Bill Maher slams 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane for saying he's giving into Trump's strategy of undermining trust in journalists

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bill Maher recently took a jab at 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane, who accused him of playing into Donald Trump's wishes.

The heated exchange occurred when they were discussing media trustworthiness, and MacFarlane expressed that he had more faith in news organizations than Maher, as per the New York Post.

Seth MacFarlane explains why he chooses to trust journalists

MacFarlane began by broaching the topic of toxicity present in the comments sections on news sites. He used The New York Times as an example, pointing out how readers' impressions can be radicalized based on the slant of an article.

The animator defended journalists, emphasizing the research, fact-checking, and editorial supervision that goes into their work.

MacFarlane noted, "It’s like this reporter took the time to research this, to fact-check it, oversight from an editor. And if they got it wrong, then they have to print the retraction." 

However, Maher challenged this perspective by suggesting that some articles may be intentionally slanted. He argued, "What if it was just slanted? What if it was not wrong, it’s just slanted? That’s what somebody’s pointing out in the [comments]."

MacFarlane countered by encouraging individuals to "write to the editor" and conduct their own research to "formulate" their argument.  

Maher fired back, "But that appears a week later. By then, I would’ve forgotten it, or I don’t see it."

The 'Ted' producer went on to note that the work of journalists is taken for granted when they are placed on the "same shelf" as "everyone else’s spur-of-the-moment bulls**t."

This led the 'Real Time' host to express his lack of trust in journalists, asserting that he only sees half the truth in any source.

Maher pointed out, "You seem to trust journalists more than I do," to which MacFarlane responded, "I trust certain journalists, yeah." 

The late-night host stated, "Certain ones I do, not a lot," leading a shocked MacFarlane to ask, "Not a lot?"

"No," said Maher, adding, "Everything I read, whatever source, it’s only half the truth. They print the narrative. They don’t print truth."

Swiftly, MacFarlane chimed in, "That’s a generalization though, isn’t it?"

Seth MacFarlane accuses Bill Maher of furthering Donald Trump's strategy of undermining trust in the media

In a surprising turn, MacFarlane interrupted Maher by accusing him of playing into Trump's strategy of undermining trust in reporters and journalists as the host said the media tends to print "half the truth."

Maher rejected the comparison, stating, "Well, Hitler was a vegetarian. Doesn't mean I like Donald Trump." He argued that media outlets print information that aligns with their narratives, especially catering to readers who seek content that reinforces their beliefs, and dubbed MacFarlane a "partisan." 

This led the animator to joke about him reading John Bolton's book to prove his lack of partisanship. Rep Adam Schiff, another panelist, contributed to the discussion, stating that people tend to consume news that aligns with their existing views, emphasizing the media's role in audience-stroking.

Ultimately, the exchange highlighted the ongoing debate about media trustworthiness, with Maher and MacFarlane expressing divergent opinions on the motives and practices of journalists.

Maher concluded, "They’re in the audience-stroking business. That’s what the media does."