MSNBC’s “Hardball” host Chris Matthews argued, “the idea that so-called media in New York is somehow carrying on some campaign for Hillary Clinton is an absurdity” on Thursday.

Matthews, after playing GOP presidential candidate Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s criticism of the media, said, “Well, of course, that’s a joke, if you watched the Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton faced an onslaught of questions, tough ones, on everything from her emails, to her honesty, and her Iraq War vote.”

He added, “I think everybody watching right now knows the difference between opinion journalism and straight fact reporting. I mean, everybody, you pick up the newspaper, you go to the opinion page, you go to the op-ed page. You turn on the radio, you listen to opinion, you know the difference between Sean Hannity and Shepard Smith, everybody does. Everybody with an IQ knows the difference. To go after — the New York Times is not nice to Hillary Clinton. Maureen Dowd is not Hillary Clinton’s best friend. I mean, the idea that so-called media in New York is some how carrying on some campaign for Hillary Clinton is an absurdity, and people who believe it, either don’t pay attention or just are not simply being honest people to themselves about it.”

April Ryan, American Urban Radio Networks’ White House Correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief argued, “I think Hillary Clinton is being held to a higher standard, and she’s been in this process for quite a while. So, the media feels comfortable for going after her harder than we would with the regular person, Donald Trump, or Ben Carson, or maybe even a Marco Rubio. she has been around the presidency, the executive branch, the legislative branch, she’s been around it for quite a while. And I believe that Anderson Cooper had the best, this is my personal opinion, he had the best debate, because he asked the tough questions and I do believe that the Fox debate for the Republicans was the second best debate there has been, with the fact that the reporters were asking the pointed questions. So, I believe that Hillary Clinton is held to a higher standard. I don’t think she’s getting a pass.”

(h/t Mediaite)

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