Media top headlines September 13
In media news today, an MSNBC historian uses 9/11 to campaign against Republicans, an LA Times columnist calls Larry Elder a 'very real threat' to communities of color, and the Washington Post's Glenn Kessler gets mocked for praising NYC's vaccine mandate
Republican California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder has been called the Black face of White supremacy, a "very real threat to communities of color," and seen a racially charged attack on him go largely unreported by prominent news organizations.
"The media’s conduct is disgraceful," Fox News contributor Leo Terrell said on the eve of Tuesday's California’s recall election.
Elder, who would be the first Black governor of California if he unseats Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, had an egg thrown at him by a White person in a gorilla mask while walking in Los Angeles last week but liberal media organizations didn’t seem particularly interested.
LA TIMES COLUMNIST CALLS LARRY ELDER 'VERY REAL THREAT TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR'
Elder has brushed off much of the liberal media’s negative coverage but feels that a similar attack on a Black Democrat would have resulted in wall-to-wall attention.
Larry Elder has been called the Black face of White supremacy, a "very real threat to communities of color," and saw a racially charged attack on him go largely unreported. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
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"If this were a ‘D’ at the end of my name, they’d be talking about the fact that a White woman in a gorilla mask threw an egg at a Democrat candidate for governor, they’d be talking about this in Bangladesh," Elder said Monday on "Fox & Friends."
Terrell agreed and feels that anyone who doesn’t speak out about the press’ handling of Elder essentially condones it.
"To allow a Black man running for governor of one of the most diverse states in the country to be called the face of White supremacists is sickening. Where are the editorials condemning such a racist remark? In essence, the left-wing media silence is an endorsement of such an offensive comment," Terrell told Fox News Digital.
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"The White woman wearing a gorilla mask attacking Larry Elder and his campaign staff is racism in his purest form. The media is silent because Larry Elder is a Black conservative," Terrell continued. "No one on this planet can tell me the media response would be the same if Larry was a left-wing liberal. Their silence is an endorsement of Democratic politics."
The Los Angeles Times has appeared particularly anti-Elder, as the liberal newspaper published a column last month titled "Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You’ve been warned," which accused the Republican of using "overly simplistic arguments that whitewash the complex problems that come along with being Black in America."
L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith said Elder uses "taunting and toddler-like name-calling of his ideological enemies" before belittling the gubernatorial candidate with her own insults.
The paper then downplayed the egg incident with a pair of misleading tweets.
First, the newspaper tweeted, "Larry Elder cuts short Venice homeless encampment tour after hostile reception," without mentioning that the Black Republican was attacked by a White person in a gorilla mask. The L.A. paper was aware that ape characterizations "have been used as a racist trope for centuries," because it's mentioned in the accompanying report, but the headline and tweet simply chalked the incident up to a "hostile reception."
The L.A. Times then followed up with another shocking tweet when reporting that the Los Angeles Police Department is now investigating the attack on Elder.
"LAPD is investigating altercation involving Larry Elder at Venice homeless encampment," the Times tweeted alongside a photo of Elder touching the face of a female supporter. The image made it appear the "altercation involving" Elder involved him slapping a woman, and the Times changed the image after significant backlash.
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On Sunday, Times columnist Jean Guerrero told CNN Elder poses a "very real threat to communities of color."
"I anticipated that would happen. This is why a lot of people don’t go into politics because of the politics of personal destruction," Elder said on Fox News’ "Hannity."
"This is not the first time the L.A. Times has attacked me, there is another writer who all but called me a Black David Duke," Elder continued. "They are scared to death."
Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick, contributed to this report.
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