantis is the governor of a large state, and it comes with appropriate investigation as well as the possibility that this investigation will result in too much. But when it comes to Republicans who can use the investigation to build their brands – and possibly a ‘2024 presidential candidate can start on that, rather than on Trump’s good mercy – DeSantis has no equal at this point.’
CBS News has repeatedly supported his report – although he does not defend his ‘pay-for-play’ allegation against the governor.