Morning Belz, May 12

Gas shortages, and Cheney v Trump.

Some people just like wearing masks — Guardian
The problem of “casting calls” for sources — CJR*
GOP demoted Cheney for insisting election wasn’t stolen — FOX
Cheney’s speech on the House floor — CBS
Inflation hit 13-yr high in April — Marketwatch
This gasoline panic is spreading to Atlanta — AJC**
How Marine Le Pen might win in France — Persuasion

*The piece is focused on white reporters calling advocacy groups to find sources in non-white communities who can be the “face” of a story. I’d add that the same difficulty arises when reporters try to find specific types of white people to be the face of a story. I certainly ran into this covering agriculture — just six months ago. Distrust of mainstream media was on the rise in farm-rich southwest Minnesota, and I could hear the weariness (and wariness) in the voices of some (definitely not most) of the people I tried to connect with about the latest turn of the screw in the trade war, or whatever. Sources of all kinds can begin to sense when they are simply being plugged into a story. It’s a tricky problem, because speed matters in the news business and the line between decisive reporting and exploitation is pretty blurry.

**the picture above is from a gas station in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., where only premium unleaded is available and the attendant told me they haven’t been able to get a new delivery of gasoline yet.

Quote
“Liz Cheney is a bitter, horrible human being. I watched her yesterday and realized how bad she is for the Republican Party. She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country. She is a talking point for Democrats, whether that means the Border, the gas lines, inflation, or destroying our economy. She is a warmonger whose family stupidly pushed us into the never-ending Middle East Disaster, draining our wealth and depleting our Great Military, the worst decision in our Country’s history. I look forward to soon watching her as a Paid Contributor on CNN or MSDNC!” — Donald Trump, this morning

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