Media

The Curious Story of Taylor Lorenz … and Belated Concerns of the Washington Post

There is a rather curious controversy brewing over one of the Washington Post’s most controversial writers, Taylor Lorenz. The “tech columnist” for the Post has drawn continual criticism over public meltdowns and alleged doxxing. However, the Post seemed to value her notoriety…until she posted a picture of President Joe Biden with “war criminal” on it. Lorenz appeared to suggest that others added those words before various mainstream media outlets contradicted her account. She is now denying that she denied it was her words and the Post is investigating. What is most curious, however, is what it takes for the Post to investigate alleged false claims by its columnists.

Lorenz posted the image during the White House Creator Economy Conference with the President. Many on the left have characterized Biden as a “war criminal” for his stance on Gaza.

Mainstream media outlets reported the posting by a prominent Post columnist in echoing the criticism of Biden.

Lorenz then responded by seemingly denying that she posted the words, chiding others on X that “[y]ou people will fall for any dumbass edit someone makes.”

Many outlets then covered the story that Lorenz was denying the post. However, that produced a torrent of skepticism from even liberal outlets. For example, NPR ran a story that verified that the photo and “war criminal” caption were real:

NPR has obtained a screengrab of Lorenz’s actual post, which contained that caption. … Four people with direct knowledge of the private Instagram story confirmed its authenticity to NPR. They spoke to NPR on condition they not be identified due to the professional sensitivity of the situation for Lorenz.

After the NPR and other stories questioned her account, Lorenz publicly issued her denial of the earlier denial. She tweeted that “I literally never ‘denied it was real.’” She added “Yeah that’s saying they’re falling for (charitable view) something that’s an obvious meme reference by taking it seriously. Please don’t put words in my mouth[.]”

So now, the Post is looking into it.

For some of us, the controversy only adds to the uncertainty over the current standards at the Post. For example, there is apparently no problem in a White House Post reporter supporting government censorship of Donald Trump as an “America issue.”

Likewise, the Post has publicly stood with reporters who have repeatedly published false claims and conspiracy theories. Take Philip Bump, who had a meltdown in an interview when confronted over past false claims. After I wrote a column about the litany of such false claims, the Post surprised many of us by issuing a statement that they stood by all of Bump’s reporting, including false columns on the Lafayette Park protests, Hunter Biden laptop and other stories.  That was long after other media debunked the claims, but the Post stood by the false reporting.

There was no announced or apparent investigation into those claims, or similar alleged false or misleading claims by political or legal columnists. Many of those past controversies involved false claims directed against former president Donald Trump.

The future of Taylor Lorenz is hardly a weighty question for American journalism. However, the lack of consistency on these issues is a matter of concern, particularly as the Post tries to come to grips with falling readership and revenue.

 

 

 

135 thoughts on “The Curious Story of Taylor Lorenz … and Belated Concerns of the Washington Post”

  1. Here is Thomas Sowell – from his excellent text book “Basic Economics” on Price controls.

    I would emphasize to those of you on the left – that in a free market a price is a signal – communication. And that signal contains properly weighted ALL the information necescary for a buyer and sellor to make a decision whether to complete an exchange.

    Anything you do to interfere with prices from outside the markets -such as government – distorts the information and makes free markets less efficient – lowering standard of living.

    The exact negative impact of bad economic policies is often byt not always predictable – Nixon’s wage and price freeze did halt inflation – but it cause shortages and had it continued would have been a massive disaster, and the moment the freeze was ended inflation came roaring back on steroids.

    https://youtu.be/cr8fhqb6MO8

    1. Allow me to summarize for you:  Price controls are illicit and unconstitutional. 

      The only question is:  Where is the impartial Supreme Court, the Justices of which swore an oath to support the literal Constitution? 

      No power to control or direct any free enterprise, design, engineering, manufacture, products, wages, prices, markets, or any other aspect of commerce other than the “flow” of buying and selling among nations, States, and Indian tribes is enumerated in Article 1, Section 8, or elsewhere in the Constitution.

  3. *LORETTA

    Google Lorenz– anti Israel so war criminal fits the Palestinian or Gaza narrative. She has been rhreatened with death, doxxed etc and has PTSD because of it. She wears a face mask in public due to an immune problem.

    Bout it.

  4. Seriously: that chick is a straight up psycho. She is all the evidence we need that great many like her are simply not well, and that isn’t hyperbole. Their mentality is a very large part of the reason we are where are in terms of the entropy of our society. She, her associates, and her employers deserve *all* the scorn.

    1. Hey Dennis McIncrier

      I wrapped up my weekend by going 6 strong innings in the rubber game of our 3 game semifinal series. Giving up on 3 runs on six hits. On to the finals of the Atlanta Mens Senior Baseball League Playoffs.

      I then went home and crashed on the couch and watched Bryson Dechambeau and President Trump shot a 50 in a two man scramble. Thats 22 under par for 18 holes for you. Remember when you claimed Trump couldn’t play golf well because you already it in Media-ite?

      Why dont you go check it out and watch Trump hit 13 out of 14 fairways, get inside Bryson on 3 of the 4 par 3’s, and hit a 220 yard driver to within 4 feet of the cup on a par 4.

      It should soothe that TDS a little.

      PS – I’m sorry you dont have a life

  5. Jonathan: To wrap up the weekend what has DJT been talking over the last few days? It’s all doom and gloom. “If you don’t vote for me there will be a 1929-style crash”. Fear mongering is DJT’s stock in trade. He actually wants the economy to crash if he loses–so millions will be put out of work to justify his lust for power. DJT made the same dire prediction in 2020 when he was running against Joe Biden. DJT claimed the economy would crash if Biden was elected. So what actually happened after Biden/Harris came into office? The stock market was at about 20,000 when DJT left office. Where is it today? At about 40,000–almost 50% higher. By almost every metric the economy is stronger today than it was under DJT.

    Now DJT claims he is a “stable genius” when it comes to business–and that’s why a lot of voters gave him their vote in 2016. They actually believed him. Was there any reason to trust DJT’s business acumen back then or now? The record speaks for itself. DJT has filed for bankruptcy at least 4 times. His list of business failures to too long to cite here. Since leaving office DJT’s companies in NY have been found guilty of criminal fraud and he is liable for almost $500 million in civil fraud. In addition, DJT is now a “convicted felon”–found guilty on 34 counts of business fraud and election interference.

    And the above doesn’t include DJT’s failure in the social media business. The stock price of Trump Media has dropped 50% since going public. The only people propping up the stock now are the true believers–Mr. & Mrs. Magadonian who lost a lot of stock value when DJT decided it was in his self-interest to get back on Twitter/X. If DJT loses the election they will take it in the shorts! And the above doesn’t include all the criminal cases still pending against DJT. The only reason DJT is running a second time is to stay out of prison!

    Now if I called you and asked your to hire a guy with DJT’s track record would you consider hiring him–for anything? As a “convicted felon” DJT couldn’t get a job as a barrista at Starbuck’s! But some on your blog, Jon, still think DJT is the second coming. Even you continue to defend DJT in your columns. So what gives?

    1. ” To wrap up the weekend what has DJT been talking over the last few days? It’s all doom and gloom. “If you don’t vote for me there will be a 1929-style crash”.
      Not likely. There is near certain to be a recession – we are likely already in it. It is unlikely to be as bad as 2008, but still a recession.
      There are LOTS of serious economic problems globally – many of those caused by combinations of bad policies across the world and the consequences of Bad US policies under Biden/Harris. We do not know when the Chinese economy is going to collapse – but we know that it is going to – and that will be very bad for the world.

      Are Harris’s economic policies so bad as to cause a depression ? Unlikely. Depressions and recessions are caused by bad monetary policy.
      Spending money that you do not have and then financing it by printing money is a pretty bad monetary error. But Depressions are normally cauysed by government driven malinvestment that results in a massive market collapse when when demand disappears – that is what occurred in 2008 and in 1929. It is possible that Harris could cause another housing bubble – but that would still likely take nearly 10 years to cause a crash. It is certain that Harris’s policies will drive housing prices up – that is all subsidies EVER do.

      A harris presidency will be bad – if she is able to do what she promises, prices will go up – there will be shortages. Growth will stall,
      Unemployment will rise – but not to the level seen in the great depression. So Trump is exagerating.

      But he is not wrong – Harris is a huge economic disaster.

      As too doom and gloom – you left wing nuts have been proclaming the end of democracy as we know it if Trump wins.
      That is fear mongering and utter nonsense. It is not possible, and no one is trying to do it – except you.

      Isn’t it the left that just schiff canned all its primary voters ? What could be more antidemocratic ?

      ” Fear mongering is DJT’s stock in trade.”
      Most politicians do it – democrats have been doing it through my lifetime – I guess you have forgotten LBJ’s Daisy add ?
      But you have been especially prone to fear mongering with Trump.

      I watched some tattoed and pierced 20 something tell reporters that if Trump was elected she would not be able to get more peircings and tattos. While it was self evident that someone should have suggested that to her several years ago, it is also utter nonsense.
      Even if Trump wanted to – which he does not, tattos and peircings are covered by state law.

      “He actually wants the economy to crash if he loses–so millions will be put out of work to justify his lust for power.”
      No – while few others are predicting depression – there are always some. the indicators are 70:30 that we are either in or entering recession.

      No one WANTS that – though it was inevitable once we had inflation – the cure to inflation is recession, which is why we should take great efforts to avoid inflation.

      When Obama was elected I prayed that he would do the right things economically – or that everything I knew to be true about economics was wrong. Neither of those prayers were answered. Economically Obama was the worst US president since Nixon – though only slightly worse than Bush. Biden had the opportunity to coast to tremendous success and has managed to make himself the worst president in my lifetime, possibly the worst in US history.

      As to Harris – if Democrats sweep congress and she and they keep her campaign promises – we can expect an economic situaltion far worse than Biden.

      Trump is correct that she is following much the same pattern as Chavez. But even Chavez was not able to totally destroy Venezuela in 4 years – it has taken decades to bring Venezuela from #4 GDP/PPP per capita in the world to #169.

      And I do not think the US is the same as Venezuela – I do not think Harris would be allowed to do the scale of damage she seems intent on.

      That does not mean things would be good.

      No one wants the recession that is here or coming. No one wants the economy to tank.

      But bad economic policies – government mistakes and meddling cause that.

      We are not obligated to stick our heads in the sand and pretend, that things are good when they are not.

      Regardless, Trump’s predictions are not a wish, they are a warning. While Harris is not going to cause another depression – she is going to be worse than Biden economically – and that is even if Republicans control the house and Senate.

      Bad policies produce bad results.
      Warning people not to elect stupid is not fear mongering – it is truth telling.
      No one wants the economy that Harris will bring – even if it is NOT a great depression. It still will not be good.

      Warning people that Harris is an economic disaster is not wishing for her to fail.

      If she is elected I will pray exactly as I did in 2008. But I have no hope those prayers will be answered – Harris’s policies are much worse than Biden’s they are even worse than Obama’s and those would pretty poor.

      ” DJT made the same dire prediction in 2020 when he was running against Joe Biden. DJT claimed the economy would crash if Biden was elected.”
      Correct. Trump exagerated.

      ”
      So what actually happened after Biden/Harris came into office? The stock market was at about 20,000 when DJT left office”
      The DJIA was at approximately 33,000 on Jan 20, 2021 and rising.
      “Where is it today? At about 40,000–almost 50% higher”
      New Math ?

      The stock market was at 20,000 on Jan 20, 2017 – it had risen to 33,000 by Jan 20, 2021

      . By almost every metric the economy is stronger today than it was under DJT. That is an increas of more than 65 %.
      The stock market went from 33,000 to 40,000 under Biden that is an increase of 21% – that is remarkably almost exactly the amount of inflation we have had – and Absolute stock prices are effected by inflation, in fact you can calculate inflation by subtracting the real change in GDP/PPP per person from the nominal change in GDP/PPP per person.

      “Now DJT claims he is a “stable genius” when it comes to business–and that’s why a lot of voters gave him their vote in 2016. They actually believed him. Was there any reason to trust DJT’s business acumen back then or now? The record speaks for itself. DJT has filed for bankruptcy at least 4 times. His list of business failures to too long to cite here. Since leaving office DJT’s companies in NY have been found guilty of criminal fraud and he is liable for almost $500 million in civil fraud. In addition, DJT is now a “convicted felon”–found guilty on 34 counts of business fraud and election interference.”
      And his net worth in 2016 is about 1/4 of what it is now.
      Lots of people who take risks go bankrupt on occasion. Trump has had many many businesses.
      WaPo, NYT, would likely be bankrupt but for Billionaires keeping them afloat.

      I would note that Trump is inarguably a genius. On average a successful business person has an IQ of 120.
      That does not mean someone who has never gone bankrupt. It means someone who has through business succeeded in the long run.
      That would mean people who start businesses from scratch that are worth several million after 40 years.
      People who succeed in business Multiple times have even higher IQ’s Thje lowest reasonable estimate for Trump’s IQ is about 135.
      I was surprised to learn that Biden’s IQ (before dementia) was estimated at 110 – which makes him either the lowest or one of the lowest IQ presidents ever.

      You cited NY nonsense – the real jury acqutted. So does reality. As is typical on the left – you mangle words.
      Fraud is a property crime. It requires Real tangible harm to others.

      I know the left likes to think of anything that produces an outcome they do not like as fraud – but hurt feelings are not fraud. Thinking that you lost something that never was yours is not fraud.

      There was no fraud in either the enmoron case or the merchan case – because no one lost anything from lies that did not happen.

      You keep pounding on this nonsense as if you could use a hammer to drive it into peoples heads.

      Unlike the collusion delusion or the Hunter Biden laptop – Nearly everyone has know from the beginging the ACTUAL facts of these cases,
      and they have rejected the decsions of those courts. They did not do so becuase they do not know the facts.

      They knew everything and more than the judge or jury and they decided the case correctly – unlike the judge and jury.
      Your not going to persuade people by ranting things they already know and have rejected as dishonest lawfare and election interferance.

      I am hoping that Merchan is as stupid as you want and imposes a custodial sentence on Trump.

      “And the above doesn’t include DJT’s failure in the social media business. The stock price of Trump Media has dropped 50% since going public. ”
      DJT opened at ( and it is currently at 23 – it has been as high as 75. it has been as low as 12. it has been averaging in the upper 20’2

      “The only people propping up the stock now are the true believers”
      So don’t buy the stock.

      “Mr. & Mrs. Magadonian who lost a lot of stock value when DJT decided it was in his self-interest to get back on Twitter/X.”
      Correct – Truth and therefore DJT lost a couple of Billion – far more than the NYC courts have hit him with by appearing on Twitter/X and increasing his chances of winning the election.

      I am sure he would appear on FB and Google if they would offer him a fair interview – or possibly even a not so fair one.

      “If DJT loses the election they will take it in the shorts!”
      ? If Trump loses the election he will be available exclusively on Truth again and the stock will rise.

      Regardless, as YOU are saying – Trump being exclusively on Truth and non-exclusively on Truth is worth about 10pts in the price of Truth stock. That means it is about as low as it will go.

      ” And the above doesn’t include all the criminal cases still pending against DJT.”
      Only because they have not been thrown out yet.
      E Jean Carrol will have her award slashed – If Trump is willing to settle – she will settle for a tiny portion on unfavorable terms, otherwise though it may take years – the case will be trown out – just like the Guliani case and even the Alex Jones case.

      Enmoron will be tossed – he has violated the 6th amendment, and NY constitution, The law that James prosecuted can only have a non-jury trail because the law does not allow more than deminimus penalties. Ignoring that like Merchan Enmoron INGNORED the fact that SCOTUS has already required that civil and criminal fraud, state and federal fraud MUST have a victim who suffers a tangible loss.
      You do not get to make anything you want into a crime – especially a felony – and that is why the jury of voters is ignoring your NYS nonsense.
      They KNOW what actual crimes are.

      GA is DOA – aside from the fact that if Willis surives without getting prosecuted herself, and remains DA – which is unlikely,
      the remaining charges will get tossed as a result of the immunity decision.

      DC is DOA. Smith has myriads of problems – while the 11th ct of appeal MIGHT reverse Cannon – if they do that will be appealed and SCOTUS is going to uphold cannon she has correctly found TWO large constitutional violations that SCOTUS has been consistent about for decades.

      If Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional in FL it is in DC. Again that will likely have to go to the supreme court – but unless the case is dropped – it will.

      Further Smith has lost half his charges BEFORE having to deal with the fact that he is going to have to re-assess everything to hold onto those 2 that are left.
      First they are weak to non-existant without the 1512C claims, next they have a first amendment defense. Further both charges are unconstitutionally vague, and finally – Smith did NOT do proper immunity analysis – he likely has to try to re-indict with a new grad jury and all inadmissible evidence tossed.

      The fact is he has no case.

      ” The only reason DJT is running a second time is to stay out of prison!”

      In correct – the only reason Trump is facing this lawfare – is because he is running.
      You idiots ignored all of this – until it was Clear Trump was running.

      “Now if I called you and asked your to hire a guy with DJT’s track record would you consider hiring him–for anything?”
      Yes, Most any actual business man would Die to be able to benefit from the business advice of someone with Trump’s track record.

      ” As a “convicted felon” DJT couldn’t get a job as a barrista at Starbuck’s!”
      Nor would he take one.

      One of the other problems with your – “would you hire Trump” is The most successful people – are not hired by anyone. They work for themselves. They would never consider working for you or starbucks.

      “But some on your blog, Jon, still think DJT is the second coming.”
      Yes, we are approaching the 2nd coming of … Trump. Not Jesus, not even Reagan. Just Trump.
      Not great – but much better than Harris or Biden.

      ” Even you continue to defend DJT in your columns. So what gives?”
      What gives is that Turley is defending the law and constitution, and YOU are on the wrong side of it.

      Has nothing to do with Trump.

      1. Thank you, John. You saved me several paragraphs of typing. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

    2. This is actually parody is actually based on the Hillary Lie that Benghazi was about a youtube video.

      But it is perferctly appropriate – it points out how the left goes bonkers and violent over their OWN Lies. And that they want to censor things because THEY are triggered to violence.

      https://youtu.be/pQaU1uNcuos

    7. Here is a Reason parody that goes after Trump is 2017. It does point out some of the hypocracy in the changing views on the right,
      But it also points out how studio so many of the claims about Trump proved. Trump was impeached twice because he is NOT a statist.

      https://youtu.be/c5wn8zn5fF8

    10. lol. You obviously have TDS. Calling this economy ‘strong’ is extreme propaganda. We are printing 1 trillion dollars every 100 days to pay the INTEREST on our debt. The vast amount of jobs being created are by the government. 62% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. 28% of Americans have less than $1000 dollars in savings. Roughly, 8.4 million Americans have to work 2 jobs or more to pay their bills, the highest level since the pandemic.
      But ya, the economy is great according to you and your cult. Real working people know what is happening to them.

  6. To quote Joe Friday: “just the facts.”

    When I read a news report, that is the only thing I am concerned about. I don’t care to read about the opinions of the reporter presenting the story. I also don’t care about the presentation of an event and how it affects a “narrative” being spread by either a political party or its leaders.

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