For years now, the press has treated “misinformation” as a kind of original sin—an ever-present threat to democracy that conveniently requires constant monitoring, censorship, and, when the mood strikes, gentle suggestions that the First Amendment is a little too generous. Manipulated media, deceptively edited videos, altered audio, contorted facts—these are the supposed horrors lurking just beyond the digital horizon, we’re told, and only the righteous vigilance of legacy journalism stands between the public and ruin.
That sermon, however, collapses the moment the misconduct comes from inside the pulpit.
When the BBC was caught engaging in blatant editing malpractice not long ago, it certainly made headlines. But the reaction from America’s self-appointed media referees was revealing. The outrage was muted, the hand-wringing conspicuously absent. Brian Stelter and others didn’t just downplay the offense—they rushed to contextualize, excuse, and defend it. Apparently, “misinformation” becomes a more flexible concept when practiced by the right people with the right politics.
Nicolle Wallace while showing AI-enhanced Pretti photo:
“Donald Trump and his administration are demanding once again that you do not believe your eyes and ears.”
Amazing. pic.twitter.com/dPojKj6QDw
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) January 27, 2026
Now the same pattern has reappeared, closer to home, and the silence from the press corps is louder than ever.
On MS NOW, Nicolle Wallace was covering the shooting death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. No one expected neutrality, and none was delivered. But what stood out wasn’t merely the framing of the story—it was the visual manipulation used to sell it. As Wallace launched into a blistering monologue aimed squarely at the Trump administration, the screen displayed a still image of Pretti. Viewers immediately noticed something was off.
The photo was familiar. It had circulated widely: an employee image from the hospital where Pretti worked. But the version shown by MS NOW was unmistakably altered. Pretti appeared more vibrant, more sculpted. His skin tone was warmer, his face fuller, his features subtly refined. Eyes brightened. Nose narrowed. Smile widened. The effect was not accidental and certainly not natural. This wasn’t color correction or broadcast formatting—it bore all the hallmarks of AI enhancement.
In short, a dead man’s image was digitally altered to heighten emotional impact and reinforce a political narrative. A martyr was manufactured.
MSNBC decided Alex Pretti is too ugly to be a martyr so they used AI to “fix him” pic.twitter.com/yei9kcLNEc
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 26, 2026
That alone would be troubling enough. But the moment crossed into grotesque absurdity when Wallace, while this manipulated image sat onscreen, accused President Trump and his administration of “demanding once again that you do not believe your eyes and ears.” The hypocrisy was staggering. In real time, viewers were being told not to trust their senses—while being presented with fabricated visual evidence.
This is projection in its purest form, and MS NOW has made an art of it. Accuse your opponents of the very behavior you’re practicing. Declare misinformation an existential threat—except when you’re the one deploying it. Then it becomes narrative framing, editorial judgment, or simply an unfortunate oversight.
What’s most revealing, though, is not Wallace’s conduct. It’s the reaction—or lack thereof—from the broader media ecosystem. Where are the fact-checkers? Where are the media critics? Where is the moral outrage from those who insist that manipulated media is poisoning the public square?
Nowhere to be found.
