The Media Research Center’s Tim Graham and Brent Bozell began their Jan. 4 column this way:
At the dawn of 2017, let us offer a philosophical question for the news media. If the scourge of the new year is “fake news,” should we not concede that it’s not news to speculate about what will happen after a news event? The problem is, without speculation about the future — whether immediate or distant — cable news channels and radio news outlets would surely enter a crisis about how to fill 24 hours a day, and newspapers would struggle to fill their pages.
True. But if Graham and Bozell are really concerned about speculation being presented as news, the “news” division of the MRC, CNSNews.com, would be prohibited in engaging in it.
For example, just two days after Graham and Bozell’s column appeared, CNS published a “news” article by Patrick Goodenough declaring, “Gohmert: Promoting a ‘Two-State Solution’ Could Bring God’s Judgment.” In it, Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert is quoting as saying that expressing support for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians means one is “advocating what Joel 3 say will bring judgment down upon our nation for trying to partition Israel.”
So, is biblical speculation exempted from Graham and Bozell’s anti-speculation wrath? We’re confused.