Washington Post twists Beck message about preparedness into that Irene, earthquake are "blessing"

Philadelphia Jewish Culture Examiner ^ | August 29, 2011 | Adam Taxin

[Adam Taxin]

A quote often (mis)attributed to German National Socialist propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels is “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.”

That thought process certainly appears to have been absorbed by the Washington Post. Friday’s Post blared a headline “Mormon Glenn Beck: Hurricane Irene and East Coast earthquake a ‘blessing’ from God,” connected to an article by Elizabeth Tenety in its “On Faith: A Conversation on Religion and Politics” section.

Tenety’s first paragraph reads:

"Not willing to be outdone by Pat Robertson, Glenn Beck recently weighed in on God’s communication by way of natural disasters, telling his listeners that this week’s East Coast earthquake and hurricane are a 'blessing' and a message from God to 'be prepared.'"

After that headline and first paragraph, the article – which some people admittedly do go on to read after reading the headline and lead paragraph -- becomes fairer. Tenety goes so far as to include Beck’s actual words, which had everything to do with preparedness and nothing to do with any sort of “blessing” beyond a reminder from God that “you’re not in control” and a suggestion to “be prepared.” ...

Later on, the article includes information about Mormonism’s emphasis on preparedness in terms of food storage, as well as video clips of Beck and (regarding "Becoming Provident Providers":) Mormon elder Robert D. Hales.

Of course, damage is done via misleading headlines and lead paragraphs, as the Washington Post editors are cynically aware. And, in this case, it worked beautifully.

In dutiful Big Media fashion, "New York" magazine ...

[Remainder of full article self-removed due to examiner.com/FreeRepublic.com excerpting agreement ... for that part, please go to the link, but only if your virus software is up-to-date and on!). To continue, please go to http://www.examiner.com/jewish-culture-in-philadelphia/wash-post-skews-beck-be-prepared-words-into-irene-earthquake-are-blessing .]

[ken21]

the left is evil.

[Adam Taxin]

Yup, this is at a whole different level of plausible-deniability evil. The ComPost knew exactly what it was doing with that headline and lead paragraph before the “more responsible” story.

If you’re tech-savvy, any idea why this article got posted twice?

[Tennessee Nana]

Welcome to FRee Republic

Would you mind giving us the link to what Beck said ???

His radio show or whatever ???

Then we can judge for ourselves whether or not the article is correct...

The source is always appreciated...

Thank you

[cripplecreek]

Its what the left does.

[iceskater]

You could start here.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/media-freaks-over-becks-comments-about-hurricane-irene-being-a-blessing/

My rule of thumb: the media lies. All.the.time.

[Adam Taxin]

The link is dutifully included in the article I posted. But, in any case, the Washington ComPost’s “MORMON!!!!!!!!! Glenn Beck ...” article can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/mormon-glenn-beck-hurricane-irene-and-east-coast-earthquake-a-blessing-from-god/2011/08/26/gIQAeINogJ_blog.html

Obviously, the Washington Post piece does not contain the analysis contained in the article of mine I posted.

Thanks for the welcome. Been a Freeper since the late 1990s (just started using my actual name).

[svcw]

Read The Blaze (Beck’s) and he does say the hurricane is a blessing. I was surprised that the PJCE quoted from the D&Cs.

[cripplecreek]

What he said.

“How many warnings do you think you’re going to get, and how many warnings do you deserve? This hurricane that is coming thorough the East Coast, for anyone who’s in the East Coast and has been listening to me say ‘Food storage!’ ‘Be prepared!’ ‘Be somebody that can help others,’ you’ve heard me say this for years. People have made fun of me. That’s fine, I don’t care. I’ve been telling you, ‘Don’t be in a panic situation.’ If you’ve waited, this hurricane is a blessing. It is a blessing. It is God reminding you — as was the earthquake last week — it’s God reminding you you’re not in control. Things can happen. Be prepared and be someone who can help others so when disaster strikes, God forbid, you’re not panicking.”

No big deal.

[svcw]

That is what I said. Beck said the hurricane was a blessing.

this hurricane is a blessing

[Adam Taxin]

Without the context, it’s very misleading. What Beck clearly (as opposed to the way the headlines repeated ad nauseum applied) meant was that the situation was similar to how it was a “blessing” for former Phillies first-baseman John Kruk to get hit by a baseball in the crotch. (When they were checking him out, they discovered he had testicular cancer.)

[cripplecreek]

In this case a mild hurricane is a blessing in the sense that people need to be reminded of what can happen and take precautions for their own safety.

[Tennessee Nana]

Thank you

Beck is quoted in his own “Blaze” as saying that “the hurricane is a blessing”...

From what I read the article claims Beck didnt say it

and the n00by says Beck didnt say it..

[Tennessee Nana]

Thats like saying the tornadoes we had here in April were a blessing..

[Tennessee Nana]

What Beck clearly ... meant
____________________________________

Big NO NO here kid

Thats called “mind reading”

You dont know what Beck meant ...

You cannot interpret for him...

We are well able to read or listen to his actual words for ourselves...

and make our own minds up about what we think he meant..

Becks a big boy...he can be held accountable for what he says without the need for someone to hold his hand..

If therte is need for clarity or he wants to change his mi9nd or do damage control he is well able to do that for himself too

Thanks awfully all the same...

[Tennessee Nana]

BTW is there something wrong with your old FReeper names ???

[svcw]

Weird isn’t it.

[Tennessee Nana]

I guess theres nothing in the bom that explains that your words can hang around and bite you in the butt..

[Adam Taxin]

Yup. The old name “Greg Luzinski” was of a childhood baseball hero. Kind of dumb in the first place. But it became really impossible to know after, recently, I got to know him a bit here in Philly, e.g. http://www.examiner.com/jewish-culture-in-philadelphia/pirates-swept-but-former-phillies-slugger-luzinski-impressed-by-bucs-progress

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2770871/posts