According to NPR ombud Alicia Shepard (12/30/10), one very persistent letter writer named Henry Norr managed to get NPR to correct an error made several times by different programs–that WikiLeaks “published” the many thousands of State Department cables in its possession. The site has actually published few of them– less than 2,000.
Shepard wrote:
On Dec. 21, I sent Norr’s 9 examples to NPR top editors and asked that a staff memo be sent out reminding everyone to be more careful in talking about the November document release. The memo went out on Christmas Eve.
Still Norr was (rightly) not satisfied. ‘Aren’t you going to run a correction as well?’ he asked. He prodded me. I prodded Stu Seidel, NPR‘s deputy managing editor who handles corrections. (corrections@npr.org)
And, so thanks to Norr’s doggedness the correction is on the Web and hopefully, NPR won’t make the same mistake again.
It’s a reminder that media activism works.
Another reminder–Henry Norr was a journalist suspended by the San Francisco Chronicle over his opposition to the Iraq War, as FAIR noted here:
Henry Norr, a technology writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, was suspended without pay by his paper for using a sick day to get arrested at an anti-war protest. According to Norr (Berkeley Daily Planet, 4/1/03), his supervisors knew in advance he would be doing civil disobedience that day. Defending the punishment, Chronicle readers’ representative Dick Rogers (4/3/03) noted that subsequent to Norr’s suspension, the paper had “strengthened its policy to prohibit public political activity related to the war.” Rogers argued that the Chronicle ought to have a sign at its entrance reading, “Check your activism at the door.”
A few things strike me here.
If words, and reality, matter, then this wasn’t an “error” or “mistake”.
It was a knowing lie – unless the responsible parties at NPR are unfathomably naive, and/or cognitively challenged.
And why didn’t Shepard press for a correction from the get go, rather than having to be “prodded” by Norr?
Some “ombud”, huh?
Lastly, why wasn’t the correction read over the air? How many listeners are going to see it on the website?
No diss to Norr, but I’d say media activism worked here – but only a half day, wouldn’t you?
About the Chronicle’s “policy”: Do they also suspend employees who actively support our wars?
When it comes to issues such as this, even NPR is forced to bow to pressure from the military junta and try to make Wikileaks and Assange sound like an imminent threat to the survival of the US, when the military junta is a far greater threat not only to Americans but to all the world.
Speaking of media activism, how about FAIR supporting National Hiring Day – either hire someone or tell some one, or report the refusal of NPR and media to talk about it.
Musea the 18 year old art and media Zine calls for a National HIRING DAY. This is a day that corporations are encouraged to hire new employees. The day suggested is Wednesday JANUARY 19, 2011. Corporations are called on to put patriotism ahead of excess profits and help their country in hard times. Those corporations that cannot hire, are asked to stop firing for that month.
There has never been a time In American History where it is less difficult for Corporations to hire, and more helpful to all Americans if they did.
Amen. But, it should be otherwise. One can have some hope.
Media activism does sometimes work, though the results aren’t particularly satisfying as in this NPR example.
The New York Times repeatedly made the same “mistake” regarding Wikileaks. I contacted Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com about it with a specific example and he contacted the NYT reporter. Within hours, the article got changed. Of course, it was the main front page story when it had the “mistake” and had been demoted from that position by the time it was corrected. And, of course, no mention was made of the correction anywhere. Bravo, New York Times.
Both NPR and the Times have really gone down hill. I assume they are also now more popular than ever.
Still miss Henry Norr from when he was at the Chronicle…an unjust suspension.
I still am trying to understand when and how Mr Assange developed the skill set that prepared him for the job to determine what will ,and will not hurt this country in the release of these documents.(Did he do 15 years with CIA and the state dept that i might have missed?)Or anyone else for that matter below top secret clearance.Seems like a bull in a china shop.
In response to michael e’s questioning of Assange’s “skill set” to determine what should be released: He’s not an American and has traveled the world, so he’s far better qualified than most Americans to understand the degree of negative impact U.S. imperialism has on the rest of the world. Robert Gates has found no harm done by the release of the Afghan and Iraq documents, the Australian government has found no crime committed in releasing the Embassy cables. What has been found is that the U.S. imperial apparatus been embarrassed by the degree it has been exposed as a bully, spy and sales shill for U.S. corporate interests. If there is a “bull in a china shop”, it is the U.S. and it’s foreign policies. That is what Wikileaks has exposed.
Leigh
So his skill set better avows him of the ability to see American supposed imperial faults, and expose(attack) her if he has the ability to do so.And in doing so the rain will fall yellow gumdrops and gummy bears in a cotton candy sky.Here I thought he was part of that sickness in this country of hate America first.I feel soooo much better now that you explained it to me.Hey GOD BLESS AMERICA right?
@ Leigh….Mikey quickly developed Assange derangement syndrome. He can’t seem to grasp that Assange isn’t a U.S. citizen and is more interested in what hurts the world,
To little Mikey anyone doing anything that shows America’s flaws is suspect. He’s been told that the leaks went to five newspapers for vetting before wide release and he just ignores it.
You would be well advised to ignore him.
Helen I never said/ thought he was a Us citizen.You are wasting time parsing my words.When you wrote”is more interested in what hurts the world” You should of said of this way.He is more interested in HIS OWN PERSONAL VIEW of what hurts the world…. irregardless of what hurts America.That would be a true statement.And Dd you honestly just say the leaks went to 5 newspapers for their disretion /vetting?you are joking right?Didnt i start this by saying what is the skill set to have -to be able to see what info should or should not be released?Tell ya what -if you come to me and need a stent placed.I will send your med records to 5 newspapers for their input.Please for your own sake stop making such statements that really hold no weight in this discussion.
And if i am deranged…..Your president …your sec of state…along with the intelligence community and military seems to be sharing my worries.Glad your the only sane one left.No worries no worries.Love and kisses mr assange.
The five major newspapers were El PaÃÂÂs, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, The Guardian and The New York Times.
And how often does Obama have the editors of those 5 newspapers in on his top secret briefings to instruct him on the actions of the day?
Re: wikileaks/asange’s moral or political warrant for disclosing government secrets: Why should a government of the people, by the people, and for the people need secrets at all? Maybe it’s because the cold-war manicheism of the special interests in D.C. has become an economic necessity.
Well Rich it has always been so.Since Gen Washington who knew, and used intelligence gathering wisely.In a perfect world ….Nuclear secrets,information gathering in clandestine places would be unnesassary.Cyber warfare defenses….Terrorist plots involving nuclear,chemical,or bio weapons.So many things not fit for the ladies and tea time.Or loose lips that sink ships.(Remember the sailor who gave top secret info to the Soviet navy along with his son in the 80s?)Terrible damage done.He did it for money and his beliefs. Exactly like mr Assange.
Michael – don’t be ridiculous. You realize you’re carving out the same judgement you accuse Assange of? What would you know about what should be secret? If journalists were doing their jobs there’d be no need for wikileaks. They routinely expose gov’t secrets when they’re doing their jobs. Ever hear of Daniel Ellsberg? He disagrees with your position. I’d wager real cash that if Watergate happened today it wouldn’t make the front page of a major newspaper let alone lead to the resignation of a President.
Of course Ed there is a line.Did Ellsberg cross that line?Or will history decide the ends justified the means?Watergate?Except for deepthroat just damn good reporting.No illegal theft or a business built on the illegal theft(lets be honest)of materials .
I know nothing about secret.And if i found a diplomatic pouch that fell off a lory I would not hand it to Mr Assange for his learned dissemination.That is a line I would not cross
The ‘Republicrats’ in the House want to end tax payer funding or at least severly cut it. for Public Broadcasting I say go for!! That will be one corporate mouth silenced. Although I will miss ‘Bird Notes—Ha-ha
Re WikiLeaks’ “irresponsibility”:
How Propaganda Poisons the Mind – and Our Discourse
by Glenn Greenwald
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/12-8
“Corrections” or no, the lie live on, don’t they?
Doug I read the piece you put forward, and came to a startling conclusion.EVERYONE IS CORRUPT EXCEPT MR ASSANGE!From the president on down.So the point is “we” the United States…. are the central corrupting force,and wikileaks is part of the angel network sent to save us from ourselves, and the world to boot.Yeah tell ya what …I got a boot for ya.Same old same old.Blame America first derangement syndrome with such a thin veil of proof.Remember all the nuts backing OJ?Why they knew he was innocent.It was the police who did it all don’t ya know
It shows how you comprehend this subject. Added this page, is for far more.