The Harvey Weinstein scandal has been a slow-moving train wreck that has been monopolizing the attention of major news networks, sites and print publications for the last week – but one publication has remained quite silent about the whole thing.
Left-wing site Politico is now one of the very few news, political or opinion sites that has failed to cover the Harvey Weinstein case at all at the time of writing. Despite accusations from actresses spanning decades and the sheer number of complaints that are rolling in, Politico has failed to even mention the scandal.
If you only read Politico, you would not actually be aware of the scandal at all. Why does this publication, which considers itself middle of the road, unbiased and not at all left-leaning, fail to mention the Harvey Weinstein case at all?
The answer lies in the publication’s leftist roots.
No Coverage
According to Breitbart, a publication that has denounced Politico on multiple occasions for its leftist agenda, the answer lies in Weinstein’s political ties. Weinstein has long been a donor and affiliate of the Democratic party; particularly when it comes to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Thousands of dollars have changed hands from Weinstein to Clinton and Obama – and millions headed to the coffers of the Democratic Party as well. In addition to privately funding these political campaigns, Weinstein also engaged in vigorous fund raising for the party, resulting in even more income.
For a publication that is so bonded to the Democrats and so committed to the leftist agenda, the idea of covering the scandal or even mentioning it is absurd. In addition to not wanting to cover this political story, the brand is close-mouthed about the ongoing scandal, failing to find a way to connect hated Republicans and conservatives to the multiple accusations that are piling up against Weinstein from all quarters.
Politico Stands Alone
While Politico has blithely ignored the growing scandal, other publications have not. The abuse and harassment was a poorly kept Hollywood and political secret, until the New York Times broke the story wide open last week. So far, 30 women have come forward in just the past few days to share their stories.
In addition to the seemingly endless parade of victims harassed by Weinstein, many in the media, entertainment industry and political world have turned on him as well. Even before the story initially broke, Weinstein was already amassing a huge legal team, working with lawyers, public relations firms and other brands to combat the stories he feared were targeting him in the New Yorker and the New York Times.
According to the New York Times, the sexual harassment claims span decades and include financial payoffs and settlements. The list of women who have come forward includes recognizable, high profile Hollywood actresses of the past and present and more women come forward almost every day. Still, Politico refuses to acknowledge the story at all, despite Weinstein’s public statement and retreat to a rehabilitation facility for “treatment”
Breitbart and other news organizations began to share the story almost immediately after it broke, and continue to cover it as other actresses and industry insiders came forward. While conservatives voiced concern about the major donations made by Weinstein, even the late-night comedy shows (that had been quick to pounce on and profit from stories about Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes) were silent. Comedians rallied, though as the accusations kept rolling in and mainstream media publications began to carry the story.
Democratic politicians are also speaking out; both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama made strong statements condemning their former benefactor and in support of his victims. Even the fashion industry carried stories about Weinstein this week, as he has had peripheral involvement with the industry in the past.
So why has Politico chosen to ignore this ongoing and growing story? The answer likely lies in their unwillingness to cover something seen as negative and tied to the Democrat party. As of today, more than a week after the Weinstein story broke, there is still no mention of it on the Politico home page – just the usual negative stories about President Trump and members of his team.
What will it take for Policy to cover a negative story about a Democrat? Obviously 30+ accusers are not enough for this “unbiased” site.
~ Liberty Planet
