The mainstream media is under fire for blatant misreporting on nooses hung from trees outside of the Mississippi State Capitol ahead of a U.S. Senate runoff.
Headlines, reports and tweets on the nooses and the accompanying “hate signs” appeared to indicate that white supremacists were apparently trying to intimidate black voters headed to the polls in Mississippi as Democrat Mike Espy vies against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Tuesday’s runoff election.
The reports from news outlets left many casual readers and viewers convinced that the nooses and signs were hung by Republicans as a scare tactic against supporters of Espy, who is black.
Two nooses and several hate signs were found hanging at the Mississippi State Capitol Monday morning around 7:15 a.m., WLBT reports.
State Capitol police took the nooses and signs down and are investigating. https://t.co/DbJOnd7A3R
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 26, 2018
State and federal investigators are trying to find out who hung seven nooses in trees outside the Mississippi Capitol early Monday, a day before a U.S. Senate runoff that has focused attention on the state’s history of racist violence. https://t.co/i2v7vHEHkH
— WSPA 7News (@WSPA7) November 27, 2018
Seven nooses, signs found at Mississippi State Capitol https://t.co/lSIHPD0kDO pic.twitter.com/uPhUWXtyXZ
— WLBT 3 On Your Side (@WLBT) November 26, 2018
Nooses and signs, some referring to the upcoming Senate runoff election, have been found on the grounds of the Mississippi State Capitol. A state spokesman says one of the signs read: “We are hanging nooses to remind people that times have not changed.” https://t.co/5DFWtuGXA4 pic.twitter.com/qMZu9OrB3H
— CNN (@CNN) November 26, 2018
A report by CNN appeared to imply Hyde-Smith supporters could be the culprits:
The signs include references to Hyde-Smith’s comments on the campaign trial about attending a “public hanging.” Hyde-Smith accused Democrats of weaponizing the “public hanging” remark and said she would apologize to anyone who was offended by it.
Additionally, CNN’s KFile reported over the weekend that Hyde-Smith once promoted a measure that praised a Confederate soldier’s effort to “defend his homeland” and pushed a revisionist view of the Civil War.
Naturally the reports sparked a backlash against Republicans.
That was put up by Hyde-Smith’s supporters…or it was a welcome sign to trump going there tonite…
— ResistTrump? (@YorkLight98) November 26, 2018
It was Trump
— Billy Jones (@BillyTheBigBone) November 26, 2018
The hate has been there. @POTUS has made it ok. #ThisIsNotOK
— Katie Danziger (@KBDnyc) November 26, 2018
GOP campaign workers suppression efforts.
— Russ Hjelm (@HjelmRuss) November 26, 2018
But the reality was just the opposite.
In fact, it seems the stunt was pulled by Espy’s supporters as a way to draw attention to Mississippi’s racist past and not vote for the Republican candidate.
Nationally syndicated columnist, Phil Kerpen, torched the media’s botched reporting on Twitter.
Please explain how it occurred that you described these signs which make clear it was a Democratic stunt only as “hate signs” and omitted their content completely in your initial, highly deceptive, reporting. https://t.co/Q0skVTPul6
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
And when you called these “hate signs,” at whom were you suggesting the hate was directed?
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
Local NBC affiliate WLBT’s journalistic misconduct was amplified nationally by the network.https://t.co/PWCvC2WqyZ
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
And in fact national NBC “News” was still hoaxing with this deceptive tweet even after the local affiliate finally showed us the signs.https://t.co/WPICJe4lZE
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
Kerpen demanded action and answers for the deceptive reports.
Hi @RaycomMedia: what are you going to do about @WLBT‘s apparent attempt to affect a U.S. Senate race by participating in a fake hate crime hoax?
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
WLBT claimed photo credits on the noose photos they blasted all around the world.
That puts WLBT on the scene where they saw the signs claiming credit as a Democratic campaign stunt — and made a decision to say “hate signs” and conceal their content.
This is NBC/WBLT’s hoax.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
As expected, there have not yet been any reported corrections or clarifications from the liberal media.
If these are “hate signs,” who’s the victim?
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
Any and all media who reported these nooses and “hate signs” without making clear it was a Democratic election stunt participated, wittingly or not, in a hoax.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
Five hours later, after the initial false report had been amplified everywhere.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 27, 2018
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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