NBC News' Ben Collins Says 'It Is Insane Being a Character in People's Imaginations'

As Twitchy reported earlier this week, NBC News “dystopia beat” reporter Ben Collins, who “covers disinformation, extremism and the internet,” was triggered when mainstream newspapers like the New York Times took the bait and published pieces about Harvard President Claudine Gay’s plagiarism scandal. They were just playing right into Christopher Rufo’s hands. Collins didn’t even call it a plagiarism scandal or “duplicative language” — instead it was “internal politicking” and not newsworthy.

Please, newspapers, I must know more about internal politicking at Harvard University. Put more reporters on it. My need to know who is internally popular at the executive level of one college is insatiable. It is the most important thing in the world.

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) December 21, 2023

Another “journalist” who doesn’t want a legitimate news story published. The media will decide what you should care about.

Reason senior editor Robby Soave noted Collins’ tweets about mainstream outlets taking Rufo’s right-wing bait:

Misinformation cops want you to ignore obvious examples of plagiarism committed by Harvard’s President Claudine Gay because… reasons?

Beware the gatekeepers of misinformation who pretend that it is somehow in everybody’s best interest if accurate information is kept quiet—and… pic.twitter.com/FvFzzgKDzn

— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) December 21, 2023

“… and who disdain other reporters for breaking ranks.”

Nate Silver weighed in:

It’s just kinda crazy to me how obviously and self evidently partisan some of these “misinformation reporters” are, in ways that cause tangible harm to journalism. https://t.co/cZcJ7qYfDS

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) December 22, 2023

Silver is obviously obsessed with Collins.

I want to make it clear: I have never met or really even considered this man and yet he constantly tweets about me. It is insane being a character in people’s imaginations, and it’s even weirder being the first harbinger of every Gen Xer’s slide into reactionary politics. https://t.co/gGw1W0nR59

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) December 22, 2023

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It’s also weird because of how much power people like Nate think I have over newsrooms. They think people like me run the place. The truth is the opposite. Tucker Carlson accused my colleague on this beat of “running the world” earlier this week. Fantastical imaginations.

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) December 22, 2023

Run the place? We have no idea what you do there. As far as we can tell from the NBC News website, you publish a piece two or three times a year.

If he did run the place, though, you wouldn’t be hearing “misinformation” like the Harvard plagiarism scandal.

It is hilarious that he didn’t mention you, but you knew immediately that his very accurate condemnation was referring to you. 😂😂

— GayLumberjack (@gay_lumberjack) December 22, 2023

Completely on point – Go to the “I’m living rent-free in their heads” take so you don’t have to address the legitimate criticisms.

— TheVesuvian (@TheVesuvian) December 22, 2023

Nothing in your tweet was a response to this substantive critique of you, an alleged journalist, ignoring a massive story because of partisan / identity politics @oneunderscore__

— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) December 22, 2023

You are identifiably harming the brand of news journalism by being a partisan hack. Nate Silver is worried about democracy and the public’s well-founded cynicism in the decay of its vital institutions.

It’s not about you, manchild.

— HeterodorxPodcast🍂🧑‍🦳 (@heterodorx) December 22, 2023

Seems like you’re having a meltdown. Have you tried deleting your account?

— Imri Jonas Merritt (@ImriJonas) December 22, 2023

Nate was one of the leading pollsters for the last 4 elections, but you’ve never considered him? You’re telling me you covered politics for the last 2 decades, and you never stumbled upon anything on 538? This sounds like the comeback of a middle schooler. Take the L, you hack.

— Mike Daitch (@mikedaitch) December 22, 2023

I want to make this clear: you are a malignant narcissist

— Paul 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 (@pypolk) December 22, 2023

You’re missing the point, of course. No one needs to imagine you or your shameless hackery, you proudly put it on display for all to see.

— Joanne Mason (@JoanneMason11) December 22, 2023

It’s not personal, your bias is just obvious.

— IntoTheVoid (@Helloecho12) December 22, 2023

Gee, it’s almost like seeing how one side is lying on a regular basis and going, “Welp, those guys might just be the baddies” is somehow harmful to journalism.

That thing where, you know, the truth is important.

— Jesse ‘Physics Trincarnate Out Now!’ Pohlman (@JPohlmanWriting) December 22, 2023

It’s weird that you think the problem isn’t you openly lobbying for a clear story about plagiarism at a major University not to be covered because it benefits people you disagree with politically, but that people like @NateSilver538 noticed and objected to you doing so. https://t.co/MRGgIYQy85

— AG (@AGHamilton29) December 22, 2023

It’s weird that Collins’ colleagues on the Left seem to think they need to protect Harvard’s president even though she’s been proven to be a serial plagiarist. Why are progressives so upset about her academic dishonesty being outed? Where’s the “misinformation” or “extremism”?

Collins is just upset that Christopher Rufo had a hand in it.

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