Mainstream media ignore real issues that matter to voters

The Washington Times | by Doug Mastriano | October 28, 2022

OP & ED

There is a good reason I don’t waste my time with liberal media, which consistently refuses to report on issues that matter most to the people of Pennsylvania. I simply refuse to validate their biased reporting.

In today’s political climate, media bias comes in many forms. While some journalists expose their partisanship by amplifying Democrat party talking points, others simply refuse to cover important stories and events that would negatively impact my opponent’s campaign. 

This bias by omission is by far the most dangerous type of media disinformation because it’s the hardest to detect. When voters read the news, they have no way of knowing everything that’s missing from the headlines. 

While it’s impossible to list every important issue ignored by the media, I will zero in on one alarming crisis that is consistently omitted — a deadly wave of violent crime that is sweeping across the commonwealth under the leadership of our top cop, Josh Shapiro. 

Major cities, such as Philadelphia, have seen the worst of this deadly disaster. So far this year, Philadelphia has had 416 homicide victims, 1,850 shooting victims, 4,411 robberies and a shocking 9,341 stolen cars. 

And the scary part is, by the time you read these statistics they will already be out of date. 

While a handful of local and independent media outlets do a good job of covering issues such as crime in Pennsylvania, how many mainstream news outlets actually aggregate their reporting? Not many, it turns out. 

Violent crime puts the liberal media in a predicament. Covering this issue the way they should would naturally elicit a call for increased police funding, something that is not part of the Democrat party narrative. 

Democrat leadership often portrays law enforcement as an iron fist of a structurally oppressive white nationalist patriarchy. According to them, police are not the good guys who will save us from crime. They want us to believe that the brave men and women in blue are the problem.

Reporting on lawlessness in Pennsylvania would also instantly expose the complete failure of the state attorney general, whose job it is to lock up criminals and keep our communities safe. In fact, Mr. Shapiro was granted special authority to prosecute crimes in Philadelphia and save lives — a role that he has refused to execute.

Mr. Shapiro has spent his entire career going after ordinary Pennsylvanians who dared to challenge Gov. Tom Wolf’s draconian lockdown policies or champion pro-life causes. Instead of focusing on combating violent crime, Mr. Shapiro went on the hunt against Catholic nuns to strip away their Obamacare contraceptive exemption granted by President Donald Trump.

If Mr. Shapiro were a Republican, the mainstream media would have crucified him for his disastrous record. Conveniently, his party affiliation gives him a pass in this pivotal gubernatorial election.

Since liberal journalists refuse to do their jobs, someone else must — which is why I continue to discuss violent crime with reporters and news outlets that are not running cover for my opponent. Just as I did at rallies and stops across the commonwealth last week, I made multiple appearances on independent, free-speech broadcasting media outlets, where I was given the opportunity to explain the sheer magnitude of the ongoing crime wave in our state and the need to restore law and order in our communities. 

I also explained my own plan for fighting crime in Pennsylvania, which includes a better-funded police force, stronger penalties for repeat offenders and violent criminals, funding for additional prosecutors in high-crime communities, and holding elected officials accountable for maintaining the rule of law. 

Every single day, my campaign receives dozens of media requests seeking comment on Democrat-planted smears, sleazy personal attacks, and other issues that are totally irrelevant to the vast majority of Pennsylvanians. 

Dear mainstream media: When you are prepared for an honest discussion about issues such as crime, please reach out to my office. When you have the courage to do your job, I’ll be ready to answer your questions.

• Doug Mastriano is a retired military officer who has served in the Pennsylvania Senate since 2019, representing the 33rd Dstrict. A member of the Republican Party, he is the nominee in the 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election. 

Source: Mainstream media ignore real issues that matter to voters – Washington Times