Network silence: ABC, CBS, NBC skip Jay Jones text scandal
The Democratic candidate for Virginia’s attorney general race, Jay Jones, is facing scrutiny after text messages from 2022 resurfaced, showing him sending derogatory and violent messages about Republican former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his family. But the story’s reach — and what the public knows about it — depends heavily on which media outlets chose to cover it, and which largely stayed silent.
Some text messages included references to Gilbert hypothetically getting shot and described his children in inflammatory terms. After the texts came to light, Jones apologized, calling his remarks “regretful” and asserting that violent rhetoric has no place in politics. Polling shows that Jones’ lead over Republican incumbent Jason Miyares dropped from six points to just one point following the revelations.
Bias by omission
Media coverage of the scandal highlighted patterns of bias by omission. While right-leaning outlets, such as Fox News and Newsmax, extensively covered the texts, many left-leaning networks chose not to air the story. This selective reporting reflects a broader trend in which editorial decisions shape public awareness, echoing previous instances pointed out on Bias Breakdown, such as the lack of coverage by some right-leaning outlets of the Jeffrey Epstein story. Virginia’s status as a purple state adds stakes to this story, making the media’s role in informing voters particularly consequential.
Journalists covering political scandals have emphasized the importance of accountability. Grace Ashford, a New York Times reporter who first exposed the fabrications of former Republican Rep. George Santos, noted that media attention can bring both notoriety and accountability, highlighting the responsibility that journalists hold in deciding which stories to report.
“I think the trick is remembering to ask why you are writing the story — whether it reveals corruption, criminality or a broken system — or if it is simply for the spectacle, Ashford told NBCU Academy. “We control framing, narrative, inclusion, exclusion.”
The Jones case underscores how patterns of omission and selective amplification can influence public understanding, showing that media bias is not always about what is said, but also about what is left unsaid.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
