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Today In Bad Journalism

Doug Mataconis
6

A headline at The Hill claims that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg referred to South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham as one of the “Women Of The Senate”:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg appears to have been caught up in a gender-swapping snafu, mistakenly dubbing Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) one of the “women of the Senate.”

The 84-year-old Supreme Court justice delivered remarks at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania on Monday as she accepted the Prize for Civility in Public Life, honoring her and late Justice Antonin Scalia.

“Let’s hope members of Congress, the members Allegheny College has already honored — Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. John McCain [R-Ariz.] — the women of the Senate, Sens. Dianne Feinstein [D-Calif.] and Lindsey Graham — let’s hope that they and others of goodwill will lead in restoring harmonious work ways,” Ginsburg said during her acceptance speech.

Graham’s office didn’t return ITK’s request for comment about the gender blunder involving the 61-year-old senator.

Without listening to the audio, the obvious conclusion from the quote is that Ginsburg is clearly listing past winners of the award. In 2013, Graham was awarded the prize jointly with California Senator Dianne Feinstein. Other past winners include former Vice-President Joe Biden and Senator John McCain, In 2014, the award was giving to “the women of the Senate” and was accepted on their behalf by Maine Senator Susan Collins and former Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski.

There was no mistake here on Ginsburg’s part, just on the part of a reporter who didn’t do their homework.

 

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6 responses to “Today In Bad Journalism”

  1. al-Alameda Avatar
    al-Alameda

    Ruth Bader Ginsburg appears to have been caught up in a gender-swapping snafu, mistakenly dubbing Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) one of the “women of the Senate.”

    There was no mistake here on Ginsburg’s part, just on the part of a reporter who didn’t do their homework.

    So ridiculous, on so many levels.

    Brings to mind a similar occasion about 18 years ago when I was the only male among a group of six finance management people being acknowledged for our efforts on a project to finance an affordable senior housing complex.

    The speaker wrapped up by asking guests to give a ’round of applause for these women’. My reaction? Whatever. I didn’t care however the speaker was incredibly apologetic. Jeez, no harm no foul, no ill-intent.

  2. Doug Mataconis Avatar
    Doug Mataconis

    @al-Alameda:

    What’s pathetic here is that it took me all of a minute on Google to find the list of past winners and see the link to the year Graham and Feinstein were given the award.

    Lazy reporter.

  3. John Peabody Avatar
    John Peabody

    Lazy reporter, but that’s par for the course. It’s the editorial level of the media that has been hardest hit by the changing times. No one can afford or take the time for the simplest of cross-checking, or have someone with the barest of institutional knowledge stop blunders like this.

  4. Daryl's other brother Darryl Avatar
    Daryl’s other brother Darryl

    So very typical of a fourth estate that allows claims of Death Panels to stand, reports two sides of climate change and creationism, and gives Comb-over Donnie billions in free propaganda.

  5. Franklin Avatar
    Franklin

    Maybe she could have avoided all this by hand-signaling an Oxford comma.

  6. John Peabody Avatar
    John Peabody

    24 hours later, I’ve seen and heard this clip on several platforms. Everyone seems to agree that RBG is losing it, despite the fact she was likely simply reading a list of past winners. This is where we slam our heads against the wall (as surely her staff people are doing). When a news bit comes out that supports your idea, there is nothing, nothing that can dis-lodge it. I just implore people to think about this the next time you hear something ‘outrageous!’. Context is everything.

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