I welcome all comments.

Thanks very much.

Deb Phillips
Documenting America’s 9|12 Spirit
http://912photos.com

The “young inexperienced producer” excuse is lame. Either it is simply false of Fox now sends inexperienced hands into the field to cover an event they billed as important. Either way, Fox is basically butt covering.

While pumping up the crowd is ethically wrong, it is also not new. I have seen uncounted stand up reports on all of the networks where the people behind the reporter are staged. MSNBC staged their entire convention coverage, including plants in the crowds. CNN wouldn’t know an honest report if they found it on the front door step and the broadcast networks are playing for ratings regardless of the stunts needed.

Was Fox wrong? Sure. Are they the only ones? Not by a long shot.

It is, after all, television.

They were cheering – it wasn’t a staged robbery, or say, an edited video to portray a black guy as a white guy with a gun… It was cheering.

Seriously, really reaching on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63GiXzpfGhA

LMAO……
Here’s the classic MSNBC moment that rmbltmbl is referring to. This is MUCH, MUCH worse than what the dopey Fox producer did. You be the judge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYKQJ4-N7LI

I sure wish I had the ability to talk out of my ass and turn off my brain like you guys do on a daily basis. Seriously, I can see how it would be of benefit when faced with absolute evidence showing you that you are completely mistaken, because we all know that you haven’t the heart, courage nor that basic human trait that allows one to admit that they were wrong.

So she let the crowd know they were getting ready to go live with his report. Gasp. She didn’t do anything after he began his report. Such a non story totally.

Isn’t it great that no CNN producer had to do anything to get the crowd to tell them to GET OUT! CNN and the others were AWOL covering this story. They were just there to look for “signs” they could complain about. They could care less why the tea party protesters are there. Them and MSNBC/NBC just like calling them teabaggers.

Also, if I wanted to frequent Media Lies To America, I would be over at their left wing extremists b.s. site. Why doesn’t MEDIAITE do stories on how Media Matters doctors video and then lies about it? And that’s the SOURCE you want to use???!

I’m usually not a betting man, but if CNN was caught doing the same thing you’d pounce all over it…..but since it’s Fox “News” that’s involved, suddenly it’s a “non-story”….

How much would you like to bet? I never get tired of taking other people’s money.

But would I be incorrect in betting that since it’s FNC, you’re happy to condemn (as well as so many other posters)… but if it was MSNBC or CNN, you’d be strangely silent.

Zeke… why’d you even put up a poll, if you have already made up your mind? Oh, probably for the same reason you took the story and video from MediaMatters and KOS. *Sigh* Is Mediaite even going to make an attempt to be unbiased?

Vik Sidhu says:
September 20, 2009 at 11:58 am

Your premise (and those with similar responses) is wrong. The PROTEST was the story, the crowd behind the reporter is not the story… they are the background, and just the same as the background behind a Matthews program. Telling the group behind them to cheer a bit because they’ll be on television, isn’t unethical, nor is it anything special. It’s making the live shot more interesting.

The fact of the matter is, these folks were already there, they already had their signs, and had probably been cheering throughout the day at various speakers. Saying “get excited because you’re going to be on television,” isn’t changing the facts of the story or the situation. And that’s the real question… by doing this, did the producer CHANGE the story, or manufacture an element of it? The answer is, of course, no. They encouraged people to look excited while on camera, something they already were, but perhaps not at that exact moment.

If you disagree… tell me why. How did this change the story? How did this “alter the truth?”

This sleazy distortion of the news for partisan political purposes needs to end. Bias needs to be the domain of individuals, not an organizational wide practice that is programmed from the highest levels.

I condemn Fox News and its pathetic minions who support this disgraceful practice.

No doubt the “I hate FNC” posters will be here with their frenzied “I told you FNC is evil” comments.

SNL is an ENTERTAINMENT show, while Matthews’ crowd is NOT PART OF THE STORY.

I’m usually not a betting man, but if CNN was caught doing the same thing you’d pounce all over it…..but since it’s Fox “News” that’s involved, suddenly it’s a “non-story”….

Still no comment about this, though?

http://wizbangblog.com/content/2009/09/17/another-distortion-and-attempt-to-defend-acorn-by-attacking-the-messenger-1.php

But as to the subject at hand… is this really any different than a producer trying to whip up the crowd before coming back on set, during one of those Chris Matthews outside shows? Next you’ll tell me that there are comedians who come out to “warm up the crowd” before SNL! Oh wait, there are? Oh well…

What a non-story.