It’s true: Tufekci’s commentaries are remarkably sharp almost all the time. Except for one serious doozy: her on-the-spot reporting from the airport was decisive in getting the NYT to give credence to Erdogan’s Truman Show “coup.” It was clear at the time that his smattering of excitement and access was aimed precisely at the NYT and CNN — so much so that I suspect the airport antics were staged for her benefit. (If that seems crazy, ask yourself why CNN was able to broadcast real-time location data on Erdogan’s jet while he was flying around accompanied by two fighters.) If those two outlets hadn’t fallen for it, the threadbare events would have received much more skepticism and scrutiny. But their breathless coverage set the tone, and the rest of the world media followed — paving the way for jaw-dropping purges of “sympathizers” that gutted the Turkish government, military, and civil society.
(NYT)