At a press conference regarding the national response to Ebola today, or lack thereof, one unnamed reporter dared ask the question on everyone’s mind:
Will the State Dept. start an ice bucket challenge to raise awareness on Ebola?
A reporter just asked @marieharf why the State Department is not starting an Ice Bucket Challenge for Ebola
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) October 17, 2014
The question was posed on Friday to US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf, and prompted Twitter users to inquire if the reporter who asked the question was actually being serious.
@John_Hudson @marieharf Was that really a serious question?
— Benjamin Weinthal (@BenWeinthal) October 17, 2014
“Yep. Delivered with a straight face,” claimed Foreign Policy reporter John Hudson.
@BenWeinthal @marieharf Yep. Delivered with a straight face
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) October 17, 2014
Hudson could not name the reporter, but identified the person as a female, saying he’d “seen her at State briefings before.”
No, I don’t know the name of said reporter, but I’ve seen her at State briefings before
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) October 17, 2014
The unnamed reporter’s question sent stunned Twitter users reeling.
.@John_Hudson @celebrityhottub @marieharf dear baby jesus, tell me this a joke
— Wade (@TheVeritable) October 17, 2014
@John_Hudson @marieharf Good grief. I guess the next question will be, why hasn't State jump-started a hashtag campaign to fight Ebola?
— Benjamin Weinthal (@BenWeinthal) October 17, 2014
@John_Hudson @marieharf @ExumAM I presume you're using the word "reporter" for convenience, not accuracy.
— Jordan Snow (@jordansnow) October 17, 2014
The ridiculous inquiry shows how many in the complicit media are more concerned with trivial nonsense, like feel-good, viral social media campaigns, than with interrogating the feds with real questions, such as why the government still has not worked to halt connecting flights from Ebola-afflicted African hot zones.
With reporters asking “tough” questions such as these, it’s no wonder trust in mass media recently hit all time lows.
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