Do you get your news from MSNBC? If you answered yes to this question, but weren’t awake at 5:24 a.m. Friday morning, you would have no...
Do you get your news from MSNBC? If you answered yes to this question, but weren’t awake at 5:24 a.m. Friday morning, you would have no idea that a New York congressman and candidate for the state’s next governor was attacked and nearly stabbed at a campaign event.
representing Lee Zeldin (R-NY) was speaking at a rally Thursday when David Jakubonis43 years old, took the stage and grasped him. He appeared to try to stab the congressman with a sharp object before being pulled to the ground by others who rushed to the scene.
Jakubonis was charged with second-degree assault, but published hours after his arrest, according to the New York Post.
The New York Times Explain in a report explaining why the attacker was released – something Zeldin, who has criticized New York’s bail laws, predicted would happen. Simply put, judges cannot set bail for non-violent felony charges.
MSNBC has covered the attack only once since breaking the news on Thursday afternoon.
Credit to MSNBC anchor Jonathan Lemire: The way too soon host gave a one-minute report on the attack at 5 a.m., calling it “terrifying”.
Outside of this brief report, MSNBC’s primetime and daytime lineup didn’t even mention, let alone cover, the attack. Instead, MSNBC aired obsessive coverage and analysis of Thursday’s hearing by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capitol.
Newsflash: A physical attack on a congressman, Democrat or Republican, is newsworthy and deserves more than a one-minute news story, let alone a report in the wee hours of the morning.
The fact that this particular attack on Zeldin was filmed makes it all the more delightful for video-obsessed cable news producers – and therefore even more egregious that MSNBC continues to ignore the story.
If a Democrat was attacked, MSNBC would undoubtedly air full coverage of the incident. Indeed, an attack on a public official, especially a congressman representing the very state from which MSNBC broadcasts most of its programming, is a story that demands coverage.
I would ask here why MSNBC would mostly ignore an attack on a Republican congressman, but we all know the answer to that question. And the answer does not reflect well on the network.
This is an opinion piece. The opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author.
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