Yesterday, self-described “International Journalist” Jim Clancy — who, if you’ll recall, was axed from CNN a few years ago following a bizarre anti-Israel rant — shared the shocking news that COVID19 cases in China are on the rise, despite what the Chinese government had said:

China's new coronavirus cases rise to near six-week high https://t.co/gMJiEL114P — Jim Clancy (@ClancyReports) April 13, 2020

D.C. communications strategist Drew Holden couldn’t help but be struck by Clancy’s tweet. You know, given the way American media have blindly and eagerly regurgitated ChiCom COVID19 propaganda:

It feels like just yesterday we were praising China for having beaten this thing and by “we” I mean the Chinese communist party propagandists and the American media. https://t.co/fDQZo4iFjG — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) April 14, 2020

Well, Clancy didn’t see it that way at all. According to him, most journalists were skeptical of the Chinese government’s reported COVID19 numbers right off the bat:

I don't think many journalists took Beijing's numbers at face value. But, of course, no one can take Donald Trump's (like Putin's) statements at face value, either. South Korea has been pretty open. — Jim Clancy (@ClancyReports) April 14, 2020

If many journalists didn’t take Beijing’s numbers at face value, they really could’ve fooled us.

Seriously, Jim, do you read the newspaper? — Arthur Boreman Once Held His Breath for 30 Seconds (@ArthurBoreman) April 14, 2020

Or watch the news? Or look at MSM websites?

I don’t think your first point is true — Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) April 14, 2020

It’s definitely not true.

A lot of journalists took China’s numbers at face value. — Taro Tsujimoto (@RCannon74) April 14, 2020

Holden’s got receipts:

And there are so many more examples where those came from.

As of when? Yesterday? They’ve been crowing how great China handled it compared to us for at least 2 months. pic.twitter.com/f6BA9RelPo — Hootyman (@TheHootyman) April 14, 2020

Just because Jim wasn’t paying attention doesn’t mean the rest of us weren’t.

Bitch, journalists have been using China's numbers to dunk on Trump well after it was obvious China was lying. You just discredited yourself. https://t.co/ZmO7WCYUOo — RBe (@RBPundit) April 14, 2020

***

Related:

Drew Holden’s got a pretty good idea why ChiComs are using American media for COVID19 propaganda and he lays it out in brutal thread [screenshots]