One of the internet’s most famous fact-checkers, former Washington Post writer Glenn Kessler, was grilled by author and podcaster Mark Halperin on Friday over media bias.
The man behind The Washington Post's "Pinocchios" announced in late July he would be leaving the paper without anyone to fill his shoes. Kessler, who reportedly edited more than 3,000 fact checks as editor and chief writer of The Fact Checker, announced that week he had taken a buyout deal, ending his lengthy career at the Post.
"After more than 27 years at The Washington Post, including almost 15 as The Fact Checker, I will be leaving on July 31, having taken a buyout," Kessler wrote on his Facebook page. "Much as I would have liked to keep scrutinizing politicians in Washington, especially in this era, the financial considerations were impossible to dismiss."
With his career and the Washington Post’s recent record in the spotlight among many shakeups at the publication, Halperin raked Kessler over the coals on his "Next Up" podcast.
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"How could it be that I see The Post as fundamentally anti-Trump in every day, in every crevice of every story practically, and you say ‘We are down the middle by the book,’ and ‘the fact that our readers are liberal is because we're in Washington DC.’ How could that be?" Halperin asked on his show.
Kessler disagreed with the characterization of newsrooms like the one he worked in, arguing, "It's not like people in the newsroom are saying, ‘We've got to get Donald Trump. We've got to write this story. We're going to slant it in a way that is negative to Donald Trump.’"
"I agree with you, it’s more insidious than that," Halperin said, arguing it would be more comforting if they gave up the pretense of objectivity.
"Your audience, by your own acknowledgment, and by every indication, is super liberal," Halperin said. "We saw that when the owner did things that were pro-Trump - perceived as pro-Trump, and you lost a huge percentage, as you cite in your Substack, a huge percentage of your readers. So, your audience is liberal and you're addicted to their revenue."
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He then asked, "How could you work at a place for decades and say ‘we're addicted to liberal revenue’ and not be screaming at the top of your lungs, ‘Boy, half the country might have a point that we're liberally biased. Let's examine that.’"
"I maintain, as a longtime Washington Post reporter, that the news coverage is straight," Kessler insisted.
"But Glenn, it's not just me. It's half the country. I'm not alone," Halperin replied.
"Half the country is affected by Donald Trump saying we're [the] ‘enemy of the people,’" Kessler argued.
"Well, George Bush thought it was true, too," Halperin retorted. "Ronald Reagan thought it was true, too. This is not some new thing. It's only because of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ that the papers' news section has become even more aggressive of saying 'We must defeat Republicans.'"
Fox News Digital reached out to The Washington Post for comment.
Original article source: Ex-Washington Post fact-checker faces criticism over claims of 'straight' media coverage
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