The Brian Sicknick Case Shows How the Media Make Their Own Reality

Not a single journalist at America’s paper of record asked anyone with first-hand knowledge whether the late Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer, was bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher before they reported it. They took the word of “law enforcement officials.”

The initial Times report about Officer Sicknick’s death, from January 8, was paved over with caveats on February 12. In between that time, we got the big feature story that was premised on the original lie: “He Dreamed of Being a Police Officer, Then Was Killed by a Pro-Trump Mob.” That article, too, now has a note appended to the top: “New information has emerged.”