Jackson and Obama: The “Delay”…
The LA Times’ Matea Gold writes about the Jackson live mic incident…
Fox News held the footage of Jackson’s remarks for three days before showcasing it as an exclusive on its top-rated program. A network executive said the delay was related to the holiday weekend as well as a desire to be cautious about the controversial material.
The holiday weekend is to blame? News takes a holiday on FNC? Is that it? Or was it, people are on vacation during the holiday weekend so the eyes won’t be there to give FNC a ratings boost? Who knows. The holiday excuse doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, unless it pertains to getting the decision makers at FNC to make a decision. But that then raises the spectre of FNC chain of command going into dysfunction mode all because of a holiday weekend.
And what’s to be cautious about? It’s news. Jackson said it. And he tried to hide saying it by whispering. It’s not FNC’s fault Jackson said it on their tape. Jackson is completely and entirely to blame for this mess. Not FNC. So being cautious is just plain silly. Since when did FNC get skittish about a story of national import?
Update: Tamron Hall on MSNBC just asked Jackson when he found out his words were on tape and he said “Yesterday”. But how did he find out?
July 10, 2008 at 6:14 am
I guess if billo was on vacastion news does take a holiday on fnc, thing i dont get is, why did they have to wait till Billo was on to actualy show the tape?
he must need those viewers lol
July 10, 2008 at 7:19 am
not positive on this, but we all know that bill LOVES jesse… vendictive?
July 10, 2008 at 7:43 am
Wait, wait, wait…
How is this Billy’s fault? Why is the story being twisted?
Jackson said what he said.
Jackson did go on CNN and apologize for it, BEFORE Fox aired it.
AND- Did anyone catch Sharpton on AC360 last night?
Someone has to have the video. It was the strangest answer to a question about this whole J. Jackson issue. He talked for about 2 minutes and really , literally, said nothing. And, of course the good people at CNN just let it go.
One other thing, why is it when ever a DEM says something awful like this, it’s alway a GAFFE, and a Republican says something awful it’s hateful? Better yet, why is it a black man can get away with saying anything and it’s a GAFFE and when a white man says it, he’s a racist and needs to lose his job?
I’m just sayin’…
July 10, 2008 at 8:39 am
Leave it to a bigot Repub to turn this into a blacks-get-breaks-whitey-don’t thing.
Fox held it because they knew it would benefit Obama. They would have buried it altogether if they could have found a way.
July 10, 2008 at 8:59 am
Is it just me or does ANYONE else think Tamron “whatev” is dumber than a “Box of Rocks”? Add her to my list of reasons MSNBlah is UNWATCHABLE!!!!!! My dog is smarter than she could ever be…
July 10, 2008 at 9:31 am
Spud: A good guess is the delay was because Fox contemplated running the entire tape.
O’Reilly says that the portion of the tape that was not aired had nothing to do with Obama but he implied that it embarrasses Jackson. Here’s hoping that a bootleg of the entire tape eventually appears on You Tube or another site.
July 10, 2008 at 9:32 am
Wow, a lot of conspiracy theories from the hater crowd (not you, Spud). I guess irrationally hating FNC doesn’t take a vacation either… “SPIN IT NEGATIVE” their masters say… and they oblige.
ANYWAY… if I had to guess, I’d bet that the folks at FOX were concerned about playing the tape. But not because of the content… but because of the “WHEN” it took place. Playing a tape, from a supposedly “off air moment,” and thusly making it an “on air moment,” is somewhat of a journalistic no-no. It would be like someone giving a comment “off the record,” and then having the reporter report it like it was “on the record.”
FNC brass was probably concerned about any possible repercussions of releasing this tape. Will guests be more cautious about coming on FNC, now? Will Jackson quit FNC all together? How will the in-house journalists react to this… will they feel it hurts their credibility? Is this news so important, to take the risk?
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some arguing this, and debating it out (especially with legal… determining if airing this would give Jackson grounds to sue), thusly leading to the delay.
BUT, there is an even more simple rationale for delaying this! That is, “Who knew about the tape?” I know from experience, that when someone is setting up for a live shot, they networks are not always paying attention to them at that particular moment… rather, they’re paying attention to the other live stuff going on at the moment. What Jackson said may have been lost for a while, before someone rewound the tape (probably looking for a quote from Jackson to use in another story), and discovered what he said. If that happened, it would account for a delay (especially because it would then have to work its way up the ladder… probably from a PA, to an Assistant Producer, to a Producer, etc.). Once it got up to the top, a little more delay in determining if they should go ahead with it… and there you have it.
Those are my theories.
Not as much fun as the conspiracy “THEY’RE OUT TO GET ME” screaming from the loons… but hey, at least these have a chance of being true!
July 10, 2008 at 9:41 am
“Leave it to a bigot Repub to turn this into a blacks-get-breaks-whitey-don’t thing. ”
How am I being a Bigot Repub? Am I wrong? Leave it up to a leftie to resort to name calling when they have no argument. Can I assume that I’m also a racist (by your standards) if I don’t vote for Obama? Nevermind that fact that I don’t think he’s the better man for the job.
NotFoxy, which is it? Is Fox in the tank for the Republicans or are they out to help O(we)Bama? -OR- are they the most fair and balanced news network on the dial?
July 10, 2008 at 11:16 am
mdzakk, very well stated (both times)! What the “Reverum” Jackson said was MUCH worse than what Imus said, and he was apparently very p*ssed at the time he said it. Why isn’t the Al Sharpton DEMANDING that Jackson resign from whatever it is that he does?
July 10, 2008 at 1:50 pm
missy5537…
Reverend Sharpton will never demand or axe Jessay to step down from whatever exspecially now that an AA is so close to the WH.
July 10, 2008 at 4:14 pm
jackarooty…
That’s more than a little messed up…I hope you are proud of yourself.
July 11, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Axecuse me fahrenheit452?
Obviously you have never heard Al Sharpton speak. When did the schools stop teaching spelling and grammar?
Oh dear, I am white and I criticized a black man.
I must be a racist.
Sweetie, I’ve heard white people talk that way and it makes anyone who talks that way sound really stupid. Al Sharpton is not a stupid man.
Lighten up and cool down to 98.6 please.