WEEKLY GOLDEN QUISLING (Media)
Winner: NBC News Date: November 7, 2025 Reason: Normalizing unconstitutional "War Department" rhetoric while abandoning journalistic duty to contextualize and question.
Today, The Salem Fireextinguisher names NBC News as the Weekly Golden Quisling for its systematic legitimization of executive overreach. While other outlets maintain at least minimal critical distance, NBC has enthusiastically repackaged propaganda as news judgment.
Statement of facts (past 9 days):
- NBC News repeatedly used "War Department" terminology in headlines and chyrons without legal qualification or context (Oct 30-Nov 6)
- Their October 30th primetime interview allowed Hegseth to claim the rebranding was "already in effect" without correction
- November 3rd broadcast described Pentagon press credentialing changes as "updated access requirements" rather than politically-motivated loyalty tests
- November 5th panel discussion featured three commentators debating "implementation challenges" rather than constitutional questions
- News division leadership defended coverage as "reflecting administration terminology" in internal memo leaked November 6th
When media voluntarily abandons its adversarial stance to become a stenography service, it's no longer engaged in journalism but in public relations. NBC News didn't just lower the bar—they buried it.
MONTHLY GOLDEN QUISLING (Institutional Failure)
Winner: The American Bar Association Date: November 7, 2025 Reason: Institutional silence in the face of unprecedented attacks on constitutional order and judicial independence.
This month's Golden Quisling goes to the American Bar Association for their studied neutrality while the legal foundation of democratic governance comes under direct assault. Their silence isn't just failure—it's complicity with historical weight.
Statement of facts (timeline & institutional response):
- The ABA issued no official statement condemning the "Trump University Loyalty Oath" targeting research universities despite clear First Amendment implications
- When directly questioned about Pentagon press credentialing changes, they released only a vague statement about "balancing national security and press freedom" (Oct 18)
- ABA leadership declined to publicly oppose the administration's threats to remove federal judges who rule against executive orders, claiming it would be "inappropriate to comment on specific cases" (Oct 24)
- The organization has restructured its Judicial Independence committee to focus on "administrative efficiency" rather than defending judges under political pressure (Nov 1)
The rule of law requires institutional defenders. When the nation's premier legal organization chooses silence as its response to constitutional crisis, it signals to every other institution that compliance is the safest path.
IN MEMORIAM: CBS NEWS (1927-2025)
Funeral Service for a Once-Respected News Organization
Today we gather to mourn CBS News, which has completed its transformation from journalistic institution to propagandistic entity. After repeated Golden Quisling awards, we are officially retiring CBS from competition—not as recognition of improvement, but acknowledgment of terminal decline.
Final Moments (Last 9 Days):
- November 1: CBS Morning News ran a 12-minute segment on the "War Department" transition featuring only administration officials, with zero opposing voices or legal context
- November 2: Evening broadcast described university oath refusals as "academic institutions declining federal partnership opportunities"
- November 3: Pentagon correspondent reported exclusively from "approved" sources while omitting mention of credential restrictions
- November 4: Featured "analysis" claiming judicial pushback represents "unprecedented obstruction" without historical context
- November 5: Executives installed a known MAGA loyalist as executive producer for national security coverage
- November 6: Fired three senior producers who objected to new editorial guidelines requiring "balanced treatment" of administration claims regardless of factual basis
CBS News is survived by its corporate shell, stockholders, and viewers who have yet to notice its passing. In lieu of flowers, please donate to local independent journalism and media literacy programs.
"Somewhere between Edward R. Murrow and the present, the lights went out. We just took too long to admit the room had gone dark."
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