Local Media Bias on Full Display in Its Coverage of Lying Politicians

Many Shift readers have pointed out the incredible discrimination the Seattle Times and the Everett Herald have demonstrated in their recent coverage of elected officials who lied in order to get elected.

In doing a quick search on the Seattle Times’ website, we find that the newspaper has carried almost 20 stories about Republican Congressman George Santos (NY) and his admission that he repeatedly lied to voters about his

background.  At the same time, the newspaper has not posted one single story about the numerous lies of Democrat State Representative Clyde Shavers (who lied about his military background, his work experience, his mother’s immigration status, and that he actually lived in the district) since the paper posted one minor piece back in November (six days after Shift first broke the story).

While the Seattle Times continues to claim it is a watchdog in order to receive money and special treatment from the government, the truth is the Times is more of a watchdog of a Republican New York congressman then it is of a Democrat Washington State legislator who represents constituents within the paper’s distribution area.

The Times repeatedly shows itself to being a free communications tool for the Democrats rather than a fair and balanced watchdog for the state and region’s interests.  And remember, the Times shamefully sat on the Shavers’ story for nearly a week, as tens of thousands more ballots were filled in and mailed and thus enabled the admitted liar Shavers to barely win his election by just 211 votes.

It seems the Everett Herald is nearly as bad as the Seattle Times for failing to hold new Democrat Washington State Representative Clyde Shavers accountable for his many lies to voters, while at the same time providing far more coverage of the campaign lies of a Republican New York congressman.

The media – and the Democrats, of course — seem determined to let Representative Shavers skate through with no consequences for his lying.

The day after Shift broke the story in late October the Everett Herald carried the story, and the paper announced

that it was taking back its previous endorsement of Shavers and then endorsed Republican Greg Gilday. Three days later the Herald covered Shavers’ only comment on his many lies, when he released a bizarre statement in which he failed to take responsibility for his fabrications and selfishly blamed the scandal on his father’s conservative leanings.

Since these pre-election stories the Herald’s only coverage of Shavers has been on the daily vote tallies and one letter to the editor about the Democrats’ failure to vet their candidates.  Yet a search of the Herald’s website finds that the paper has carried at least four editorials about the lies of Republican Congressman George Santos.

One would think the Herald would have more to say since Representative Shavers’ district (the 10^th Legislative District) takes in Northwest Snohomish County, Southwest Skagit County, and all of Island County.  Evidently the Herald believes it is acceptable for 10^th LD residents to be served by a Democrat official who repeatedly lied in order to obtain his position and now refuses to talk with the media. The paper is also apparently unconcerned that many Democrat organizations continued to spend even more money supporting Shavers’ candidacy after his many lies were revealed.

Plain and simple, both the Seattle Times and the Everett Herald are clearly displaying their liberal bias by carrying multiple stories and editorials about a Republican official 3,000 miles away but ignoring a Democrat politician in their own backyard doing the exact same thing. (The only difference between the two is that Congressman Santos admitted he lied while Shavers hasn’t and has refused any offers to be interviewed.)

Local media has clearly shown its bias and how they discriminate against anyone who does not adhere to the liberal viewpoint. They have one set of rules for the actions of Republicans and a different set of rules (and far less oversight) on the actions of Democrats.