Example of fake news

Mr. Masterson: Your Sunday review of Bernard Kerik’s Newsmax column about former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was pathetic. You didn’t mention Kerik’s conviction and imprisonment for accepting a bribe and his guilty pleas to eight felony tax and false statement charges that earned him a four-year federal prison sentence, or his subsequent pardon by Dear Leader. Those facts give some perspective about his motives and reliability.

Governor Greitens resigned under threat of impeachment and his self-described “exoneration” brings to mind the false claim that Dear Leader was exonerated by the Mueller Report. Greitens left office under threat of impeachment for campaign violations and faced an accusation that he attempted to blackmail his former hairstylist in an attempt to conceal his (later admitted) sexual relationship with her. You introduced Greitens as “exonerated,” “patriotic” and “hounded from office by bogus accusations” but you did not mention other sources that put into question Kerik’s motives for the piece, and you merely accepted his accusations against “the left” and “fake news media.”

Kerik, of course, left a lot out about Governor Greitens’ alleged misdeeds that led to his resignation from office, and you could’ve checked it out if you tried. It takes little time or effort to do that (Wikipedia is a good place to start), and isn’t that what newspapermen are supposed to do? To give the full story? Isn’t not doing so an example of “fake news”?

CHARLES MALLORY

Little Rock