Letter: Hunter's laptop and a controlling press

Recently, I watched a YouTube video of people in Moscow being interviewed about the Ukrainian war. The interviewer showed pictures of bombed-out buildings in Ukraine and asked for a reaction. A few brave souls spoke out against the war and some refused to comment out of fear of reprisals. But most supported their president believing he was defending the country from the Ukrainians.

These folks thought the photos were faked. I was astounded by their overwhelming support for Putin. I guess I should not have been surprised considering the message most people received was from media outlets controlled by the Russian government.

I then contrasted this to the Hunter Biden laptop story. The New York Post first broke this story less than three weeks before the 2020 presidential election. Most of the press either ignored this story or labeled it as misinformation. The New York Times made no attempt to disprove or authenticate the laptop story, yet labeled it as Russian disinformation. Other major outlets participating in burying this story include CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Facebook, Twitter, Politico, etc.

Then there was the letter signed by 51 former intelligence officers stating "this has the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation." No proof, just a feeling; but this letter found its way in the mainstream media. I found it comical that The New York Times came out after 18 months and confirmed that the information on the laptop is authentic.

Had the media initially treated this story with the respect it deserved, would the 2020 election results have been the same? No one can say for certain. Can our press be as controlling as the Russian media? I say "yes at times," but you be your own judge.

Bob Gleason

Wheeling