Jason Kenney's Media Meltdown - 2020-04-29

Jason Kenney's Media Meltdown April 29, 2020, Michael Harris, The Tyee

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Jason Kenney is plugging into an international phenomenon: right-wing leaders who mint their own facts and brook no opposition — kings of confabulation who rule with an iron microphone.

Kenney gives every sign that he is learning from Trump's daily pandemic grandstanding. Reporters ask the president perfectly legitimate questions that are in the public interest. Before they get their queries out of their mouths, he responds by attacking them like a rabid chihuahua. Trump says their questions are nasty. He denounces them as terrible journalists and awful people. He bristles that they are employed by fake news agencies. He even accuses them of trying to undermine his presidency by withholding praise for his many good ideas. You know, like mainlining Lysol, or burning your innards with pulses of light to purge COVID-19.

Kenney is now pulling similar stunts to avoid questions that have unflattering answers or no answers at all. Tom Ross of 660 News, the local radio reporter who asked the offending question last week at that press conference, was doing his job. Jason Kenney was not.

Wikipedia cite:

{{cite news | first = Michael | last = Harris | title = Jason Kenney's Media Meltdown | url = https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/04/29/Jason-Kenney-Media-Meltdown/ | work = The Tyee | date = April 29, 2020 | accessdate = April 30, 2020 }}