The Hunter Biden scandal, which has long been downplayed or ignored by the legacy media, is finally receiving the attention it deserves.
The recent appointment of U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland has ignited a shift in the media's coverage of the controversy. Even liberal news organizations like The Washington Post and CNN are now acknowledging the legitimacy of the allegations against Hunter Biden.
The Washington Post's editorial board, for example, admitted that Hunter Biden "shouldn't get special treatment" and that critics of his previous plea agreement with the Department of Justice may have been right all along. This is a stark contrast to their previous stance in June, when they justified the plea deal and claimed that it demonstrated that no one is above the law.
CNN's Jake Tapper also acknowledged that Republicans have legitimate questions about Weiss' appointment as special counsel and even suggested that the IRS whistleblowers who have accused the DOJ of interfering in the Hunter Biden probe may be right. This is a significant departure from CNN's previous avoidance of coverage on the infamous laptop and their dismissal of it as "wildly unhinged" allegations from the political right.
According to Fourth Watch editor Steve Krakauer, there are several factors that have contributed to this shift in the media's coverage. One possible reason is that Joe Biden is now tied with Donald Trump in the polls, which has made the media realize how vulnerable Biden is and has prompted them to use the corruption news to undermine his presidency. Another reason is the plea deal falling apart, which has caused even the press that previously defended Biden to question whether he did something wrong. Additionally, the media can no longer ignore the scandals surrounding Hunter Biden, especially since his laptop has been verified by reputable sources like The New York Times and CNN.
All four of the liberal Sunday shows recently covered the special counsel appointment in the Hunter Biden case, which is a significant departure from their previous avoidance of damning testimony from Hunter Biden's former business partner.
However, DePauw University journalism professor Jeffrey McCall argues that the media's coverage is still limited and not as determined as their coverage of all things Trump. He believes that the media had to acknowledge the newsworthiness of the Hunter Biden story to save their credibility, but they have yet to fully explore the broader aspects of the allegations.
While many liberal news outlets have taken notice of Hunter Biden, Fox News contributor Joe Concha believes that they are still missing the bigger story. He argues that the focus should be on Joe Biden's actions as Vice President and whether he profited from his son's business dealings and is compromised by foreign adversaries. Concha suggests that this could be a much more impactful story than simply what Hunter Biden was up to.
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