WBFF (FOX 45) apologizes for misleading edit on videotape of protest chant

[hexola]

Last edited Fri Dec 26, 2014, 10:25 AM - Edit history (1)

Re-posting this in case it got lost in the Holiday shuffle...

Stunning proof of the media's desire to portray this movement as "radical." This was no mistake.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bal-wbff-apologizes-misleading-edit-videotape-of-protest-chant-20141222-story.html

WWBF (Fox45) apologized Monday night online and on-air for misleadingly editing and airing a video Sunday of a protest march in Washington to make it seem as if protesters were chanting “kill a cop.”

What the marchers were actually chanting in response to the lead of a Baltimore woman, Tawanda Jones, was “We won’t stop. We can’t stop ‘til killer cops are in cell blocks.”

That’s a very different meaning and representation of what Jones and the marchers were saying.

Jones appeared on the 5:30 p.m. Fox45 news, where anchorman Jeff Barnd apologized to her on behalf of the station.

[Fred Sanders]

1. WTF(x1000), this is the second time in two nights.....and CNN and others ran with it and have yet to

even acknowledge these major frauds, let alone apologize for running with them to incite everyone......

The clearly proven media incitement to riot and anarchy should be protested also as vigorously.

Why are police and/or DA's not investigating this for criminal charges?

Reporting that a gentle summer rain is a class 5 hurricane without bothering to look out the window should have some consequences.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. The real problem that prevents action here is really the fact

that you can't point to a specific person or persons who are being directly harmed by the lie. (Similarly, one can't specify harm to a specific victim, ruling out civic action.) Thus it fails the "Crying 'Fire'" test, and Fox has already gotten court judgments supporting their right to lie.

[malaise]

21. Manufacturng consent

for their agenda - they do it all the time - remember the main function of media owners is impression management

[Octafish]

2. Nothing like a corrupted media to kill democracy.

Yay, Fascism!

[blkmusclmachine]

13. We deceive you

believe

[Octafish]

27. Corporate Owned News = CON

“Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war: neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or fascist dictorship, or a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peace makers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” ― Hermann Göring

[90-percent]

3. A quote from the station managers "apology"

" Although last night's report reflected an honest misunderstanding of what the protesters were saying, we apologize for the error."

Really? Just an innocent little mistake? Seems more like a deliberate calculated effort to deliberately mislead and distort THE TRUTH to serve Fox' unrelenting "agenda driven corporate propaganda" that they spew on behalf of the Oligarch's that determine their editorial content and leanings.

Honest mistake my ass. Somebody there made deliberate and calculated editing decisions that completely support their distorted portrayal of those protesting police brutality.

Ahh, "police brutality", a term I heard often as a tweener in the mid to late 60's.

-90% jimmy

[dawg]

5. Who can understand what "those" people say anyway?

Amirite?

[Fred Sanders]

6. I heard Wolf Blitzer run with this unverified Fox lie and confront folks with the lies...two

separate lies admitted by 2 different Fox stations, and still no apology or even mention in CNN.

Is this free speech? To make lies, spread the lies, apologize for the lies, never admit they were lies, move in to other lies, all intended to incite violence and hate?

And no consequence, no reporting of the lies, so they will just do it again and again.

[rpannier]

14. Thought maybe they'd say

We apologize to anyone offended by our mistake

[rbrnmw]

4. yeah I bet they're sorry.

that was a deliberate edit on their part to make it look like we are calling for cop killings in these protests

[angry citizen]

12. Sorry?

They are sorry the got caught.

[L0oniX]

7. "misleading" ta fuck? What's next "We made a boo boo"? They fucking intentionally lied!

[eppur_se_muova]

9. ^^^^^^^THIS -- "misleading" deserves a prize for deliberate understatement. nt

[Iggo]

8. Fuck apologies. Apologies are for children. Adults make amends.

I don't care if you're sorry you fucked up.

Fix it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. If it weren't for the web they'd have gotten away with this.....

I guess we can be grateful that they aren't claiming the protests are about cuts in welfare.

[wolfie001]

15. Apology? Heads should roll. Someone in that newsroom should be shown the door.

[spanone]

16. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

rupert murdoch depends on this for his fox 'news' operation

[Nonfatmocha]

17. exception to freedom of speech

How is this not yelling fire in a crowded theater?

[Chemisse]

22. Exactly. And when does calling yourself a 'news' organization become fraudulent?

It is stunning that they can get away with this.

[daredtowork]

18. Needs to be oversight on comment splicing

I can't repeat enough how this is a common, normal, regular thing. The media tells the story it wants to tell: the most dramatic story the "audience wants", the simplest story the "audience can digest", and/or the story that big corporate sponsors want them tell!!! While libel and slander are against the law, there is nothing people can do about it when "the little people" can't afford lawyers and there is no watchdog/oversight group to appeal to.

The only way to change this is to recognize that this is a *normal practice* that is shaping people's views of the world all the time and to call for some sort of oversight group/function/committee/regulators - somebody who can take complaints and investigate.

Remember that governments, foundations, political organizations, people of all sorts *do their research from the media*. What is the result when the fundamental research is based on lies?

Ps. The "apology" is normally the same as the "retraction" in a newspaper - hidden where no one ever sees it.

[Helen Borg]

19. Is there any way this can be an honest mistake?

If so, cannot see it...

[drynberg]

20. Those responsible for these "edits" to change the chant of protesters need to be fired, at the very

Least. Really.

[mwyn8]

23. There is a petition posted

at whitehouse.gov in response to this story. I read about this at http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/whitehouse-gov-petition-circulates-in-response-to-fox-news-lies-kill-a-cop-chant-video/

"The First Amendment gives us the right to express ourselves just the same. To willfully and negligently manipulate audio to give an impression peaceful demonstrators call for violence against law enforcement is unnecessary, egregious, divisive and puts lives at risk.

The Press is an industry the Founding Fathers wished to protect. Journalism is necessary to democracy. That means a Free Press. It also means journalistic integrity. Case No. 2D01-529 is interpreted to give news the right to lie. We need a law to clarify this and protect information consumers."

[Fred Sanders]

24. ^^^^^^^^This is truly unbelievable. How can anyone let this go? I have reviewed all the tapes, the full

chain of events. The deliberate deception and mendacious incitement is clear cut and abhorrent. No charges, no consequence, no other media coverage of this true outrage.

This is far worse than negligent...they cut straight to the idea that this sentiment led to cops being killed in NY.

This is sick, sick, sick and a crime of truth. It is incitement. They turn peace into war.

No fucking consequence?

"However, as one can see by the second half of the above video, the station jumped on an illusion in the audio quality of the recording, coupled with a convenient edit that takes away the context and makes the segment sound exactly like Fox wished it had. As everyone should now know, though, the real chant was:

We won’t stop! We can’t stop! Till killer cops are in cell blocks!

If that slimy misrepresentation of the truth doesn’t underline for you everything wrong with both Fox, and the systemic racism that plagues the United States, there is no hope for you. Start darning your bed sheets for the Klan robes you have been wearing like the emperor’s new clothes throughout your life and accept that you are complicit in the racism that hinders true justice in this country, and any hope for honor and civility."

Great link as in post above: http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/whitehouse-gov-petition-circulates-in-response-to-fox-news-lies-kill-a-cop-chant-video/

[lunasun]

25. +1

[niyad]

26. the only thing management is sorry about is getting caught.

[daleanime]

28. Right, how much air time did the lie get....

and how much did the apology get?

[RockaFowler]

29. BREAKING! Baltimore News Crew Fired after "Let's Kill a Cop" Story

http://ftvlive.com/todays-news/2014/12/30/breaking-b-more-news-crew-fired-after-lets-kill-a-cop-story

The station apologized for the story, but now sources tell FTVLive that firings have happened at the station as fallout from the story.

Sources tell FTVLive that both the Reporter and the Photographer that did the story have been let go.

Insiders say that the story idea came directly from News Director Mike Tomko. "It was found by him, assigned by him and ultimately proofed by him," says a station insider to FTVLive.

Insiders tell FTVLive that Tomko did get a 1 day suspension and a Producer who texted the Tomko that night saying he was uncomfortable with the story got suspended 2 days.

So, it appears that the ND got a slap on the wrist while others we penalized much more harshly.

Word is that WBFF GM Bill Fanshawe held a newsroom meeting to explain discipline handed out.

Sources say that when one Photographer asked a question, the GM refused to answer it. Instead, he offered to schedule a private meeting with the Photog.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

31. You must read DCRTV, because

I was about to post that link.

Best wishes.

[Chemisse]

30. I just saw this on NBC last night. WTF??

If FOX apologized, admitting it was a "mistake", why is it being aired elsewhere with the crowd clearly chanting "kill a cop"? Has it been audibly enhanced?

[samsingh]

32. reminder of the truth of media duplicity

[kelliekat44]

33. Wonder how many people across the nation were actually physically harmed after this lie? nt

[90-percent]

34. If I was a journalist or had the drive

I'd reconstruct the chronology of this doctored broadcast with the travels and events of the madman that came from baltimore and killed his insignificant not part of the story girlfriend and the two New York cops.

The question I have is if it's possible that the killer saw this distorted news broadcast and that inspired him to go on his crazy killing spree? Would that not kind of make the doctored broadcast an accessory to the murders?

They deliberately edited the tape to make it sound like the protesters were calling for murdering policemen?

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

Glad to hear somebody at the station suffered at least some consequences for their purposeful distortion of the news. The Oligarch's are using the media they own to deliberately divide and conquer Americans and make us choose sides. And they manipulate the fearful, mean and ignorant among us, which, based on the fact that 52% approve of our government's official practice of torture, seems to be the majority of Americans.

Agenda driven corporate propaganda, otherwise known as "entertainment"!


-90% Jimmy

[cstanleytech]

35. So let me see if I understand this, a affiliate network with Fox lied and apologized?

Well its the end of the world now folks because that has to be the sign of the coming Armageddon.

[JMR]

36. FOX 45 fires 2 sacrificial lambs to save news director Mike Tomko

Just wanted to give you a little more to the “FOX 45 fires 2 employees” story, just so you know. Perhaps it will help set the record straight.

FOX 45 hired a new ND a year and a half ago. Mike Tomko. This man has never been a ND before, but he is friends with someone higher on the food chain. keep this in mind as this story unfolds.
The news director sent Ms Roeder a link to a video and told her that he wanted her to do a story on this video. He told her it was a video of protesters calling for the killing of cops. Ms Roeder,( who has 18 yrs in the business, 17 EMMYs, 7 Murrows, and named Reporter of the year by the Associated Press in 2011 + 2014), uses her own video that she + her photog shoot. She does not like to use anyone else's stuff if she can avoid it. She told the ND that she thought that it was too controversial (her exact words) and she didn't feel comfortable with this. She was told to do the story and was assured by the News Director that the video was good to use. What he sent her was the edited version, but SHE DID NOT KNOW THAT. He is her News Director and boss and was following orders. Of course she knows that you must always trust your source (if using one) completely. HE'S HER DAMN NEWS DIRECTOR AND TOLD HER TO USE IT, IT WAS OK! It was Mike Tomko’s baby all the way. He was the “man behind the curtain”.
When the shit hit the fan (and I'm not saying it shouldn't have) the station manager fired the reporter and the photog (with 20 years at FOX 45!). They were “let go without cause” and then it was leaked (I would guess by the station, but I cannot verify that) that happened, hoping that it would resolve the situation. When a meeting was held in the news room and one of the other photogs asked the station manager "How can you fire someone for doing what they were ordered to do?", he was then directed to speak with the SM in his private office after the meeting. Since that time the photographers have had a “sick in” in protest of what has happened and the ND has lost all control and respect in the news room with other employees threatening to quit every day!
So the careers and reputations of 2 wonderful and talented people are permanently damaged (what goes onto the internet is there forever) while the ND got a 1 day suspension! The person responsible is still sitting at his desk collecting his $100,000 + pay check!
Mistakes happen. No one is saying that this mistake was intentional or not, I don't know, but the ND sacrificing those 2 up to take the blame off of him and the station is just horrible. They protested doing this story start to finish, but got all the blame because no one was interested in justice, just determined to get someone, ANYONE, fired. By the way, Ms Roeder, as well as the producer, saved all of the emails back + forth between them and the ND in case this all ends up in court. They have PROOF, and produced it to the station manager. (you can ask her to see it) Sinclair Broadcasting still made them the scapegoats because their heads were the ones the public was calling for because they are the names known to the public. But what justice is served to anyone if the wrong people are let go and the one responsible is protected in the name of protecting the station????? After all, the STATION can't be at fault.

[ScreamingMeemie]

37. Welcome to DU and thank you for the enlightening info.

Do you work for the station? Because I had not seen the actual question posed by the photographer who was called to the station manager's office.

Very interesting indeed, and if this is the case, they should sue the hell out of them.