This is disgraceful; what would be a better word? CNN’s assertion is deceitful and designed to mislead and misinform—but as I’m sure Brian Stelter would say if he still worked there, it’s responsible journalism because this is good deception. Or not deception at all. Who knows what Stelter would say; he’s an idiot: why am I even dragging him into this discussion?
Black fathers are often portrayed as absent because they are absent too often, and to a destructive degree that is a major factor in undermining success in the black community. The statistics on the problem vary widely because of different measuring methods; one states that 64% of black children are living without their fathers in the same household (the figure for white kids is 24%). Here’s another assessment from the Justice Department:
All of the statistics agree, however: the percentage of black fathers actively caring for their children is disastrous. Why then, is CNN trying to spin away from reality, and worse, imply that racial bias is responsible for the perception that there are too many single parent households among African Americans? In fact, it doesn’t matter why; it only matters that as many people as possible recognize that this “news organization” isn’t giving the public news, it is spreading lies and propaganda to assist in advancing a partisan political agenda.
“It isn’t what it is” is Rationalization #64 on the list, and it has emerged as one of the primary tools of the Left’s totalitarian designs. From the description:
Named after John Yoo, the Bush Justice Department lawyer who wrote the infamous memo declaring waterboarding an “enhanced interrogation technique,” and not technically torture, #64 is one of the most effective self-deceptions there is, a handy-dandy way to avoid logic, conscience, accountability and reality…It is denial, it is lying, but it is lying to convince oneself, because the truth is unbearable, or inconvenient. It is asserting that the obvious is the opposite of what it is, hoping that enough people will be deluded, confused or corrupted to follow a fraudulent argument while convincing yourself as well. The Rationalization includes euphemisms, lawyerisms, and the logic of the con artist….
The one place one should never see this device in in journalism, yet increasingly, it is a regular feature. There’s more in CNN’s race-spinning: The CDC’s statistics say that 70% of black fathers who live with their children are likely to have bathed, dressed, changed or helped their child with the toilet every day, compared with white (60%) or Hispanic (45%) fathers who live with their children. I can think of a lot of not very positive reasons this would be true, but the key phrase is who live with their children. Now here is CNN’s headline:
That’s a lie; it is not what the data says.
A news source that would engage in such deliberate—yes, I am certain it is deliberate, but if it is negligent, that is equally damning—misinformation on any topic cannot and must not be trusted. CNN clearly does not see its role as informing the public, but as manipulating public opinion through selective and distorted reporting of what should be straight and objective facts.
What is especially frightening is that CNN is not an exception or an outlier. This is what journalism has become. It intends to put citizens in the dark, because “democracy dies in darkness,” just as the hypocritical Washington Post says it does every day on its front page.
Ethics Alarms 
Dems/left’s and their MSM propagandists’ ability and willingness to gaslight, ignore obvious facts and stats, and to assert blatant lies and falsities is truly impressive and awe inspiring!!
Citing accurate statistics about this population is racist.
Therefore, warping statistics in ways that would and could only perpetuate and worsen the very social conditions many claim are the most harmful to the community by distorting the perception of the population’s unique needs, shall we say, _systemically_, is not racist. It’s anti-racist.
Insert image of rioters vandalizing the CNN logo here.
Classic lefty/progressive overreach. It’s not sufficient for people to take a live and let live approach to various minorities. One has to be enthusiastically in favor of everything about that minority. Recall the Hollywood pose during the gay marriage campaign. Gay guys were not just equal to straights, they had to be recognized as actually being vastly superior to them in every possible way. Similarly, trans people are to be considered incredibly admirable and way ahead of their inferiors who are trapped in their gender assigned them by the powers that be at birth. It’s sublimely annoying but endless. So, of course black fathers are superior to white fathers. It’s not even close. They’re an oppressed minority. Q.E.D.
Two thoughts:
1. Is it even worth mentioning that the CDC report in question is 10 years old and covers statistics gathered earlier than that?
2. It’s particularly depressing that we get this obviously nonsense when the truth would have made for an interesting and potentially paradigm-challenging story: “Whereas it is true that an unfortunately high percentage of black children have no father figure in the household, those fathers who do stay are at least as engaged in the lives of their children as white fathers are.”
Yes, I had to struggle through all of the distractions to figure out that was the proper lede, and it IS interesting.
Personally, I am relieved to know how well the Black fathers are doing. For a very long time I have been under the impression that single mother hood in the black community was rampant with baby-daddies running ammock.
Thanks to CNN, I can let all my Black friends know that I know the truth now – that absenteeism is a myth.
Now I need CNN to tell me what role I need to play in defending against the sure emergence of Black Patriarchy with so much dad presence.
I thought appealing to the traditional nuclear family structure was racist?
Why would CNN suddenly think it needs to defend against claims that black fathers are absent from their communities?
Shouldn’t CNN look at the claim and say “so what? That’s a perfectly acceptable family structure – having both parents in the household is a white supremacist standard.”