CNN’s Brian Stelter reminds me of the cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain” who lamented to his lover, “I wish I knew how to quit you!” Indeed, Stelter — AKA “Tater” — can’t seem to let go of Trump, or Fox News, or conservatism in general. He would rather silence the lot if he could. But he can’t, so he’s proposing a new media model.

Tenor.com. 

On his inaptly named Sunday morning program “Reliable Sources,” Stelter used his monologue to lambaste conservatives whom he asserts are promoting “dishonest cries of censorship” as he called it. He pointed fingers at Fox News and Tucker Carlson in particular. “Democrats win elections and then Republicans say they are being silenced,” said Stelter.

But Tater isn’t the only liberal mouthpiece who wants to see Fox silenced. Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post suggested that “corporations that advertise on Fox News should walk away.” That’s because, she says, Fox is partly responsible for 400,000 COVID deaths, as well as that Capitol riot on January 6. Something like that.

Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times also called for “pressure on advertisers to withdraw from Fox News so long as it functions as an extremist madrasa.” Plus, Axios and Politifact would love to see a return to the Fairness Doctrine — dormant since the 1980’s — when the Federal Government enforced speech rules.

So Brian Stelter said that we need to control the spread of disinformation. But don’t call it censorship. Or even cancel culture. Rather, call it “harm reduction.”

Gee, I wonder what a “harm reduction” program would even look like. Who would decide what news should be covered? Or what opinion a network should air? And what about . . .

FACT CHECKING! 

Especially when those “fact checkers” are not exactly the models of non-partisanship that they bill themselves to be.

But let’s review what the mainstream press has pushed, shall we?

Remember the Russia Hoax? “Bombshell! Tipping point! The walls are closing in!”

A short two-minute video for those of you in the media pitifully insisting that no media reckoning is needed and journalists performed beautifully, soberly and responsibly throughout this whole saga: pic.twitter.com/PF5s2kTcYA

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 25, 2019

And remember the love affair the media had with Trump-hating attorney Michael Avenatti? He was convicted of extortion and sent to prison. But according to the media, he was “The Savior of the Republic! A folk hero! A beast!” 

Oh, look — Brian Stelter shows up in this compilation of the media’s slobberfest for Avenatti.

How’d you like to be featured in this montage? Are the people in it capable of embarrassment? https://t.co/l5piLPwUEg

— Brit Hume (@brithume) February 15, 2020

And remember how CNN and other media tried to destroy the life of teenager Nicholas Sandmann, who ran afoul of a Native American activist at the 2019 March for Life? No, they didn’t really want to cancel him. As one Twitter user pointed out:

“CNN wasn’t trying to cancel Sandman, they were just trying to limit his educational and employability’s reach.”

Well, of course they were.

But. . . but. . . the QAnon conspiracy. Someone has to employ “harm reduction” in destroying its effect on Trump supporters, right?

Except that Q is quickly drying up without the help of Tater or CNN. Since Donald Trump left the White House, QAnon supporters are also leaving its rabbit hole. Nicholas Sandmann has also fired attorney Lin Wood after Wood promoted Q conspiracy theories. Even conspiracist Alex Jones ranted that he’s fed up with QAnon promoters, and when you’ve lost Alex Jones. . .

“I will not suffer your Q people after this. I knew what you were day one, I know what you are now, and I’m sick of it.”

Reality is weeding out the conspiracists without Brian Stelter’s help. And as far as new GA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has given voice to Q and false flag conspiracies, that’s up to the people of Georgia whether or not she returns in 2022. It’s also up to Republican leadership to determine what role she will play in the GOP.

Frankly, I think she’s a kook. I wish she weren’t in Congress. Furthermore, I think Donald Trump failed conservatives and the GOP in general by not denouncing the QAnon conspiracy before the election. But I guess he, too, didn’t know how to quit the adoration of some of his most unhinged supporters.

However, it’s not up to Brian Stelter, or CNN, or any other media outlet to determine what voices should be heard. Or like Katie Couric, who thinks that Trump supporters should be “deprogrammed.”

Katie Couric: "How are we going to really, almost deprogram these people who have signed up for the cult of Trump?" pic.twitter.com/MW5LWN3dOk

— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) January 18, 2021

The fact is that neither liberals nor conservatives have cornered the market on false information. Moreover, neither Brian Stelter nor any other member of the media should have the ability to control how other media outlets communicate. Tyranny begins with controlling the speech other others, and Tater’s “harm reduction” is a step in that direction. Free Americans answer bad speech by more speech, not by elite media deciding what the public should hear.

Welcome, Instapundit readers! 

Featured image: original artwork by Darleen Click. Used by permission.