After his fraudulent ACORN videos, the lesson media should have learned about right-wing “citizen journalist” James O’Keefe is not to trust him. But they didn’t, so here we are with his NPR stunt, which allegedly shows NPR fundraiser Ron Schiller saying mean things about the Tea Party in a meeting with phony Muslim Brotherhood-connected donors.
But it appears that, once again, O’Keefe’s videos are not be what they seem. The first serious questions about them were raised on (I swear!) The Blaze, a Glenn Beck-affiliated website. Over there, Scott Baker pointed to a few problems (3/10/11). In one part of the video, NPR‘s Schiller seems to laugh about the phony Muslim group’s position on Sharia law. Baker says it’s out of context:
So after saying that the MEAC website advocates the “acceptance of Sharia,” the video cuts to the NPR exec saying, “Really? That’s what they said?”The cadence is jovial and upbeat and the narration moves on. The implication is that the NPR exec is aware and perhaps amused or approving of the MEAC mission statement. But when you look at the raw video, you realize he was actually recounting an unrelated and innocuous issue about confusion over names in the restaurant reservation.
But more important than that is the part of the video regarding Schiller’s comments about the Tea Party–the words that generated much of the current controversy. According to Baker, elsewhere in the video Schiller talks fondly of his own Republican roots. As for the racist, xenophobic Tea Party stuff:
the clip in the edited video implies Schiller is giving simply his own analysis of the Tea Party. He does do that in part, but the raw video reveals that he is largely recounting the views expressed to him by two top Republicans, one a former ambassador, who admitted to him that they voted for Obama.
NPR has done at least two reports on the video (one here, the other here). It’s not quite a Shirley Sherrod moment–where the right-wing video was edited to totally turn her message around–but it’s clear that things aren’t exactly what they first seemed. O’Keefe’s history should give media outlets serious reservations about taking him at face value on anything.
On CNN‘s Reliable Sources (3/13/11) O’Keefe was asked what he thought of the media’s coverage of the story:
HOWARD KURTZ: Do you think the media coverage has been fair to you and your organization in this NPR story?
O’KEEFE: I think it’s been more fair. I think the mainstream media is certainly starting to have a little more respect for us.
He’s right–which goes to show you that the argument that the media is tilted to the left remains totally unconvincing.
*NOTE: A small correction: The Blaze writer’s name is Scott Baker–not Scott Walker, who is someone else entirely.
Shocking!
Okay … not so much.
I think this whole sorry episode highlights a few things.
It’s another example of the wanton duplicity of right-wing propaganda, as well as the complicity of the corpress in same, and the utter lack of integrity on the part of public broadcasting, to the point that it won’t even defend itself against blatant misrepresentation, but instead resigns itself, literally, to this hit job.
As to the broader issue, yes, we do need to save public broadcasting.
From itself.
But while I agree it shouldn’t die, it sure as hell needs to be reborn, doesn’t it?
I guess I’m not the only person to think of that running gag from Peanuts about Lucy promising to trooly rooly not move the ball away this time when Charlie Brown tries to kick it.
I can envision a three-card Monte scammer setting up business in front of CNN headquarters in the morning and CNN being broke by 5 PM, as long as there was enough executive traffic….
Good article, but who is Walker?
“Walker says it’s out of context:”
Baker?
I’m at a complete loss as to why anyone, considering O’Keefe’s track record of deception, would take any of his edited videos seriously.
Is “our liberal media” really that slow on the uptake?
Wait…. don’t answer that……
Of course, the million-dollar question is: why did Glenn Beck’s website decide to apply scrutiny to O’Keefe? Were the “Blaze” to examine any of Beck’s (endless) crazy statements, they’d implode. Also, this might be the only actual journalistic-type thing the Blaze has done.
One other point: many of Beck’s insane conspiracy theories are based on O’Keefe’s doctored ACORN tapes.
We need to write LA Times re their editorial promoting the de-funding of NPR!
The problem, as I see it, is that most of the Liberals I know are so…wimpy. I’m sorry, but the limp-wristed image just won’t go away. I know a couple of leather lads that…
Madison has shown that there really is some fight left in the other, more livable part of the country. I think that it is about time that progressives become a bit more assertive, and start taking over some of the media that has gone over to the wacko right. And then maybe the centrists at NPR can stop shooting themselves in the feet.
Unfortunately, the fundamentalists are crawling out of the woodwork now, what with the earthquakes broadcasting some god’s revenge and sending messages through clouds of radioactive steam, not to mention all the floods and…
Fraudulent ACORN videos, fraudulent NPR Video, fraudulent journalist, fraudulent Muslim Brotherhood-connection, fraudulent fundraiser, etc; doctored video and lies to discredit and destroy groups, organization, people or political parties is not journalism. James O’Keefe lies and fraud are ground for law sued and imprisonment. It is an injustice to the American people and a mockery to the constitution, because he does not have to answer to anyone for this. Any news organization that makes their own new and will repeat fraudulent information is no better then James O’Keefe. Remind me of LA Times in the 60’s.
Public broadcasting won’t defend itself against blatant misrepresentation because it cost money, tax and donation, money that they do not have. If they did have money, they spend it on programs to inform the American people. They are required by law to be un-bias, balance in news / programing and to be a non profit. Who is going to stand up for them, if not the American people?
the last i heard of mr. o’keefe he was caught trespassing in senator landrieu’s office, where he and some cohorts were posing as telephone repairmen in order to bug her office. noting that ordinary citizens are dealt with harshly in this era of heightened security, i naively thought he would be held accountable – if not on federal charges, at least he’d be proscribed from ever again owning or using a video camera.
so my question is: how powerful is his father that the boy isn’t in federal prison?
(journalistic license?)
I blame NPR for pandering to the criminal O’Keefe’s intentions. I blame them for scapegoating Ms. V. Schiller (no relation to Ron Schiller). They claim that there were too many right-wing sponsored media circuses under her watch and that she needed firing. What could they be thinking? That her presence spurred the right wing’s well-known deceitful tactics? No. The higher ups just want to squiggle away from a professional response to the lunatic fringe. Such cowardice and bolderdash. I am convinced this is because so many Republicans are now embedded in the administration and that they are deliberately attempting to implode public radio from within.
NPR is not liberal. There is not a time when they go against corporate interests. As an independent musician, artist, writer, filmmaker and zinester (independent media source) I know that NPR will not talk about any aspect of corporate control of the arts and media, or those advocates against corporate control, or any of the artists of any type opposed to corporate control.
It’s corporations that ultimately control NPR content.
This is easy to refute. Find the anti corporate news on NPR. Good luck.
Then ask if they have had dinners with Sony/Warners/Universal/Disney/Fox?
Don’t worry folks, if the beltway gets rid of NPR who will slavishly fawn over every book they write?
Shelley Ottenbrite wrote:
“I am convinced this is because so many Republicans are now embedded in the administration….”
…including the president himself.
The official left has no fight in it. We should wonder why.
The Dems sat by and let ACORN die, as they will with NPR. As they sit by while the GOP deconstructs the mechanisms of citizen voting and unionization. We should wonder why the Dems seem unable to do anything to protect its own supply lines and infrastructure and communications.
It is almost as if the Democrat inaction is on purpose.
The only programing NPR offers that is truly in the “public’s” interest are their entertainment shows, and perhaps their science programs. Their public affairs programing and news is no better than cable (Fox fantasy world excluded), it’s just, fleshed out with more detail and delivered in eletest over tones for the rich educated audience that it is aming at . It’s THEIR $$$ that cover it’s running expenses and the corporations and businesses owned by the audience it persues also pays for the public affairs programing. NPR never does any real digging, nothng harding hitting or truly investgative (stories that should be a staple of any PUBLIC broadcasting station). It won’t offend it’s wealthy WASP conservative audience. Defunding NPR will not take away any objective or liberal view point. No great loss…but sigh….I will miss bird notes.
The tapes were edited(thank you Glen Beck and the Blaze).They need not have been.There was enough culpable material there.Same deal with Acorn.Same thing with the Nixon tapes……same thing with Rodney King.The left plays semantics here.They were fired because your weak arguments aside…. they were trash.Same with Acorn.I got to witness a bunch of mob trials. Whenever a tape was played(and it could be days worth) showing that murderous scum their defense was always pointing to “edited”tapes.So save it.
James O’Keefe slanders and libels people consistently and Bradley Manning is being tortured for telling the truth.
NPR is either naive, complicit or blackmailed. I enjoy NPR mostly because they give the news in depth without interrupting, yelling or name-calling. I am not a WASP or rich. (In fact I am poor and sometimes need food stamps.) Am I educated? You bet. Since when did that become a crime in the US to be educated? I see no evidence that NPR is left wing unless you mean they appeal to an educated audience who simply don’t want opinions yelled at them on their drive home. I have never heard them support any political candidate, push for fairness in journalism, or any other “crimes” the extreme right wing would have you believe. They don’t attempt to dumb down the news – and that might be what offends the right wingers. NPR’s hands are tied because unlike the extreme right wing, the center (read NPR) cannot defend itself because the truth is they are “gagged” because of the tiny bit of tax monies they get. Corporate media is the beneficiary of lower taxation and commercial income that NPR is not entitled to. NPR has no such benefit. Though NPR is supposedly centered, they cannot bite the hand that feeds them no matter how unfair their treatment. Is that democracy in action now in the US?
Donna, its been an unspoken crime to be educated, beyond your station. Even so the USA produces most of the PhD’s in the world or at least the most of all the countries. (That could have changed recently.) But it still hates Poindexters and nerds who are better left stuffed in lockers. A strange and ultimately self defeating dichotomy.
NPR was never liberal, but since it is gov’t funded it “must” be. Even if it occasionally has on some liberals it is for small pieces and they tie you in knots to do it. It bothers me how they roll over so fast without even putting up a fight. I wonder why?
Going after NPR, as well as the other remnants of the “liberal class” like unions and universities, is the culminating power play of the corporate coup that has already happened. It’s just mop up time now. Read Chris Hedges’ “The death of the liberal class”.
Oldwob thats a lot of bunk and you know it.People do not like change.But change cometh.We are in the midst of trying to rid ourselves of things that don’t work .Liberalism being a prime example.There is no boogyman corporate entity here, out for world domination.It is not even out with the old and in with the new.It is simply lets use what works and forge ahead using our heads. That excludes most of the liberal; agenda.I see this less as a plan than as the natural progression of things.
O’Keefe is a Jersey guy who doesn’t do interviews- at least not for the Star Ledger- the state newspaper.
Apparently, like many Jersey guys, he knows to keep his mouth shut.