WHAT CNN’S THREAT TO DOX A REDDITOR TELLS US ABOUT THE STATE OF JOURNALISM:

Should HanA**holeSolo ever revert to his nefarious meme-making ways, “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.”

This is a threat. There is simply no other way for an open-minded person to comprehend the meaning of the line. I’ve read thousands of news stories and written a bunch of them, and I can’t think of a single instance I’ve ever run across a similar disclaimer. CNN has absolved the man of his sins. For now.  I guess if HanA**holeSolo does anything they deem ugly, the network reserves the right to put him in “danger”?

In a now-deleted tweet, CNN’s oft-confused Chris Cuomo asks: “Should CNN reveal name of Reddit user who made trump wrestling video? Had a lot of bigoted and hateful material on page and website.”

Let’s chew on this question and assertion for a moment: For one thing, although Cuomo happens to be correct in this case, I don’t trust his definition of hate or bigotry. Moreover, are journalistic standards contingent on the target’s political views? If HanA**holeSolo had the wrong opinion on gay marriage or affirmative action, would that be enough to ruin his life?

In the DNC-MSM’s mind that’s an emphatic yes, particularly given the symbiotic relationship between old media and social media. Two words: Memories Pizza.