Here’s one for the “Journalism in 2017” time capsule. Read the given description of the following video clip of today’s Senate Intelligence Committe hearing on James Comey’s firing, from CNN reporter Daniella Diaz, and then watch the clip itself.

WARNER: Did Russia hack the election?

PANEL: Yes. https://t.co/47kqq69VmK — Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela) May 11, 2017

Oh, is that what happened? They all said Russia hacked the election? Let’s go to the transcript:

“Do you believe that the January 2017 intelligence community assessment accurately characterized the extent of Russian activities in the 2016 election, and its conclusion that Russian intelligence agencies were responsible for the hacking and leaking of information, and using misinformation, in order to influence our elections?”

That’s what they all said yes to. Not, “Did Russia hack the election?” Trying to influence an election is not hacking it. If that were the case, Dan Rather would be the greatest hacker of all time.

I don’t like what the Russians did. Hell, I hated the Russians even before the 2016 election, when hating the Russians wasn’t cool. But that doesn’t mean they hacked the election. They didn’t change any registered votes for Hillary into registered votes for Trump.

“The Russians hacked the election” isn’t shorthand. It’s not a term of art. It’s a lie. It didn’t happen.

If you’re that confident in your case, why do you need to lie?

Diaz is a CNN reporter, which explains why she’s pretending these guys said something they didn’t say. It’s not as if anybody she works with is going to correct her. Gotta get those damn Republicans, after all.