FNC Videotape Controversy…
The Albuquerque Express has an un-credited story on FNC showing a tape that didn’t accurately reflect the subject of the story…
Fox News interviewed Paul after he won the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) poll but played a video clip of the announcement of his win which showed crowds overwhelmingly, and loudly, booing the result.
Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer confronted Paul after the clip saying, “Probably not the reaction he was hoping for.” He then asks Paul, “So who was in the audience booing you?”
As it transpires, nobody was. The tape was a deception. It had been taken from a reception to the announcement of last year’s winner, who again was Ron Paul. At that time supporters of Mitt Romney had packed the hall for the announcement in the expectation their man had won. He hadn’t. Paul had. So they booed the announcement enthusiastically. That tape was then taken and used for Tuesday’s night Fox News interview and presented as being the reception Paul had received for winning this year’s poll. Ron Paul who was not in attendance when the announcement was made was caught unawares and answered Hammer by saying the booing only proved he was not unanimously popular, which is something Fox opponents say is a perception the Network was trying to promote.
This story also has FNC response…
Following allegations widely disseminated through Internet blogs that Fox News deliberately created the deception to damage Paul, possibly in favor of other candidates that the Murdoch interests prefer, the network issued a statement saying the airing of the wrong video was a mistake. “We made a mistake with some of the video we aired, and plan on issuing a correction on America’s Newsroom tomorrow morning explaining exactly what happened,” Michael Clemente, Senior Vice President of the network said.
Update: Hemmer addressed this today…(via J$)
February 17, 2011 at 9:29 am
Question because I don’t know: Does the anchor of the newscast preview all the videotape that is going to be used on their broadcast? – in other words did Bill Hemmer see this tape before it aired and approve its use or is it the producers job to do that?
February 17, 2011 at 9:48 am
If Fox didn’t have such a reputation – backed up by leaked emails and accusations by former employess – for intentionally shaping stories to fit their political agenda, this wouldn’t be a story. They do..it is. Tough.
February 17, 2011 at 9:52 am
Once you are in the business of manipulation of the news, it’s hard to know when to draw the line. The wouldn’t hesitate to do it to a democrat so why would anybody be surprised when they did it to a less favorable republican.
February 17, 2011 at 10:29 am
OH MY GOD! A news network made a mistake, played the wrong video, and then owned up to it and corrected the record!
What savages! THE HORROR!
It’s a good thing no other network has ever made an error.
February 17, 2011 at 10:35 am
If this link works it will give the whole episode including the set up. We play you decide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwo0Iyrh1Zk&feature=related
I’m not sure if the talent knew but the producers had to have an idea. Hemmer can’t be happy if he didn’t know he was being set-up. He usually tries to play it straight.
February 17, 2011 at 10:48 am
“We made a mistake with some of the video we aired, and plan on issuing a correction on America’s Newsroom tomorrow morning explaining exactly what happened,”
How about issuing a correction on your highest rated programs? How about taking out a full page ad in all the major newspapers?
Right. Its not that big of a deal and wasn’t done on purpose, eh?
So you should be all the more willing to “fix” it!
February 17, 2011 at 10:58 am
Terence, why would they air a correction on a different program? That makes absolutely no sense. Hemmer was right to apologize this morning.
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-news-apologizes-for-honest-mistake-in-broadcasting-cpac-booing-ron-paul-error/
It is hard to tell the difference between the correct video and the one they aired, because CPAC used the same exact background and podium (I was there).
I’m tired of idiotic conspiracy theorists making up that FNC is trying to slant everything. Are their slants sometimes? Sure. But not in this case.
February 17, 2011 at 10:59 am
^ So terance… you think that a mistake made on a morning news program, needs to be corrected via the most popular evening show on the network, and on a full page spread in the parent company’s news paper.
Heck, why stop there?! Why not take out a few commercials on other networks? Maybe hire a sky-writer and have planes spit out, “We’re sorry!” all over the country? Maybe, instead of programming on the network, or radio, or news papers… they should just put up “We’re sorry!” for 24-hours… 48 hours… maybe a week.
Yeah… or not.
February 17, 2011 at 10:59 am
And, yes, I realize that I have bad grammar when I type fast and don’t check before I post the comment.
February 17, 2011 at 11:24 am
Josh you make a good point and you may be right.
The way I see it their are two options; it was an honest mistake for the reasons you state or the producers thought they could sneak one past the viewers.
Playing the tape was a lead-in to a live Paul interview and he could have known they were playing the wrong tape. If he called them out on the error, it would be really embarrassing for FNC.
Considering, Hemmers apology seems genuine, that they will have to apologize yet again the next time Paul comes on FOX and it gets them yet more bad press; I think I would now go with the first option; it was just a honest screw-up.
February 17, 2011 at 11:33 am
Terence, why would they air a correction on a different program? That makes absolutely no sense. Hemmer was right to apologize this morning.
They already agreed to correct the mistake on America’s Newsroom. I’m talking about in addition.
So terance… you think that a mistake made on a morning news program, needs to be corrected via the most popular evening show on the network, and on a full page spread in the parent company’s news paper.
See above, ImNotBlue — also didn’t single out News Corp papers.. I said major paper(s).
Heck, why stop there?! Why not take out a few commercials on other networks? Maybe hire a sky-writer and have planes spit out, “We’re sorry!” all over the country? Maybe, instead of programming on the network, or radio, or news papers… they should just put up “We’re sorry!” for 24-hours… 48 hours… maybe a week.
Yeah… or not.
If I didn’t know any better.. I’d think ImNotBlue made the mistake himself or is sticking up for his mate!
Keep in mind, this is much different than the usual “D” instead of “R” on the chyron. We’re talking about “spliced” together footage.. So, I don’t think you can blame it on the person in charge being a dolt either.
February 17, 2011 at 11:35 am
It’s all part of the grand plot to take out Ron Paul. B@stards.
February 17, 2011 at 11:47 am
Knowing as little as I do about how these things work, it sounds like sloppiness more than anything else. The other morning on F&F, the chyron had ‘sacrifice’ spelled with no ‘E’ for the whole segment. Like the Spitzer audio gaffe, you wonder if anyone’s watching.
February 17, 2011 at 11:57 am
“We’re talking about “spliced” together footage.”
Really? What’s your source for that nugget? They ran the 2010 clip instead of the 2011 clip. What exactly was ‘spliced together’?
February 17, 2011 at 12:37 pm
The problem is that it isn’t just a mistake..it’s a mistake that set up an ambush. Someone was convinced enough about loud booing of Paul at CPAC this year to put together a package about it for Hemmer to talk about. That’s a well thought out “mistake”.
February 17, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Really? What’s your source for that nugget? They ran the 2010 clip instead of the 2011 clip. What exactly was ‘spliced together’?
Leave it to the lawyer to ignore everything but that part of my post, eh?
Why ya always focusing on the details? How about giving us your explanation of how 2010 footage was used for 2011?
Right. Must just be an honest mistake.. Or just more dirty tricks from the bed bug network.
February 17, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Well you apparently ignored Everything about my post! You cited as evidence for your theories that the footage was ‘spliced together’. I just want to know What was spliced together. Or are you now saying you were wrong and nothing was spliced together? Easy questions, should be easy answers.
February 17, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Dollar, lets make a deal. You answer my question about your theory and I’ll explain the splice comment.
Wait. Let me just go ahead and explain it and we’ll see if you offer up anything!
I used the term “splice” rather loosely. What I meant to say was: They “packaged together” footage from two different years and it seems to me this was a concerted effort to pull wool over their viewers eyes.
Now of course I have no evidence but my theory holds more weight because I’m impartial as they come. I have no political affiliation and will rip any party or network without prejudice when I see or hear about an injustice.
February 17, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Since my glaringly obvious point is being ignored, I’ll expand on it. Did you hear any stories about Ron Paul being booed this year? Yeah, me neither. So how did a producer and Bill Hemmer both convince themselves it happened? Seems to me somebody went out of their way to make this “mistake”. It’s not just “wrong video”. The contents of “wrong video” was the story line.
February 17, 2011 at 1:51 pm
‘They “packaged together” footage from two different years and it seems to me this was a concerted effort to pull wool over their viewers eyes.’
Well we know they ran the 2010 clip of the winner announcement. Where do the ‘two different years’ come in? What footage was combined with the 2010 clip? That’s what I’m not understanding.
‘Did you hear any stories about Ron Paul being booed this year? Yeah, me neither.’
I’m sorry but you are very mistaken. I saw the 2011 announcement and the audience reaction was a combination of cheers and boos. And why would somebody want to purposely make this mistake with Ron Paul there live for an interview? And don’t give me the standard crap about Fox is against Ron Paul. That’s so fallacious as to be laughable.
February 17, 2011 at 2:09 pm
“And why would somebody want to purposely make this mistake with Ron Paul there live for an interview?”
Gee I hate it when Johnny$ agrees with me.
February 17, 2011 at 2:15 pm
You guys are reading way too much into this. It was an accident, that is all.
February 17, 2011 at 2:20 pm
And don’t give me the standard crap about Fox is against Ron Paul.
I’ll give you my opinion, whether you think it’s crap or not. I didn’t ask if you saw the announcement and heard a reaction of cheers and boos (which was not newsworthy). I asked if anybody had heard the news this year that Paul was roundly booed at CPAC. We heard it last year because it was news.
The only news on Paul this year was that he won the straw poll again. So how did Fox manage to convince themselves last year’s news was this year’s? It’s either an intentional ambush, or shockingly lazy journalism. Either way, it’s much worse than a simple mistake. They set Ron Paul up with it.
February 17, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Right. They set him up with a doctored tape that actually combined two different years of footage. (I’m still waiting for an explanation of that one!) Because they hate Ron Paul? Who’s been interviewed on AN repeatedly? Who appears with Judge Nap all the time? Who was just on F&F a day or two earlier? I mean, if this is a mystery then the question is: cui bono? Nobody! Which is why it’s not a mystery. It’s a mistake.
By the way, I think it was that morning, but it might have been Sunday afternoon, when I heard FNC run a video clip of Molly Henneberg reporting on the straw poll results. But the numbers she gave and the order of finishers wasn’t correct. Whoa, said I to myself, that’s last year’s report, not this year’s. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but clearly someone pulled the wrong video there too. probably same guy!
February 17, 2011 at 2:54 pm
probably same guy!
Do they pay these people, or are they dragging volunteers off the street?
February 17, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Shirley Sherrod was shocked when she read about this.
February 17, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Well we know they ran the 2010 clip of the winner announcement. Where do the ‘two different years’ come in? What footage was combined with the 2010 clip? That’s what I’m not understanding.
How am I suppose to know what the original video entailed? I can only opine about the evidence put forth in this very thread. So, pony up the original unmolested clip and I will amend if necessary.
Why are you wasting time trying to defend the corporation again? Just admit they tried to pull a fast one and got caught riding dirty.
Finally, did I miss your theory?
February 17, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Where do you get that calling you out for saying something that isn’t true = ‘defending the corporation’? Now you back-pedal from your claim that the footage was assembled from ‘two different years’ by throwing up your hands and saying ‘how am I supposed to know’? Well, if you don’t know, you shouldn’t make a claim that isn’t true in the first place! Just WHERE did you get the idea that it was mashed up from ‘two different years’ of footage? Don’t try to claim again that it was ‘in this very thread’. The first, and ONLY, person to make that claim is you.
At least instead of futzing around about it you might just do an honest admission of your error. Of course you need to do it here, and in all the highest-rated comment threads on this site, along with a full-page ad in…somewhere, not sure where.
I thought my theory was pretty clear.It’s not like yesterday’s video footage is sitting in a tape on that desk over there. Digital video is all stored in a computer with thousands of other clips. There are undoubtedly a number designated as CPAC, and someone downloaded the wrong one. That mistake, based on what I saw, was made not just on this interview but in an earlier report where a 1-year-old video clip of a report from CPAC aired instead of the one from 2011.
Of course it’s possible that it was all a devious conspiracy to embarrass Ron Paul so as to get his fanatics all stirred up, because people at Fox just hate politicians who support budget cuts. And Hemmer, MacCallum, and everyone else involved just lied about it. But I fall back on a well-known principle: the simplest explanation is the most likely one.
February 17, 2011 at 4:50 pm
My theory is that it was an honest mistake from a network too willing to tell that version of the story.
February 17, 2011 at 6:10 pm
$, I have no problem admitting to being wrong. However, I’ll need to be directed towards the original clip.
February 17, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Why? You didn’t need to see the original clip to assert that it used footage from two different years. The burden of proof is on the accuser, and if you made that claim without any evidence, and apparently without ever having seen the clip in question, then you should do the honorable thing.
February 17, 2011 at 6:29 pm
He’s right, Terance. Your argument is drowning in a sea of “I made a quip about splicing that didn’t make much sense, and now I can’t get around it”. Give him his splice, and get back to your argument.
There’s your unsolicited advice for the day. I’ll bill you.
February 17, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Counselor – are you withholding evidence that is pertinent to this case? Assuming the full unadulterated clip is produced and supports your version of events, my retraction will be time stamped tomorrow morning by 9am Eastern.
February 17, 2011 at 8:05 pm
As I thought. The toughest thing in the world is to admit error. The Keith Olbermann syndrome. People will make a claim, and then when challenged, instead of admitting error, we get: well, prove I’m wrong. Sort of like Plan 9 from Outer Space, where the standard of proof is: Can you prove it didn’t happen?
It’s not up to me to produce the clip as evidence. It’s up to you. You made the charge–based on what I have no idea. If you refuse to be intellectually honest, I can’t help that. Thank you for your response.
February 17, 2011 at 8:20 pm
Uh, the clip is up there. ^
February 17, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Remi, I’m talking about the original clip, not the “apology” one.
Look Dollar, you have me pegged all wrong. I’m just yanking your chain, dude.
I was wrong and have no problem admitting it.
That said, I realize you have a lot of time on your hands since your boy KO has been MIA. Hopefully he’ll return soon (for your sake) and you’ll then be back to your regularly scheduled pining.
Oh and just for fun.. I take it the Corp told ya not to post that original clip, eh?
February 17, 2011 at 11:28 pm
Oh, sorry. I didn’t play the clip. I had this “oh my God I couldn’t possibly care less about this” moment.
February 18, 2011 at 7:45 am
‘Oh and just for fun.. I take it the Corp told ya not to post that original clip, eh?’
Yeah. In fact, when I brought Mr Murdoch his coffee this morning he told me that he’d cut my funding off, and block me from posting on the internet (which he actually runs in a secret basement at NewsCorp) if I dared to do it. I replied ‘Yes, Mr Murdoch, sir!’ and reached for my shoe-shining kit.
February 18, 2011 at 9:21 am
hahahaha