How Harvard’s president hung on so long, despite becoming an utter embarrassment
Fox News
In a classic case of a media play called "Republicans pounce," outlets like the Associated Press are now characterizing plagiarism as a "conservative weapon."
Perfect, right? It’s the big bad conservatives that are to blame. Plagiarism isn’t a heinous academic offense, it’s a weapon. Howard Kurtz is the host of FOX News Channel's MediaBuzz (Sundays 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET). Based in Washington, D.C., he joined the network in July 2013 and regularly appears on Special Report with Bret Baier and other programs.
When you can’t defend a public figure, you blame it on the attackers without engaging on the substance of the allegation. And while the AP softened the tweet after a backlash, this echoed the coverage by a number of news outlets. Politico’s headline: "How The Right Toppled Harvard’s President."
Another time-tested technique is blaming whatever happened on racial or ethnic identity. It’s not the offense, it’s the demonizing of the victim.