This upcoming Sunday, the people of Venezuela will hold an election that, if legitimate, would put an end to years of the oppressive Maduro narco-regime. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a statement in support of the Venezuelan people: “The...
Este próximo domingo, el pueblo venezolano tendrá una elección que, de ser legítima, pondría fin a años de opresión por parte del narco-régimen de Maduro. El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) grabó un mensaje de video en español y emitió una declaración en...
Twenty-three years ago, the United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Now, Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in a U.S. court for his role in the attack, has requested the U.S. Department of Justice to allow a prisoner transfer...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opens up new facilities, many veterans are losing access to the VA’s Community Care Program and, consequently, their long-term healthcare providers. Veterans throughout the country have reported a loss of care, including...
The U.S.-India partnership is vital to countering influences from Communist China. In order to strengthen this partnership, it is essential to enhance our strategic diplomatic, economic, and military relationship with New Delhi. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)...
The New York Times ‘Anonymous’ Op-Ed was a Failure of Journalism
By U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
November 2, 2020
Newsweek
…
When The New York Times published the infamous “Anonymous” opinion piece by a “senior official in the Trump administration” in 2018, the media gave it wall-to-wall coverage and foreign propaganda outlets pointed to it as a sign of America’s instability…
…
This week, the media learned that the author of the much-ballyhooed op-ed was—wait for it—the 65th-highest ranking official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
…
This is exactly the type of clickbait, outrage journalism that has left so many Americans rightfully cynical about our nation’s media.
It’s also dangerous.
A press corps that prioritizes sensationalism in a race for ratings and retweets would be an unwitting partner to our nation’s foreign adversaries, who are working overtime to push disinformation and undermine Americans’ confidence in our electoral system.
As regimes like those in Russia, Iran and China try to divide us, it is more important than ever to call out the media’s irresponsible behavior. Granting anonymity to a mid-level adviser and portraying his words as those of a senior official in the Trump administration was a grotesque failure of journalism. And, in undermining the faith our nation has in an objective press, it threatened our national security.
…
Our nation’s enemies are well aware of the divisive state of our politics and the role clickbait, outrage journalism plays in stoking these divisions.
With Election Day just days away, I urge every American—including members of the media—to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting. We should expect outside interference, and we should be prepared for it.
The good news is that state and local election officials are taking it seriously. They are in regular contact with federal law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals, and are working around the clock to ensure that Election 2020 is safe, secure, and reliable.
The question is whether members of the media—including powerful institutions like the Times—can rise to the challenge for the good of our nation.