That “Russians hacked U.S. computers to hand the election to Trump,” a story getting big media play, is a “hoax” that diverts attention from other news such as the U.S. abstention on U.N. criticism of the Israeli West Bank settlements.
“The entire herd of mainstream media is off chasing this wild goose,” wrote dailycoin.
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Even if the hacking stories are true, reporters did just what the “average news reporter” would do, wrote L. Neil Smith, on The Unofficial Megyn Kelly.
A reporter who gained information from inside the Democratic National Committee and released it would deserve a “Presidential Medal of Freedom” and not prosecution, he writes. The alleged "hacks" were most probably "leaks" from someone on Clinton's team, he says.
Similar thoughts were expressed by Stephen Sniegoski on thedailycoin.org.
U.S. Hacks, Say Critics
“Is it a crime to steal proof from criminals that they have committed other felonies?” he asked. Russians have been hacking into U.S. computer systems since before the fall of the Soviet Union, he notes, adding that the U.S. is doing the same thing to them.
The Obama Administration, faced with almost universal media criticism of its failure to veto the U.N. Security Council’s resolution on Israeli West Bank settlements, plus the Jan. 5 bipartisan 342-80 Congressional vote blasting the abstention, suddenly booted 35 Russian diplomats. This gave the media a new story.
More than 100 Democrats joined all but four Republicans in voting the House measure, sponsored by New York’s Rep. Eliot Engel. Opposed were 76 Democrats.
The nonbinding resolution declares unwavering U.S. support for Israel and condemns Security Council Resolution 2334, which was approved in late December after the Obama administration refused a veto sought by Israeli officials and President-elect Donald Trump.
Seattle Media Hit by Layoffs
The Seattle Times said that because of declining ad revenues, the newsroom staff will be reduced by 23 including five non-union staffers who have taken buyouts. Total staff is about 170.
“This is a very difficult period for people,” said executive editor Don Shelton who made the announcement in an email. “There are some really good people who are not going to be with us as we downsize.”
Digital subscriber revenue is growing but it is not enough to offset the ad losses, said Alan Fisco, executive VP and CFO.
Breaking News, a Seattle-based six-year-old online news site funded by NBC, closed Dec. 31, resulting in the departure of 21 full-time and part-time staffers.
Cory Bergman, co-founder and general manager, said, “This is breaking news we hoped we’d never have to report. Our parent company, NBC News, has decided to shut us down as of the end of the year.
“Our mission has been to help people and companies make smarter and safer decisions,” he said. “For the last six years, we’ve been honored to serve you around the clock and we thank you for your incredible loyalty.”
He said the “extremely-talented team is now looking for work and hopes for them to get job leads.
Nick Ascheim, SVP of digital for NBC News, told the Breaking News staff in a letter about "the difficult decision" to close down the enterprise, which included apps, a web site and Twitter feed with 9.4 million followers.
"Unfortunately, despite its consumer appeal, Breaking News has not been able to generate enough revenue to sustain itself," Ascheim said. "We have therefore made the hard decision to close its operations so that we can re-invest that funding into NBC News’ core digital products to help us achieve our ambitious goals for those businesses."
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