As the media continues to split America along a dangerous line, it is important to not only reflect on politicians’ words, but also the words of journalists. This was particularly evident this past weekend when CNN anchor Kasie Hunt was called out by Kle Cuccinelli for allegedly deceivingly editing a clip of Ron DeSantis’ latest interview.
On Sunday, Hunt and the “State of the Union” panel were discussing the upcoming Republican primary debate set for Wednesday. Cuccinelli argued that it would be an opportunity for viewers to get to know DeSantis, which Hunt seemed hesitant to agree with. She then went on to present a clip of DeSantis’ recent interview and said, “There was a pretty interesting moment in a recent interview where Governor DeSantis talked about Trump supporters, he used the words ‘listless vessels,’ I want to play—”
But before Hunt was able to finish her sentence, Cuccinelli interjected with a firm response: “He’s not talking about Trump supporters.” Hunt went on to seemingly reluctantly finish the clip, providing only snippets of what DeSantis had actually said. She had allegedly edited out portions of it to fit her agenda–evidence of the journalistic misconduct that the modern media is so often accused of.
Unsurprisingly, Cuccinelli caught the selective editing. “You just did what the problem is,” he said. “Everybody just saw there that there was a cut. You cut from the beginning of that quote to the ‘listless vessels.’ So everybody who just watched that understand go read the transcript.” Cuccinelli went on to explain how DeSantis was not actually talking about Trump supporters, but rather that he was talking about how the movement must be grounded in principle and not on the words of one individual.
If the media is to be an arbiter of justice and an unbiased provider of information, then journalists must be aware of the power their words can both bring and destroy. This episode with Hunt and Cuccinelli provides us with a unique insight into the ethical issues of the profession and the moral responsibilities journalists must be aware of if they are to accurately and truthfully portray news.
They must not forget that they are the molders of the public opinion. We can only hope that the rest of the media will follow in the footsteps of Cuccinelli’s example and make sure that they do not distort the stories they tell for their own political gain.