Although they’re not as forward as The Oklahoman, one of the biggest media allies of the Oklahoma conservative ruling class is Griffin Communications – the local owners and operators of KWTV News 9 in OKC and KOTV 6 in Tulsa.
Whether they’re giving Kelly Ogle a pulpit to toss his Fox News inspired two-cents, lending their media might behind the disastrous (and failed) “Step Up Oklahoma” initiative, or trying to convince their few remaining viewers that the fluctuating water levels at Lake Arcadia are to blame for the man-made earthquakes that were created by oil companies, News 9 loves to covertly advance and propagate the conservative Oklahoma GOP agenda.
For example, check out how they’re covering the gubernatorial election between Bull Stitt and Drew Edmondson.
Last night, reporter Grant Hermes – the guy who once dubbed TLO an “online tabloid” after we scooped the media on a legit political story – decided to “fact check” some of the claims being made in negative campaign ads about the candidates.
Specifically, he investigated the fact that Kevin Stitt did not support the recent teacher pay raise package – something that Kevin Stitt repeatedly said he wouldn’t have signed.
Check out how News 9’s “Truth Testers” spun that clear fact for its viewers:
News 9 "Fact Checker" @GrantHermesKWTV on Kevin Stitt opposing teacher pay raises – "To say that is misleading. It's true, but only literally, and that's about it." Yep, something literally being literally true is now "misleading." pic.twitter.com/mid7ZVvsni
— The Lost Ogle (@TheLostOgle) October 16, 2018
Sorry. I had to use the video in my tweet because News 9 vids still won’t embed in WordPress. Considering they’re peddlin Bull Stitt like that, I guess you can’t blame them,
Anyway, as you can see and hear, News 9 took something that even they admit is “literally” true and then labeled it misleading because… uhm… I’ll let Grant Hermes explain:
There was a lot of discussion about how to talk about whether Stitt opposed the raises or just the funding. This is what won out. News9 has decided to say because Stitt opposes the funding as opposed to the raises, saying he opposed the teacher pay raises outright would be wrong https://t.co/CCgNUucck8
— Grant Hermes News 9 (@GrantHermesKWTV) October 16, 2018
Yeah. I’m not sure that’s how fact checking is supposed to work.
“Hey Jed, what’s the temperature outside?”
“The thermometer say 43-degrees, but let’s discuss it. I think we’d all agree we want it to be warmer outside.”
Seriously, when you start having long discussions over whether or not a simple fact is indeed a fact, something tells me you’re not really out to prove a fact. The campaign ad literally stated that “Stitt opposed the teacher pay raise,” which is 100% true. It didn’t say he opposed “education funding” or “teacher pay raises in general.” Despite that literally true statement being literally true, News 9 “Management” labeled the claim “misleading.”
Unless you’re a loyal GOP partisan like this Twitter troll, it seems very apparent that News 9 management and ownership – I’m going to cut Grant some slack – are going out of their way to make excuses for Kevin Stitt opposing to the bipartisan teacher pay raise package that was approved by 3/4ths of the legislature and signed into law by Governor Mary Fallin.
On that note, they’re also trying to distance Stitt from the Mary Fallin albatross that’s hanging around his neck. The News 9 “Fact Team” also investigated claims in the ad that Kevin Stitt called Mary Fallin “great” (another literally true fact). Despite that very specific claim, look at how they titled the story:
Interesting? The ad in question doesn’t mention anything about Stitt calling other politicians “great.” Once again, it specifically says he called Mary Fallin great. It’s almost like News 9 and the Oklahoma GOP are so scared of the Mary Fallin / Kevin Stitt connection that they won’t even mention her name next to his in a headline.
I wonder what headline they used for their “fact checking” investigation into negative attack ads against Drew:
Yep. The question posed in the headline for Kevin Stitt was whether or not he called certain politicians that will remain nameless great, but the question about Edmondson had to do if something on his record stinks. If you didn’t know better, and most News 9 viewers don’t, it would almost seem like News 9 has some sort of conservative agenda that’s affecting how they cover the gubernatorial race. That’s as dumb as saying you’re for teacher pay raises but don’t want to fund them.
I cannot believe how many Ogles’ ate allowed to do local news!! Kelly needs fired. He 2v crap is not ethical at all. News people are to report the news NOT put their personal twist on anything. He tries to “guide” the public to his personal view. Then, channel 5 axes Paul Folger to make room for ANOTHER Ogle!! I call that BULL!!
From it’s inception until it was struck down in the Omnibus Law,billionaire owned right-wing media groups had a raging hard on for the removal of The Fairness Doctrine. It was so unfair to the Oligarchs that they should have to provide time for opposing opinions. There once was a liberal media in this nation and that too was considered unacceptable by the Billionaire Boy’s Club back east and the Texas Oil Millionaires.
I remember some forty years ago,there was an old man who gave editorials and allowed for opposing views. The segment came in right after the station’s parent shaming segment: “It is ten fifteen,do You know where you’re children are?” The man’s name was Jack Ogle. His editorial views were basically the same bullshit that Kelly Ogle peddles today. You see,the power structure and flow of wealth from the bottom to the top have accelerated since then. Ross Perot’s “Sucking Sound” did not occur from the south of the border as he claimed with the proposed NAFTA. The sucking sound comes from all the corporate welfare that the the Oligarchy receives via your hard work all the way to the tax exempt off shore bank. Mitch the Turtle is right. The ballooning deficit is not a Republican problem. It is everyone’s problem. Please! Vote this November.
I guess I’m getting old. I remember the good old days when people you support said stupid thing, lying things and the backers were smart enough to keep their mouths shut and wait for the whole thing to move on.
Yes, I too am interested in warmer temperatures during the winter but I continually get frustrated by the misleading Channel 9 weather people trying to convince me how cold it is. We all know that at some point it will get warmer and focusing on the temperature now appears to be a leftist attempt to distract us from that truth.
Republicans: For teacher raises, against paying for them.
Republicans: Against abortion, but don’t you dare use revenue to feed babies.
It’s kind of a pattern. A stupid, shitty, lazy, virtue-signaling pattern.
+1
News 9 is a big pile of steaming Stitt. . .
No need to fight it. Save your breath. Somewhere at the end of some deserted road there is a deserted warehouse producing little donnie trump clones to take over the government by winning elections through ignorant voters.
Stitt was made in that warehouse. The only way to save our country is to find that warehouse and shut it down. Some of us are really looking down every dead end road, hoping to find it.
Reminds me of Bill Clinton’s famous “it depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” Guess “journalists” would rather be “lawyers” and not let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Wow. Clearly all those posters above are anti-Stitt. Yeh, that comes across pretty clearly. And do y’all trust Edmondson. Ha! Born last night were you? Good grief! Vote RED.
Exactly what is Still going to do that is different from the disastrous policies that have been in place the past several years?
Maybe you were the one who was born last night if you put blind faith in a man who never voted and can’t get an ad that actually highlights his platforms.
Deb:
I second Krakatoa’s observation. Are there any differences between the policies of Fallin and of Stitt? Any at all?
Consistently voting “RED” has landed Oklahoma in the ridiculous mess we find ourselves in today. That’s a great reason to make no changes… right?
But there are people who think that things are great the way they’re going, so they continue to vote red. They don’t care about core services, education, etc. They just care about their own pockets.
Edmondson/Turpin/Ogle’s the Oklahoma DeepState/SwampElite same ole same ole. Do your own research if you’re not afraid of the truth.
Dustin, did you fall asleep over eight years ago and just wake up? What you believe to be Oklahoma’s “deep state” is buried very deeply indeed.
It’s all Republicans now. But our present mess can’t possibly be their fault. Right?
I have been more than a little ticked off at the “do nothing” legislature during the last 5-6 years downturn. Having said that, I’ll gladly take Bull Stitt over genuine Democrat Bull Shit Edmondson would bring. Like the ad says he supported Obama and Hillary and is another Pelosi.
Yeah, I’m upset with the Republicans, but not enough to vote in National Democrat values and I dare say neither are most Oklahomans.
Sadly, you’re probably right about “neither are most Oklahomans.” We’re screwed.
“Yeah, I’m upset with the Republicans, but not enough to do anything about it.”
Just check that “straight ticket” box on your ballot like we all know you’re going to and quit wasting our time like you’ve put any actual thought into your opinion.
That’s exactly right when the Democrat would be a step down from Mary Fallin. That’s saying something if a candidate is a step down from her and he is. FYI, I never voted for Mary and was a registered Democrat during all races she was in. I could tell how sorry a candidate she always was and the same is true about Edmondson.
So basically you want to extend current policies because you’ve bought into the shallow political ads that Edmondson is this super liberal politician rather than an Oklahoma Democrat, which is only slightly less conservative than a Republican?
Interesting premise, pretty much the exact reason the state’s de facto motto is “thank God for Mississippi” though.
Oooooh the scary boogeyman Obama and scary boogeywomen Hillary and Pelosi! Oooh cryyyy. You know, party labels are meaningless but I am registered as a Democratic Party member because the Republican Party is all about screwing people like me. I’m not rich, not male, not straight. I care about things like public education, equitable taxation, sensible laws to keep military-grade weapons away from regular people (especially mentally ill regular people) and I really don’t like it when they dictate to me what I can and cannot do with my own body while they advertise how Christian they are while they’re looking for illicit underage company. GOPers, self-styled “constitutional conservatives” and evangelical types: Lose me with that crap. I’ve known all about you since then.
I know precisely what you mean. I just changed my lifetime registration as a Democrat to be a Republican for the same reasons. Your in the wrong party for the wrong reasons. Good luck with the rest of your life.
I’m not sure you really do know precisely what timekiller_s means.
Oooooo, like Pelosi is gonna ride in on Drew’s back, waving her crooked scythe of a finger at any okie lined up for a gun show or something. Jeez! OBAMA! CLINTON!! Mention Oklahoma to them & they probly think of the play.
Were at the bottom of everything good and the top of everything bad. It’s the Repubs’ fault. What kind of fool cannot see this?
Hope that plate in your head holds up
I can’t tell if Grant is a moron or just plays one on T.V. I had to turn off Channel 9 permanently when he said “it’s true, but only literally” before the succession of spit-takes destroyed my television.
I find myself stuck watching News9 because it’s the only station that comes in decently via antenna (I refuse to buy a cable package that would take care of that problem. Long story for another time). That said, between these “fact checking” things and the stuff they’ve been reporting about OU just kind of smacks me as perpetuating the Self-Realising Prophesy–whether anybody likes it or not, Bull Stitt is going to win and there’s nothing you can do about it (actually, there is something you can do about it, it’s called get off your ass and vote. Oklahoma has terrible election turnouts). And let’s not forget that 9 breathlessly reports on polling done by SoonerPoll, which is run by a guy whose Twitter feed, that I’ve noticed because I don’t follow him, is sometimes wackadoodle RW conspiracy-land garbage). Polls can be manipulated, we all know that. I pay less and less attention to them.
I’d love to know more about the market research that makes 9 the arbiter and mouthpiece of a composite individual I’ll call “Everyokie”: Lives in a suburb, comfortably middle class, a little more to the right of center-right, probably drives an SUV or a big truck, 2.3 kids, listens to mainstream country music, and votes Republican because reasons (whether everybody else is doing it so why fight it, or — horrors — they really do blindly support the hideously incompetent and corrupt World Leader Pretend in DC).
Finally, I too will cut Grant Hermes some slack — he does have to answer to editors and crap, and ultimately they’re the ones who are going to win out in any battle of wits on how to frame information to appeal to Everyokie because Hermes, like anyone else in this economy, might want to keep his job for a little while. And TBQH, Hermes is one of the least-offensive anchor-reporters at 9 — he’s not from around here (he’s a Minnesota kid–check his bio on 9’s website) and his last name isn’t Ogle.
Purchase a signal amplifier from Wal-Mart, and bring in those other fair minded stations, like KFOR and KOCO and…umm… never mind…
If you say that you are FOR something (like a teacher pay raise), but against PAYING for it…
… then you’re really against it, but would rather not admit it. In other words, you’re lying shamelessly.
How hard is that to understand? For anyone who cares about education in Oklahoma and plans to vote for Stitt anyway, I guess it’s pretty darn hard.
Outsider non-politician vs DeepState Ok. Edmondson, Turpin, OGLE’S no brainier. After DeepState Ok loses they can go to Cuba and visit the nat’l DeepState at Getmo visit Hillary and the crew.
Do you need help, Dustin? You forgot your original name, it seems.
It’s easy to tell when state and local candidates have nothing to offer besides their party label.
They run against Nancy Pelosi or Hillary or Obama or some other federal GOP bugaboo who isn’t relevant to the office they are seeking. Sound familiar, Stitt fans?
At least Edmondson is running against Stitt as a would-be clone of Mary Fallin, which is entirely relevant.
Exactly, Graychin.
Who needs Sinclair when you have this Bull Snitt?
*Also, you really need Disquis.
Really.
Disqus would be cool