MSNBC host Chuck Todd said Wednesday that when it comes to misinformation about the new federal health care law, don’t expect members of the media to correct the record.
During a segment on “Morning Joe,” former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) speculated that most opponents of the Affordable Care Act have been fed erroneous information about the law. Todd said that Republicans “have successfully messaged against it” but he disagrees with those who argue that the media should educate the public on the law. According to Todd, that’s President Barack Obama’s job.
“But more importantly, it would be stuff that Republicans have successfully messaged against it,” Todd told Rendell. “They don’t repeat the other stuff because they haven’t even heard the Democratic message. What I always love is people say, ‘Well, it’s you folks’ fault in the media.’ No, it’s the President of the United States’ fault for not selling it.”
The health care law has long been shrouded in misinformation, a point that Obama himself made in an interview Tuesday with Telemundo. A poll Tuesday showed that support for the law among Republicans was higher when called by the Affordable Care Act, its official title, rather than “Obamacare,” a term used derisively by Republicans that has gained widespread usage.
States have begun airing television advertisements to raise public awareness on the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces, known as “exchanges,” which will be available beginning Oct. 1.
Todd took to Twitter later in the morning to argue that his actual point was that “folks shouldn’t expect media” to do what the White House has failed to do in its rollout of the health care law.
Somebody decided to troll w/mislding headline: point I actually made was folks shouldn’t expect media to do job WH has FAILED to do re: ACA
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) September 18, 2013
This post has been updated.
Late Update: Todd again explained his comments on Twitter Wednesday evening:
I was NOT saying it isn’t job of journos to call out lies, I said it was not job of media to sell WH’s health care message, it is WH’s job
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) September 18, 2013
