Morning Wire Podcast Summary
Episode: The Biggest Media Fails of 2024 | 1.1.25
Release Date: January 1, 2025
Hosts: Georgia Howe and John Bickley
Reporter: Megan Basham

Introduction

In the special edition of Morning Wire, Georgia Howe and Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley delve into the significant media failures of 2024 that have drastically eroded public trust. Co-hosted by Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham, the episode meticulously examines how bungled stories, poor reporting, and outright deceptions have contributed to the media's declining credibility.

Current State of Media Trust

[00:03] Georgia Howe opens the discussion by highlighting a critical statistic: trust in legacy media has plummeted to an all-time low in 2024, with only 31% of Americans expressing trust in major news outlets. This skepticism is even more pronounced among independent voters, where trust dips to 27%. Howe references a Gallup poll revealing that the media is now the least trusted civic and political institution, ranking below Congress.

Georgia Howe:
"In 2024 saw Americans trust in the legacy media hit an all-time low with only 31% of people saying they have a great deal or even a fair amount of trust in the biggest outlets that bring us our news."
[00:03]

Media Industry Contraction in 2024

Megan Basham provides an overview of the turbulent media landscape in 2024, marked by significant layoffs and contractions amidst an election year—typically a period of increased media activity and revenue.

[01:45] Megan Basham:
"If you'll remember, Georgia, right before the start of the year, we saw substantial layoffs at the Washington Post, the New York Times, NPR. And as you said, that's not what you expect to see heading into a major campaign year when media revenues typically tend to increase."
[01:45]

Key developments include:

• January: The Los Angeles Times reduced its newsroom by over 20%, and Time magazine cut 15% of its staff.
• Summer: CNN laid off 100 employees with plans for further reductions, and Comcast considered selling MSNBC.
• Ratings Decline: Nielsen data showed MSNBC and CNN ratings dropped by over half and nearly half, respectively, while Fox News experienced a surge, outpacing other cable news outlets combined.

[02:50] Anthologized Insight:
"Fox News's ratings are way up this year. They're now beating the ratings of the other cable news outlets combined, suggesting that a lot of former CNN and MSNBC viewers are flocking there."
[02:50]

Major Media Fails of 2024

1. Callous Coverage of Trump Assassination Attempts

One of the most significant media missteps was the insensitive and biased coverage surrounding the assassination attempts on President-Elect Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and later at his golf course.

[03:28] Megan Basham:
"The biggest one wasn't an issue where there was clear deception or inaccuracy, but just some really appallingly callous coverage of the most momentous moment of the campaign."
[03:28]

Key points include:

• ABC's Response: Anchors George Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz suggested that Trump and his supporters contributed to the violent rhetoric, effectively blaming the victim.
  [04:09]
  Megan Basham:
  "President Trump and his supporters have contributed to this violent rhetoric as well."
  [04:09]

• The Atlantic's Coverage: Featured a piece the day after the Butler incident claiming,
  Megan Basham:
  "The bloodshed Trump has done so much to incite against others has touched him as well."
  [04:18]

• September Assassination Attempt: CNN's Alex Witt echoed similar narratives, questioning whether Trump's campaign would advocate for reduced rhetoric and violence, contrasting media silence on Trump’s own actions.

[05:06] Georgia Howe:
"Of back to where we started."
[05:06]

2. Mismanagement of Biden's Mental Fitness Coverage

The media's handling of President Biden's mental health raised significant concerns, with many outlets dismissing visible signs of cognitive decline as "cheap fakes" while neglecting similar scrutiny of former President Trump.

[06:09] Megan Basham:
"The media's insistence throughout the spring and much of the summer that Biden was not suffering from any mental infirmity when it was pretty obvious to the American people that he was."
[06:09]

Highlights include:

• MSNBC's Nicole Wallace: Claimed Biden's alarming appearances were due to selectively edited clips.
  [06:33]
  Megan Basham:
  "These cheap fakes are done in bad faith, and some of your news organizations have been very clear that these are misleading."
  [08:43]

• Editorial Shifts: The New York Times initially dismissed doubts about Biden’s faculties but two weeks later called for his resignation after a poor debate performance.
  [08:27]

• Fox News vs. Legacy Media: While Fox News amplified concerns about Biden, legacy outlets remained silent or defensive, exacerbating distrust.

• Chris Cillizza’s Mea Culpa: Former CNN reporter acknowledged failing to adequately question Biden's mental state, reflecting internal media conflicts.
  [15:44]

[17:11] Megan Basham:
"But just this, December 19th, he said this."
[17:11]

3. Biased Fact-Checking During Debates

During presidential debates, fact-checking was notably skewed, often deflecting legitimate claims by Democrats while scrutinizing or dismissing Republican assertions.

[09:47] Megan Basham:
"Fact checks, especially during the debates... looked to a lot of people like glaring bias."
[09:47]

Examples include:

• ABC Debate Between Trump and Harris:

  • Trump's Claim: States allowing execution of babies post-birth.
    [10:05]
    Fact-Check: Only minutiae in statutes were not directly supporting Trump's assertion, yet fact-checkers dismissed it without context.
    [10:05]

  • Harris’s Claims: ABC did not fact-check her false statements, such as the absence of U.S. military personnel in combat zones.
    [12:00]
    Megan Basham:
    "Time later had to issue a correction regarding Harris's false claims."
    [12:00]

• NBC's Vice Presidential Debate Coverage: Moderator Margaret Brennan interrupted JD Vance's legitimate comments on Haitian migrants, undermining the candidate's statements.
  [11:45]

4. Misreporting in War Coverage

Media outlets failed to accurately report on the war in Gaza by relying on Hamas-controlled statistics, leading to misinformation and damaged credibility.

[13:07] Megan Basham:
"Outlets like the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, CNN, BBC, Reuters, AP all took data disseminated by the Gaza Ministry of Health at face value."
[13:07]

Notable incidents:

• Palestinian Fatality Numbers: Reported figures were later found to be mathematically impossible, suggesting inflated casualties by Hamas for propaganda purposes.

• CNN’s Syrian Prisoner Story: A fabricated story about a Syrian prisoner's newfound freedom was debunked when it was revealed the man was a former Assad intelligence officer.
  [14:50]

[15:12] Georgia Howe:
"It'll be interesting to see if some of these papers and outlets decide to turn over a new leaf."
[15:12]

5. ABC's Legal Settlement Over False Claims

A major legal failure occurred when ABC’s George Stephanopoulos falsely accused Donald Trump of endorsing individuals who were legally found liable for serious crimes, leading to a costly settlement.

[17:11] Megan Basham:
"ABC agreed to pay $16 million to settle. ABC and Stephanopoulos also issued a joint statement saying that they regret the anchor statements regarding President Donald J. Trump."
[17:11]

Media Acknowledgments and Responses

Despite the numerous failures, acknowledgment from the journalistic community remains sparse. Exceptions include:

• Chris Cillizza's Admission: A former CNN reporter confessed to not pushing harder on Biden’s mental and physical well-being inquiries, recognizing the impact of media reluctance to address age-related concerns.
  [15:44]

• Media Ownership Promises: Owners like Jeff Bezos of The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times have vowed to aim for more balanced coverage moving forward. However, tangible changes in reporting practices remain limited.

• ABC's Remorse: Triggered by the $16 million settlement, ABC and Stephanopoulos issued a joint statement expressing regret over the false claims made against Trump.
  [18:40]

Conclusion

The 2024 media landscape, as dissected by Morning Wire, reveals a pattern of biased reporting, inadequate fact-checking, and ethical breaches that have significantly damaged public trust. While some media figures acknowledge their shortcomings, systemic change across legacy media outlets remains uncertain. As the new year unfolds, the episode posits whether these outlets will prioritize restoration of trust or continue on their current trajectory.

[18:50] Megan Basham:
"Anytime."
[18:50]

This comprehensive review underscores the myriad ways in which media institutions have faltered in 2024, contributing to a pervasive sense of distrust among the American populace.