Andrew Breitbart is the right-wing Internet provocateur behind the ACORN video hoaxes, which purported to show a pretend pimp-and-prostitute duo getting criminal advice from the community organizing group ACORN. That’s not what happened, but Breitbart’s inaccurate presentation was taken at face value.
Yet some in the media are still treating Breitbart seriously. Washington Post ombud Andrew Alexander wrote a column on April 11 taking his cue from Breitbart’s latest effort, which is to attempt to cast doubt on the widely reported racist incidents at Tea Party protests at the Capitol on March 20, the day of the final health reform vote. Two black Democratic representatives–Andre Carson and John Lewis–say they were called “nigger.” Breitbart says they’re liars–it never happened. And he’s posted videos of the protests with no audible racist invective.
There’s just one problem; as Associated Press reporter Jesse Washington pointed out (4/13/10),the videos Breitbart is touting were shot after the incidents took place.
So a guy who pulled off one very successful media hoax is trying to pull off another one. You’d think that after being burned on the ACORN story, journalists wouldn’t pay much attention to Breitbart. But not Andrew Alexander, who closed his column noting that Breitbart’s efforts
may be publicity-seeking theater. But it’s part of widespread conservative claims that mainstream media, including the Post, swallowed a huge fabrication. The incidents are weeks old, but it’s worth assigning Post reporters to find the truth. After all, a civil rights legend is being called a liar.
There are lots of things reporters should be looking into. This is not one of them. Especially considering that the guy leading this campaign pulled off a “huge fabrication” of his own–which was “swallowed” whole by outlets like the Washington Post. Alexander’s right that Lewis, a civil rights legend, is being called a liar. But the charge is coming from a liar. If Alexander is truly concerned that his paper has published fabrications, he could start by calling for an investigation of the paper’s coverage of Breitbart’s ACORN hoax– especially since Alexander criticized the Post for not covering the ACORN story enough.
Many of us like to think that because President Obama was elected that it shows racism is no longer vibrant in America. The facts are much different. In fact while fewer people adhere to racist dogma those that do are more passionate about it than ever. Also, the media plays directly into and feeds the frenzy of the few. It should also be noted that keeping racism alive also allows the status quo power brokers to continue use the old divide and continue programs. So, when Andrew Alexander uses the words and framed presentations to support illusions of Andrew “BLACKBART” Breibart, we know it is business as usual. So think again, racism is alive and well in politics, economic opportunities, healthcare disparieties,and education and it is not only in America