CNN mocked for 'rubbish' segment fretting over price increase on '12 gallons a week' of milk: 'Time to invest in a cow'
CNN's recent segment on inflation took a turn for the worst when Twitter users zeroed in on a key problem with the network's reporting. While inflation is a growing problem across the United States, social media users aren't sure one Texas family's milk struggle accurately represents what families are experiencing at the supermarket.
On Thursday, November 4, CNN's Brianna Keilar tweeted a clip of the segment as she highlighted a quote from the report: "A gallon of milk was $1.99.A gallon of milk was $1.99. Now it's $2.79. When you buy 12 gallons a week times four weeks, that's a lot of money."
"A gallon of milk was $1.99. Now it's $2.79. When you buy 12 gallons a week times four weeks, that's a lot of money."\n\n@EvanMcS goes grocery shopping with the Stotlers and shows us how badly inflation is hitting the middle class.pic.twitter.com/39hPPRHLja— Brianna Keilar (@Brianna Keilar) 1636026576
One user pushed back against the network's reporting, noting the family is more of an outlier as opposed to res of the average American family. "You spoke to a family with 9 kids?" Twitter user Scott Santens asked. "Because that's representative of a typical family?"
The user also noted the family is receiving money each month from the child tax credit, asking if the network mentioned the federal assistance the Stotlers receive in the news segment. "Did you discuss the $2250/mo (or more depending on ages) in CTC they are getting as parents now (and those of us without kids aren't) to help with basic child needs costs?"
You spoke to a family with 9 kids? Because that's representative of a typical family? Did you discuss the $2250/mo (or more depending on ages) in CTC they are getting as parents now (and those of us without kids aren't) to help with basic child needs costs?— Scott Santens \ud83e\udde2\u2b06\ufe0f\ud83c\udfc4\u200d\u2642\ufe0f (@Scott Santens \ud83e\udde2\u2b06\ufe0f\ud83c\udfc4\u200d\u2642\ufe0f) 1636032918
Timelines of inflation were also shared to show the true cost of milk over the last decade. Most posts indicate the cost of milk has been well over $3.00 per gallon for at least the last three to five years.
1. 12 gallons of milk per week is WAY too much milk.\n\n2. Milk prices have been fluctuating above $3 since 2018. https://ballotpedia.org/Milk_prices_by_state,_2018\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/Ie8diWDhuz— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@BrooklynDad_Defiant!) 1636036045
All I had to do was google it .....\n\nhttps://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/milk-prices-adjusted-for-inflation/\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/sl9rSqAwZo— Sarah Burris (@Sarah Burris) 1636042782
Average retail prices for conventional whole milk:\n\n2017 - $3.39\n2018 - $3.28\n2019 - $3.32\n2020 - $3.52\n2021 - $3.64\n\nhttps://www.ams.usda.gov/resources/marketing-order-statistics/retail-milk-prices\u00a0\u2026— Max Kennerly (@Max Kennerly) 1636031873
Did Kroger regularly sell milk for $1.99/gallon? According to USDA, the average in Dallas was $2.86 back in January and now it's $3.22 \u2014 a 15% increase; the nationwide average went from $3.57 to $3.60\n\nhttps://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/RetailMilkPrices.pdf\u00a0\u2026\n\nHere's a blog from 2019:\nhttps://clark.com/shopping-retail/aldi-kroger-walmart-best-grocery-store-prices/\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/7tTK7RBbqR— dan nguyen (@dan nguyen) 1636029969
Yeah but if you buy 36 gallons/day every singe day for your family that really adds up— Sam Riegel (@Sam Riegel) 1636037422
Others wondered how a family could go through so much milk, with one user suggesting, "if you're going through 12 gallons of milk a week it's time to invest in a motherfucking Cow."
oh hi are we talking large families and drinking 12 gallons of milk in a week today?? well, I'm from a family of 8 kids and my mom and I are calling bspic.twitter.com/QqiWJknWgO— Lyz Lenz (@Lyz Lenz) 1636033316
i'm sorry, 12 gallons of milk?https://twitter.com/brikeilarcnn/status/1456227125346832384\u00a0\u2026— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse) 1636030987
If you\u2019re going through 12 gallons of milk a week it\u2019s time to invest in a mothefucking Cow.— Tony Posnanski (@Tony Posnanski) 1636031680
