Eric Boehlert /Pressrun.media

Eric Boehlert at Pressrun.media did some research on the sudden disappearance of CRT coverage in the media and got some interesting results.  The “critical race theory” phenom is a clear-cut example of media malpractice that is quite common but in this case was exposed because someone took the time to examine the data. Follow Eric Boehlert’s media commentary on  Pressrun.media and podcast  Sign up for the newsletter.  Follow on Twitter.

Whatever happened to critical race theory?

Just one month ago, the media bombarded news consumers with CRT coverage, announcing it had been the defining issue in the GOP’s surprise Virginia governor victory, and was likely going to sink Democrats nationwide during the 2022 midterms. All year, the press couldn’t be bothered with pointing out that CRT isn’t actually taught in public schools, and that the GOP’s hysterical campaign — it’s an attempt to “indoctrinate the kids” — was based on lies.

Yet suddenly, the topic seems to have disappeared into the ether. “No one is talking about CRT now that the election is over,” tweeted journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of the acclaimed 1619 Project. “That media stopped reporting this made-up controversy speaks to the complicity in the propaganda campaign.”

“It’s clear that following the election, conservatives and journalists came to the exact same conclusion at the exact same time about CRT. That’s because journalists spent most of this year simply regurgitating right-wing lies and refusing to highlight the obvious holes in the race-baiting allegations. (CRT is an academic framework taught at the college level that examines how systemic racism is ingrained in America’s history.)

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