Governor Ron DeSantis' assertion that left-leaning and "legacy" media outlets intentionally target him is vindicated again.
In two days, Press Secretary Bryan Griffin has received emails requesting comment from journalists with their anti-DeSantis bias clearly established.
The first instance came from Forbes' Dana Brownlee, who spoke of conducting research for an article entitled "'Woke' Has Become an Anti-Equity Slur and Workplaces Shouldn't Condone It."
From that alone, we can already see where this is going.
"The article references Governor DeSantis' persistent use of the pejorative, divisive term ("woke") and argues he's adopted the famous Lee Atwater strategy of weaponinging [sic] coded language to tap into the most primitive, racist proclivities of his electorate," the email continued, requesting comment.
Sec. Griffin publicly called out Brownlee on Twitter, summarizing the email as ".@Forbes reporter: "Hi, I'm going to call you a racist. I need your comment by 2:00PM!"
".@Forbes reporter: "Hi, I'm going to call you a racist. I need your comment by 2:00PM!" Cheap, partisan activism. Not journalism."
.@Forbes reporter: "Hi, I'm going to call you a racist. I need your comment by 2:00PM!"
Cheap, partisan activism. Not journalism. pic.twitter.com/wLQl5g0LrE
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) March 27, 2023
In response, Sec. Griffin proceeded with a verbal beatdown, "Dana, you've already established your position."
"Dana, you've already established your position. You aren't truth seeking, you're participating in partisan activism. "Woke" originated as- and continues to be- a self-assigned [emphasis his] label from the left. Perhaps ask the 'woke' thought leaders why so many people have rejected their hateful ideology. Meanwhile as Governor DeSantis has promised, Florida will continue to be where "woke" goes to die," Griffin responded.
Not long after, Griffin received another email, this time from The Atlantic.
The Atlantic's Helen Lewis wrote an article,"How Did America's Weirdest, Most Freedom-Obsessed State Fall for An Authoritarian Governor?"
Griffin again took to Twitter to call out The Atlantic, "@TheAtlantic sent a reporter from Britain to FL to ogle & mock it, and then gaslight readers into the tired angle that parental rights or medical freedom are “authoritarian.”
🧵 @TheAtlantic sent a reporter from Britain to FL to ogle & mock it, and then gaslight readers into the tired angle that parental rights or medical freedom are “authoritarian.” https://t.co/uCjmuUjQBI
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) March 28, 2023
Within the thread, Griffin called upon viewers to "recognize the tactics of these "journalists," which are "1. Writing as if they have first-hand knowledge (she cites other articles or rumors.) 2. Quoting/interviewing activist partisans to provide "local perspective" or “expert opinion.” 3. And claiming to have reached out to "fact check" (it was not a fact-check, see below.)"
1. Writing as if they have first-hand knowledge (she cites other articles or rumors.)
2. Quoting/interviewing activist partisans to provide "local perspective" or “expert opinion.”
3. And claiming to have reached out to "fact check" (it was not a fact-check, see below.)
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) March 28, 2023
Andrew Warren, the replacement of the New College of Florida Board, and the Reedy Creek Improvement District takeover are referenced.
The question about these events, however, is "would the governor like to comment on the suggestion that these decisions have benefitted his donors and loyalists?"
Additionally, DeSantis' approval of a new electoral map is assumed to be "gerrymandering" because it supposedly "dramatically curtailed Black voting power."
Moreover, DeSantis' election security measures are described as having "a chilling effect."
Nope, no bias there.
Griffin describes the fact check as "false & biased premises that are plain attempts to push and legitimize the author’s political angles."
"Here’s part of the attempted “fact check” as emailed – false & biased premises that are plain attempts to push and legitimize the author’s political angles. The new journalistic formula is: we've reached our conclusion (based on our politics). What do you have to say about that?" he concludes.
Here’s part of the attempted “fact check” as emailed – false & biased premises that are plain attempts to push and legitimize the author’s political angles.
The new journalistic formula is: we've reached our conclusion (based on our politics). What do you have to say about that? pic.twitter.com/8Kdp5UpuiC
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) March 28, 2023
