Fox News apologizes....apparently all people of color do look alike to them

[kneedinthegroin]

USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-06-05-fox-news-blunder_N.htm)

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel apologized on-air Tuesday for running tape of a different congressman while reporting Monday on the indictment of Rep. William J. Jefferson on bribery charges.
The network ran footage of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan instead of Jefferson. Both congressmen are black.

Fox blamed the mistake on a 22-year-old production assistant hurriedly grabbing a wrong videotape. Fox's Washington bureau chief, Brian Wilson, said he was mortified by the error.

On Tuesday, Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum said about the Jefferson story: "We mistakenly ran the wrong videotape accompanying that story and we apologize for that error."

The apology apparently wasn't accepted by Conyers.

"Fox News has a history of inappropriate on-air mistakes that are neither fair, nor balanced," he said Tuesday. "This type of disrespect for people of color should no longer be tolerated. I am personally offended by the network's complete disregard for accuracy in reporting and lackluster on-air apology."

Wilson said he called Conyers' office on Tuesday to apologize. He said he spoke to a press secretary and asked what he could do to make amends, including coming to Conyers' office to apologize in person. No one got back to him, he said.

Conyers' press representative, Melanie Roussell, said the congressman was upset that Fox's on-air apology did not say specifically what the mistake was.

Fox News Channel has become a political issue itself recently, with Democratic presidential candidates refusing to appear in a debate sponsored by the network.

[Kace]

Just imagine if they had used an image of a white guy instead.

[Bandit '07]

Originally posted by Kace:
Just imagine if they had used an image of a white guy instead.Silly! White people don't keep money in the fridge!

[Lazlo Toth]

Originally posted by Bandit '07:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Kace:
Just imagine if they had used an image of a white guy instead.Silly! White people don't keep money in the fridge!</font>[/QUOTE]White guys keep it in the oven, somttimes a big mistake.

[Spike]

Originally posted by Lazlo Toth:
White guys keep it in the oven, somttimes a big mistake.Especially if they keep it in the microwave:

http://www.prisonplanet.com/290204notes3.jpg

RFID Tags Explode When Microwaved (http://www.prisonplanet.com/022904rfidtagsexplode.html)

[Clubbeat]

Originally posted by Bandit '07:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Kace:
Just imagine if they had used an image of a white guy instead.Silly! White people don't keep money in the fridge!</font>[/QUOTE]yeah, I thought they kept it in mattress?! smile.gif

[CKMD]

Us hispanics keep it behind the portrait of Jesus whose gaze follows you around the room.

[Bandit '07]

Originally posted by Clubbeat:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Bandit '07:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Kace:
Just imagine if they had used an image of a white guy instead.Silly! White people don't keep money in the fridge!</font>[/QUOTE]yeah, I thought they kept it in mattress?! smile.gif </font>[/QUOTE]I keep mine in an old Duke's Mayonnaise jar.

There's safe, and then there's SAFE! ;)

[Spike]

By the way:

Originally posted by kneedinthegroin:
Fox News apologizes....apparently all people of color do look alike to themNo, they think all black people look alike. They know the difference between blacks and hispanics.

[Pro]

I think this is more of an indictment of the off-the-street'ers that supposed "major" news organizations are hiring these days.

These people have NO idea who top government officials are. Yet they edit tapes and even write copy. And no one checks it. Sad.

I heard one big market newscast open a story: "Former White House Chief of Staff Lewis Libby was sentenced today..." :rolleyes:

This isn't limited to Fox News, of course. You can find stuff like this going on at many shops on the national and major market levels, as well.

[ June 07, 2007, 02:08 AM: Message edited by: Pro ]

[s'news]

Some folks took issue with the on-air correction. From regrettheerror.com ...

UPDATED: Fox News issues on air apology for mixing up politicians when reporting on corruption indictment

Fox News issued an on air apology yesterday after it ran images of chairman of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers of Michigan when reporting on the corruption indictment of Rep. William Jefferson of Louisanna. TalkingPointsMemo.com has the offending video here. The New York Sun has background here and here.

The apology read out on air was: "Yesterday at this time, news of the indictment of Congressman William Jefferson came down. We mistakenly ran the wrong video to accompany this story and we apologize for that error."

The New York Sun reports that Fox anchor Martha MacCallum "told viewers at about 1:20 p.m. [yesterday]. The 10-second apology made no reference to Mr. Conyers and did not explain why or how the erroneous video made it to air."
Valid points. At the very least, it should have named Conyers as the offended party in order to clear his name. And an apology to him would have been appropriate. (The network did call his office to apologize.)

UPDATE: TVNewser reports that Fox has aired another apology. This one is more complete and better serves viewers and Conyers. Good for Fox for coming back to this and making a proper correction:

On Monday in our report on the indictment of William Jefferson, in error we aired some video of Congressman John Conyers of Michigan.
That tape was labeled 'a meeting about William Jefferson' and it was mistaken as video portraying Mr. Jefferson. We regret this mistake. We in no way meant to suggest there was any connection between the Jefferson indictment and Congressman Conyers. We have extended our apology privately to the congressman, and we do so here as well.

[Clubbeat]

A previous poster stated that this is not justt a Fox News mistake but te way the nature of our business is headed.

Here in the market, reporters and anchors, fresh out of school (including a few from here where I work) make the same type of mistakes.

The real problem is that 1) no one who knows better cross checks and 2) the graduates coming out of J-schools like our and others DO NOT READ OR FOLLOW CURRENT EVENTS!

I try to drill this into my students on a daily basis. Some of them get it some do not. Many young folks know more about pop culture than world history.

Let's hope they figure it our before they take over as newsroom leaders, managers etc.

[Spike]

The problem is that good journalism requires curious people. They have to want to know about the world around them. Wanting to know about the world and sympathizing with viewers or readers who want to know is how a good journalist understands what questions to ask.

People who want to know about the world around them, however, tend to be a bit more intelligent than average. Being intelligent, they can look at the business of journalism and realize that they're worth more than journalism pays. They know they're worth more. Sometimes a LOT more. So they either don't go into journalism in the first place, or they try it for a few years and move on to a more lucrative field that pays for their intelligence and curiosity.

I was frequently appalled at the lack of curiosity among the reporters with whom I worked. I even worked with reporters who stayed up to date on current events, but only did it out of a sense of job requirement and weren't the slightest bit curious about what they were reading. Even knowing the background, without that curiosity they still didn't know what questions to ask.

Unfortunately you can't teach curiosity, but perhaps more j-schools should stress its importance.

[Shot A Load]

The last two posts made too much sense.

[Produce man]

People, people...

It's not about being curious. It's about being on Tee-vee.

[pleasestandby]

When Marlon Brando died, it came across our network alert system at 11:30 am that there would be video available. I turned to our noon producer and said let's add a VO for noon...and he asked "Who is Marlon Brando?"

STELLA!

[miss hap]

I worked at a top-5 station that confused video of Bob Kerrey and John Kerry.

[east coast reporter]

First things First. I am not a fan of FNC. Not at all.

Maybe I'm not understanding this correctly, but isn't FNC saying the error was made because the wrong tape was grabbed by someone? It doesn't seem like a deliberate attempt to use Conyers video, nor does it seem like an inept behind the scenes worker deliberately pulled video of Conyers and said "yeah, this is probably Jefferson, he's black and all."

To me, it seems like a stupid, yet innocent mistake made by someone who perhaps was rushing to grab a tape and simply grabbed the wrong one. It is a mistake, however, that should not have been made in the first place.

If I'm way off base on this, please set me straight.

[Consider This]

Originally posted by east coast reporter:
nor does it seem like an inept behind the scenes worker deliberately pulled video of Conyers and said "yeah, this is probably Jefferson, he's black and all."
Not deliberate but absolutely inept. If you work for a national network and have even the tiniest editorial control over what goes into its reporting, you should be able to tell the following two gentlemen apart:

http://www.beyonddelay.org/files/jefferson.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/John_conyers.jpg/160px-John_conyers.jpg

I don't care how hurried you are. There is no excuse for this. Jefferson has been the subject of news reports often enough that if you're the person trusted with digging up file tape on the guy that the tape that goes on TV shows him.

[ June 08, 2007, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: Consider This ]

[Produce man]

Cue Firestarter.

[NYC Street]

FNC is deservedly the butt of jokes for its phony slogans and blatant slanting.

But this time they probably deserve a pass.

Yes, it's a hideously embarrassing mistake. Yes it plays into the stereotype of the right wing racist. And yes, it looks like something the FNC slant gang would think is funny.

But sometimes a stupid mistake is just a stupid mistake.

[Diplomat]

Originally posted by NYC Street:
FNC is deservedly the butt of jokes for its phony slogans and blatant slanting.

But this time they probably deserve a pass.

Yes, it's a hideously embarrassing mistake. Yes it plays into the stereotype of the right wing racist. And yes, it looks like something the FNC slant gang would think is funny.

But sometimes a stupid mistake is just a stupid mistake.Yes, it was a stupid mistake. I doubt they think it's funny.

And I know you don't like Fox but I'd like to see you show equal concern for your beloved New York Times playing into the stereotypes of the left-wing racists. The filthy race-baiting Little Pinch has enabled is sickening, although I doubt his family and most people outside his narrow circles find it amusing.

[ June 09, 2007, 08:58 AM: Message edited by: Diplomat ]

[Lazlo Toth]

We headed off a smaller, but similar mistake at work a few weeks ago. Someone had made up an OTS for the Alberto Gonzales story. It siad "Under Fire." Unfortunately, someone put in a picture of former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales who left office in disgrace. We were lucky in that it didn't make air.

[Spike]

Originally posted by east coast reporter:
Maybe I'm not understanding this correctly, but isn't FNC saying the error was made because the wrong tape was grabbed by someone? I think the problem with that is that nobody believes them. It's much more fun to believe that this was an idiotic mistake born out of the hiring of inexperienced people with more agenda than intelligence or education. Their explanation actually does make sense to anybody who has worked in a newsroom, but they're such a joke already, why bother believing it?

[Pro]

Originally posted by Diplomat:
And I know you don't like Fox but I'd like to see you show equal concern for your beloved New York Times playing into the stereotypes of the left-wing racists. The filthy race-baiting Little Pinch has enabled is sickening, although I doubt his family and most people outside his narrow circles find it amusing.Hey, he was giving Fox a pass...at least on ethical issues.

But you can't miss an opportunity to bash, can you? :rolleyes:

[Diplomat]

Originally posted by Pro:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Diplomat:
And I know you don't like Fox but I'd like to see you show equal concern for your beloved New York Times playing into the stereotypes of the left-wing racists. The filthy race-baiting Little Pinch has enabled is sickening, although I doubt his family and most people outside his narrow circles find it amusing.Hey, he was giving Fox a pass...at least on ethical issues.

But you can't miss an opportunity to bash, can you? :rolleyes: </font>[/QUOTE]Neither can you. That comment wasn't addressed to you. But your colossal ego demands you must stick your nose in.

Besides, this isn't an ethical issue with FNC. It's an issue of someone screwing up and I don't believe it was done on purpose.

I stand by my original comment.

[Pro]

Originally posted by Diplomat:
That comment wasn't addressed to you.This is an open forum. You certainly have responded to posts I'VE made that were not addressed to you. So don't be a hyprocrite.

Originally posted by Diplomat:
Besides, this isn't an ethical issue with FNC. It's an issue of someone screwing up and I don't believe it was done on purpose.And that's what NYC Street was trying to say. But, since you couldn't disagree with him, you just HAD to bash somebody. So out comes your favorite target, The New York Times. Which had NOTHING to do with the topic at hand.

But, as we all have seen, you've never let that stop you from bashing someone or group on your infamous "list".

[NYC Street]

that's what NYC Street was trying to say."Trying?"

I thought I was pretty clear.

As to Dip's predictable invective, well, it's predictable. Silly, off base, to be sure - but, more than anything else, predictable.

[Diplomat]

Originally posted by NYC Street:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> that's what NYC Street was trying to say."Trying?"

I thought I was pretty clear.

As to Dip's predictable invective, well, it's predictable. Silly, off base, to be sure - but, more than anything else, predictable.</font>[/QUOTE]YOUR comments were predictable. You have a vendetta against FNC, which is your right, yet you insist an ethically challenged, race-baiting newspaper like the New York Times is somehow reliable. You seem to wish Rupert Murdoch dead yet you say nothing about the ethically challenged leadership of Pinch Sulzberger, who has trashed his company's reputation at the expense of his own narrow-minded political agenda.

Despite your blind support for those who promote race-baiting and journalistic fraud, I don't believe you engage in or personally condone these behaviors but are instead very naive. Your blind support for those behaviors and those who engage in them is silly and off-base. I just hope it doesn't become predictable.

[ June 11, 2007, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: Diplomat ]

[Spike]

Originally posted by Diplomat:
YOUR comments were predictable. Your claim that he's predictable is predictable.

Diplomat: "I know you are but what am I?

"I know you are but what am I?

"I know you are but what am I?"

[Pro]

Originally posted by NYC Street:
[QUOTE] I thought I was pretty clear. You were. Just not to Diplomat. ;)

[Diplomat]

Originally posted by Pro:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by NYC Street:
I thought I was pretty clear. You were. Just not to Diplomat. ;) </font>He was clear to a point but he also took a back-handed slap at FNC viewers with the racist crack. I was simply pointing out his inconsistency.

[ June 12, 2007, 04:11 AM: Message edited by: Diplomat ]

[Clubbeat]

And like I said in an earlier post on this suubject, this was a mistake made by whover was in the control room and watched a preview monitor. Be it an EP, Senior Producer senior editor etc, somebody had to see it before it went to air.

It's called cross checking people. Whether it's video or copy, several sets of eyes, need to review EVERYTHING before it make it to air!

And if those who have the final say so, did not cross check, then their asses should be hung out to dry as well.

BTW this ain't a Fox mistake...it's industry wide. Too many
inexperienced journalists working in roles that they're not ready for and too many vets who don't give a **** letting this type of thing happen.

[Diplomat]

You're right, Club.

I see this every day on newscasts and in newspapers. Too many inexperienced newspeople assume something is true and never bother to check it, when most of the time, checking would be simple and painless. I expect this from alternative/underground newspapers, where facts aren't particularly valued, but mainstream media outlets and those who report for them should always strive for accuracy.

[NYC Street]

He was clear to a point but he also took a back-handed slap at FNC viewers with the racist crack. I was simply pointing out his inconsistency. Nothing backhanded about it. Nor was there anything inconsistent. Your characterization of the Times is not one with which I agree - indeed, I find it ridiculous and, to an extent, hypocritical.

[Diplomat]

Originally posted by NYC Street:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> He was clear to a point but he also took a back-handed slap at FNC viewers with the racist crack. I was simply pointing out his inconsistency. Nothing backhanded about it. Nor was there anything inconsistent. Your characterization of the Times is not one with which I agree - indeed, I find it ridiculous and, to an extent, hypocritical.</font>[/QUOTE]I know you don't agree with my characterization of the Times, even though I don't think you engage in race-baiting and ethically questionable practices, as it has and does.

I don't agree with your characterization of FNC or people who watch it. I find your comments in that realm ridiculous and hypocritical; the latter could also be said of your comments professing concern about free speech.

[Pro]

Excuse me, but I don't think NYC was calling Fox News racist. Correct me if I am wrong, NYC, but I believe the remark was about (some of) those who are Fox News critics claiming that it is Right wing and racist. And running the wrong tape played into that criticism. But I don't believe the point was that FNC actually IS Right wing and racist.

Do I understand that correctly, NYC Street?

[Clever Login Name]

Boy, you anti-Fox nutjobs are easy to poon ... I'm sure you'll be starting a thread about this any time now ...

ABC Confuses Ex-DC Mayor Barry with Man Suing Cleaner for $54 Million Over Lost Pants
Posted by Brent Baker on June 12, 2007 - 20:57.

Do all balding black guys look the same to ABC News? As anchor Charles Gibson teased a Tuesday World News story, about DC administrative law judge Roy Pearson's $54 million lawsuit against a Korean family's Washington, DC dry cleaning establishment over losing a pair of his pants, viewers saw video of what clearly appeared to be ex-DC Mayor Marion Barry. Gibson announced, over video of Barry in front of the DC courthouse, “Pant Suit: Ever lost anything at the dry cleaners? This man did, and claims he deserves $54 million dollars and he's not pulling your leg.” Barry is now a member of the District's City Council, but he has been in some legal trouble of late over charges of driving under the influence, and thus has recently visited the local courthouse.

The story from Jim Avila, which aired as the last report on the June 12 World News, included video of another man identified as Pearson and was, presumably, of the real Pearson. That subsequent video matches the man identified by Pearson in a story on ABC's Washington, DC affiliate WJLA-TV. This page displays a screen shot of Pearson along with video of WJLA's story.

The civil trial opened Tuesday and Washington Post columnist Marc Fisher has written a summary of the antics in the first day. For a picture of the husband and wife being sued, check this page on Emil Steiner's Washington Post “OFF/beat” blog.

UPDATE: ABC corrected the video for later editions. The tease at the top of World News as aired at 9pm EDT on NewsChannel 8, a DC-area cable news channel owned by the local ABC affiliate, replaced the video of Barry with video of Pearson. Gibson's audio was not changed.
---------------------------------------------
clips and video can be found at the newsbusters site (http://newsbusters.org/node/13407)

[Diplomat]

Clever, that's interesting.

I don't recall much outrage from the left when MSNBC misspelled the name of Niger Innis.

[Pro]

I wasn't outraged about that. Nor am I outraged about what happened at Fox News.

Well, I AM outraged in one respect - as a television professional. This incident (along with others) shows what happenes when supposed "respected" television news operations hire people "off the street". And CNN and MSNBC are just as culpable as Fox News in that regard.

[Clever Login Name]

Originally posted by Pro:
I wasn't outraged about that. Nor am I outraged about what happened at Fox News.

Well, I AM outraged in one respect - as a television professional. This incident (along with others) shows what happenes when supposed "respected" television news operations hire people "off the street". And CNN and MSNBC are just as culpable as Fox News in that regard.Agreed. Yet some will continue to pretend it's a characteristic unique to Fox News, or suggest more sinister motives are at play.

[NYC Street]

Correct me if I am wrong, NYC, but I believe the remark was about (some of) those who are Fox News critics claiming that it is Right wing and racist. And running the wrong tape played into that criticism. But I don't believe the point was that FNC actually IS Right wing and racist.

Do I understand that correctly, NYC Street? Well, as Warner Wolf would say, "Let's go to the videotape!" Here's what I wrote originally:

FNC is deservedly the butt of jokes for its phony slogans and blatant slanting.

But this time they probably deserve a pass.

Yes, it's a hideously embarrassing mistake. Yes it plays into the stereotype of the right wing racist. And yes, it looks like something the FNC slant gang would think is funny.

But sometimes a stupid mistake is just a stupid mistake. So, those words, read real slow for those who need that kind of help, include "Yes it plays into the stereotype of the right wing racist."

Not the FNC racist.

So, I'd have to say: Correct!

[Head Janitor]

Originally posted by Clever Login Name:
Boy, you anti-Fox nutjobs are easy to poon ... I'm sure you'll be starting a thread about this any time now ...

ABC Confuses Ex-DC Mayor Barry with Man Suing Cleaner for $54 Million Over Lost Pants
Posted by Brent Baker on June 12, 2007 - 20:57.

Do all balding black guys look the same to ABC News? As anchor Charles Gibson teased a Tuesday World News story, about DC administrative law judge Roy Pearson's $54 million lawsuit against a Korean family's Washington, DC dry cleaning establishment over losing a pair of his pants, viewers saw video of what clearly appeared to be ex-DC Mayor Marion Barry. Gibson announced, over video of Barry in front of the DC courthouse, “Pant Suit: Ever lost anything at the dry cleaners? This man did, and claims he deserves $54 million dollars and he's not pulling your leg.” Barry is now a member of the District's City Council, but he has been in some legal trouble of late over charges of driving under the influence, and thus has recently visited the local courthouse.

The story from Jim Avila, which aired as the last report on the June 12 World News, included video of another man identified as Pearson and was, presumably, of the real Pearson. That subsequent video matches the man identified by Pearson in a story on ABC's Washington, DC affiliate WJLA-TV. This page displays a screen shot of Pearson along with video of WJLA's story.

The civil trial opened Tuesday and Washington Post columnist Marc Fisher has written a summary of the antics in the first day. For a picture of the husband and wife being sued, check this page on Emil Steiner's Washington Post “OFF/beat” blog.

UPDATE: ABC corrected the video for later editions. The tease at the top of World News as aired at 9pm EDT on NewsChannel 8, a DC-area cable news channel owned by the local ABC affiliate, replaced the video of Barry with video of Pearson. Gibson's audio was not changed.
---------------------------------------------
clips and video can be found at the newsbusters site (http://newsbusters.org/node/13407)Actually, I was just about to, but then saw that you posted the article already. So there's no need for me to do that.

Thanks Clever.