Fox News apologizes for dishonest splicing of Biden clip.
Fox News apologizes for dishonest splicing of Biden clip.
Yesterday, ThinkProgress noted that Fox News spliced a six-month old clip of Vice President Biden to misleadingly imply that he recently said the “fundamentals of the economy are strong.” Today, Fox News’s Martha MacCallum apologized to viewers and said it was an “inadvertent” error:
MacCALLUM: Yesterday during a segment on the recent change in tone from President Obama’s economic team, we inadvertently used a piece of video of Vice President Biden saying “the fundamentals of the economy are strong.” This video was from the campaign trail when the vice president was a candidate and was actually quoting Sen. John McCain. When we get something wrong we admit it. We did so yesterday, and for that we apologize.
Watch it:
“These are the types of mistakes we can expect to arise when a television network is so hungry to make a partisan point,” ThinkProgress’s Faiz Shakir said Tuesday. “It ended up fabricating the facts to bolster a false right-wing argument. It’s not fair and it’s not balanced.”
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“Dishonest”. Yup. Right.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:50 pmUh oh…
Habib- quick, to Johnny$’s place!
How did TP fake this one?
A puzzler…
March 17th, 2009 at 2:50 pmI’m looking forward to Habib’s spin on this latest smear from TP.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:52 pmIf Fox News weren’t so hungry to make a partisan point, maybe these errors wouldn’t occur.
I think it’s more likely that they got called out on it to many times and had no choice except to crawfish.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:52 pmHow do you “inadvertently” take something out of context? Wasn’t this an old clip of Biden quoting McCain?
Fox is swirling the toilet bowl right behind the GOP.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:52 pmShampoo, Rinse, Repeat.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:53 pmFaux needs to create a whole new network just to apologize to America for things they have done wrong over the last 10 years.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:54 pmWhen we get something wrong we admit it.
Should be: When we get something wrong and someone catches us, we admit it.
Sometimes.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:54 pmWhile Fox is guilty of ham-handed splicing, it’s worth noting that the network is a repeat offender. As it turns out, back in 2005 Bill O’Reilly tortured another Biden clip about U.S. policy at Guantanamo Bay.
For the details, see:
March 17th, 2009 at 2:57 pm“Fox News Splices Biden Again in Second Videogate.”
Isn’t Fox News apologizing for being dishonest one of the signs of the Apocalypse?
March 17th, 2009 at 2:58 pmI’d like to think that those of us who wrote to all the network journalists, all network news shows, condemning Fox news for this latest dishonest report, may have played a tiny role in the pressure placed on Fox to make amends.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:01 pmInadvertent? Just like the “inadvertently” altered pictures of the two New York Times reporters?
We’re not stupid. Why does Fox News think we are?
March 17th, 2009 at 3:01 pmRevoke their license.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:03 pmI’m just surprised they apologized, rather than twisting it more. Maybe their audience is paying attention and getting tired of it.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pmThe damage is done. Fox probably showed that footage of Biden saying the economy was strong dozens of times during the day. The “apology” probably only ran once. They made their point.
We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.– William Casey, CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)
March 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pminadvertent
You have got to be f—ing kidding me.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pmI think it’s their viewers they think are stupid, missmolly.
And with good reason.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pmInadvertent error. Yeah right.
But I have to admit that was the first time I have ever heard of Fixed News actually admitting to making an error much less apologizing for it.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:06 pmWhen we get something wrong we admit it.
If there was any truth in that they would be spending all of their air time on apologies with no time left over for more lies.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:07 pmOT
States aiming to block stemcell research.
And the stupid parade continues.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:09 pmHELPFUL TRANSLATION:
“…we inadvertently used a piece of video of Vice President Biden…”
– We didn’t think we’d get caught.
“…saying ‘the fundamentals of the economy are strong.’ ”
– We wanted to give the wingnut blogosphere something to get excited about, even if we had to make it up.
“This video was from the campaign trail when the vice president was a candidate and was actually quoting Sen. John McCain.”
– Which we d*mn well knew, but the Vice President hasn’t been giving us any REAL gaffes lately so we had to manufacture one.
“When we get something wrong we admit it.”
– Only after a barrage of phone calls and e-mails tells us we didn’t get away with it.
“We did so yesterday, and for that we apologize.”
March 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pm– OK, you caught us, but we’re only saying the minimum we have to in order to make this embarrassing story go away.
I’m wondering if the FTC had anything to do with this apology. Now that Obama is president, we may actually have a FTC that does it’s job.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pmAnd I’m sure they just have no idea whatsoever how that happened, either.
They are confident, however, that their viewers’ limited attention spans will mean the retraction falls on deaf (and dumb) ears.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pmBilbo,
I think you mean FCC Federal Communications Commision as opposed to FTC Federal Trade Commision?
I know what you meant though;]
March 17th, 2009 at 3:12 pmPlease itemize, John Kerry. I’m holding my breath.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says
March 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I’m wondering if the FTC had anything to do with this apology.
_________________________________________________________
FTC? Well, I suppose it COULD be a consumer protection issue…
March 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pmIsn’t the damage already done? What good is their asinine apology?
March 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pmKO apololgizes plenty when he makes errors. Get you crap together troll John Kerry.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:17 pmI am hoping that Miss Madow, KO and/or Mr. Stewart are picking up on this latest “inadvertent” butchering of journalism by Fox. All have a great flair for exposing the BS that spews forth from the bowels of Fox.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:17 pm“Excuse the mistake we made regarding Joe Biden, it’s like the mistake we made when we referred to President Obama as Osama and like when a Republican politician gets into a scandal and we label him a Democrat on our screen. Sometimes things like that just happen”.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:19 pmBiden is a good guy, and a smart one. It is very annoying that Fox in their infinite wisdom, smears him. At least they admitted they were wrong.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:20 pmPathetic argument, JK. Turn off your hearing aid.
Remember these mistakes, folks. The next time Fox News tries to capitalize off of a Joe Biden gaffe(tm), they get this pungent reminder that EVERYONE makes mistakes.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:20 pmBy the way, john kerry, why do you use KO’s stuff? Comedian! comedian Rush Limbaugh and his ilk, maybe like you?
March 17th, 2009 at 3:21 pmA mistake? Good grief! They had to go out. of. their. way. to find that quote. That’s no mistake!
March 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pmJohn Kerry Says:
——————————————————————————–
When’s the last time comedian Olbermann apologized for all of his lies???????
ANSWER: NEVER!
Nice try JK
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/12/keith-olbermann-apologize_n_166339.html
March 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pmFox News my ass – Fox Propaganga is more like it.
Regular listeners of Fox news are A-holes!
March 17th, 2009 at 3:26 pmFirst off, to get Faux news to actually apologize? I think TP (and the likes of Media Matters) are actually making an impact.
I asked in yesterday’s thread when they would apologize, not really expecting it to happen.
So, maybe it does deserve at least a little bit of kudos.
But Wait!!!!
What’s this?
When we get something wrong we admit it.
If that were true, Faux News wouldn’t have time to broadcast it’s propaganda, what with the all day apologizing.
Oh, and JK THE BOLD! STFU! You’ve just been pwned!
March 17th, 2009 at 3:27 pmCare to back up your BOLD assertions?
Also- Countdown is definitely listed and self-identified as a news COMMENTARY show.
while the show that Marth MacCullum is self-described:
• Martha and Trace have the most accurate breaking news first, with national coverage and global reach!
just saying. these are different beasts, and the Olbermann show (even still apologizing as stated above) is too often used in comparison to these “real” news shows.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:29 pmJohn Kerry Says:
——————————————————————————–
When’s the last time comedian Olbermann apologized for all of his lies???????
March 17th, 2009 at 3:30 pmANSWER: NEVER
John Kerry – always spewing nonsense without proof to back it up! rightwingnutcrazyrethuglicanfool!
March 17th, 2009 at 3:30 pmLet’s see…who was the brainless @ss who didn’t understand why the dems didn’t debate on FOX:
444. backup Says: hanshiro. Democrats should have debated on Fox.
Oh yeah…backup.
Sure. At the risk of being redundant: “FOX is not, nor has it ever been a level playing field. Ever. FOX has pulled any number of shenanigans and is far from a trustworthy steward of non-partisan formats.”
Both Stewart and Olbermann are by far more trustworthy in their accuracy and video editing than FOX. Not to mention their fairness. The sheer bulk of evidence against FOX’s well-documented bias and dishonesty makes risking an appearance prohibitive.
FOX should be bankrupted for consistently spouting lies, misrepresentations and propaganda. The dems or anyone else were right not to legitimize FOX’s stellar lack of professionalism.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:32 pmNice one, hanshiro.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:36 pmInadvertent My Ass!
March 17th, 2009 at 3:42 pmapology not accepted.
::
March 17th, 2009 at 3:49 pmceltic cynic Says:
Inadvertent My Ass!
March 17th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
The nerve to blow this off as if it were a simple mistake.
They have been caught with their pants down purposely lying and deceiving the public for political gain.
How dare Fox claim to be a news organization.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:51 pm.
FOXPRAVDA said:
What?!?!?!
No hat tip to T.P. for keeping them honest?
Seriously, does anyone really think FOXPRAVDA would admit a mistake like this had they NOT been called on it?
What FOXPRAVDA should have issued was, “When we get something wrong, AND GET CALLED ON IT, we admit it. We did so yesterday, and for that we apologize.”
FOXPRAVDA is more sorry they got caught purposefully mischaracterizing the Vice President’s remarks. For THAT, is where their sorrow lies.
Are we to believe, like their kirons, no one is capable of fact checking at FOXPRAVDA? What then, are they paid for? Hyperbole and tall tails?
.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:51 pmFox News only apologized because TP, Media Matters and probably others picked this up and put it out there for all to see… and many are now seeing.
March 17th, 2009 at 3:58 pmIf they were really serious about apologizing for their “mistakes” and outright LIES, they would shut FOX news down!
March 17th, 2009 at 4:00 pmFAUX News apologizing for a “mistake”? It must be pretty chilly in hell right about now.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:02 pmPrepare, the 6th sign of the Afoxalypse has just come to pass…
March 17th, 2009 at 4:02 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says
March 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I’m wondering if the FTC had anything to do with this apology.
_________________________________________________________
FTC? Well, I suppose it COULD be a consumer protection issue…
Nope, just a brain fart on my part. I meant the FCC. But I do still wonder.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:08 pmJohn Kerry:
March 17th, 2009 at 4:09 pmHow do you feel about flounder francese? And another thing. I told you what I do. When are you going to tell me why you are so obsessed with the bold feature?
I emailed Faux News about it yesterday (and was very civil) and I am sure thousands of others did as well. We must keep up the pressure on all the news organizations including the “so called liberal media”, which of course, does not exist. Read the book “What Liberal Media?” by Eric Alterman.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:13 pmNow here’s an example of Fair and Balanced media. From Jack Cafferty’s Tuesday’s comments on CNN.com:
“Whether it’s creating commissions for women and girls, ordering the investigation of President Bush’s use of signing statements, or jamming a huge stimulus package through Congress, the man is working his tail off. And he seems to be loving every minute of it. It’s almost as though our president was born to do exactly what he’s doing. He’s leading, and boy, is that refreshing.” Cafferty also returned to another one of his favorite subjects — bashing former President Bush: “What a welcome change to feel like someone is running the country instead of running it into the ground.”
March 17th, 2009 at 4:14 pmHey khmak,
March 17th, 2009 at 4:17 pmNo liberal bias in the above comments from Cafferty is there?
Wait a minute, I thought “fair and balanced” was FOX’s tagline. Is it CNN’s? You have to excuse me as I don’t have tv
March 17th, 2009 at 4:17 pmceltic cynic Says:
Inadvertent My Ass!
March 17th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
def. for Inadvertent
How can the gross lie and deceit be characterized as careless, accidental and unintended?
March 17th, 2009 at 4:21 pmWhen was the last time anyone said Bro? Anyway what #67 said…
March 17th, 2009 at 4:24 pmNope – just good old American-style, approved-for-rush-limbaugh FREE F’in SPEECH, HOMIEEEEE!!!!!!
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT, COMMIE!!!!!
March 17th, 2009 at 4:28 pmthere’s some unkabuddy mf gonna share that fate here shortly
March 17th, 2009 at 4:34 pmHow the F*&^ can you “inadvertently” splice together different tapes? I don’t think an apology is appropriate here. Someone should be fired.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:44 pmIf Fox News weren’t so hungry to make a partisan point, maybe these errors wouldn’t occur.
Exactly! Someone should do a study of how many “inadvertent” errors fox makes making democrats look bad and how many they make, making republicans look bad and vice versa, how many “inadvertent” errors make each look good. I can tell you with certainty, qualitatively what the results would be:
inadvertently…
March 17th, 2009 at 4:45 pmmake democrats look bad – many, many
make republicans look bad – none
make democrats look good – none
make republicans look good – many, many
.
Captain,
Yes, Cafferty did on this occasion praise Obama but CNN and other so called liberal news organizations are just as likely to comment negatively on Obama’s administration or positively about Republicans (unlike Faux News of Washington Times or New York Post). Just look at all the gushing that Mathews did over Bush (”[e]verybody sort of likes the president, except for the real whack-jobs” http://mediamatters.org/items/200511300013). Or the New York times. Here’s a sample of New York Times headlines from its 2000 news pages:
Tall Tales; Is What We’ve Got Here a Compulsion to Exaggerate?
Focusing on Gore Hyperbole
Questions of Veracity Have Long Dogged Gore
Gore Admits Being Mistaken But Denies He Exaggerates
Tendency to Embellish Fact Snags Gore
Or this in 2006: On MSNBC’s The Situation, Tucker Carlson described Al Gore as a “zealot” and a “bible-thumper,” also saying of him, “He’s a wild-eyed religious nut. And his religion is the environment.”
These are just a few of the thousands of cases of there being a conservative media bias, not liberal. All these media outlets know where the money is (Big Business-or Big Brother?)and thus lean conservative.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:48 pmThey inadvertently missed the 5 seconds before and the 5 seconds after the sound byte they used.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:53 pmShuuuure..
.
Captain Brodad Unkabuddy @#63,
According to you, reporting about how the president is pushing for a commission for women is biased?
Or, or, or… reporting how investigating the former presidents use and misuse of signing statements is biased?
Or, or, or… Reporting on the economic stimulus needed to lift us out of an impending depression is biased?
This leads me to conclude that on some level, there is too much attention paid to these issues and you would prefer that the dialogue shift it’s attention elsewhere.
LOL… Your team is already discussing what it perceives as relevant issues… Meghan McCain’s dress size.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:54 pmlcdrrek Says:
How the F*&^ can you “inadvertently” splice together different tapes? I don’t think an apology is appropriate here. Someone should be fired.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
The entire network needs to go down…. or at least drop the fair and balanced NEWS LIE.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:59 pmThe real question is why did they apologize at all?? These guys certainly don’t seem to care about facts anyway.
Maybe Rupert is having a change of heart…or he’s getting beaten up by his wife.
March 17th, 2009 at 5:04 pmpluege Says:
Exactly! Someone should do a study of how many “inadvertent” errors fox makes making democrats look bad and how many they make, making republicans look bad and vice versa, how many “inadvertent” errors make each look good. I can tell you with certainty, qualitatively what the results would be:
>>>There is already suc a site, it’s called Newshounds
http://www.newshounds.us/2009/03/16/fox_news_edits_clip_misleadingly_to_smear_biden.php
While mediamatters.com documents the “errors”/bias of ALL mainstream media…
Check em out….
March 17th, 2009 at 5:09 pmI am so sick of Fox in general, but their frequent “inadvertent” errors are anything but errors– they are either outright lies & smears that they hope won’t be noticed, or they are falsehoods put forward through lack of any research, or being too lazy to care. MacCallum: “When we get something wrong we admit it.” They lie on a daily basis & never admit it– this “error” is simply so blatant that they had to say something. Imagine attempting to describe something they went back to find, then knowingly edited in, as “inadvertent”. Pathetic.
March 17th, 2009 at 5:19 pmSpeaking of Faux, but slightly off topic, have you all seen the latest episode of Becky’s descent into madness?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuV1XG517cc&feature=channel_page
March 17th, 2009 at 5:27 pmclinically spooky.
March 17th, 2009 at 5:47 pmHAHAHA
oh really! hahahaha
March 17th, 2009 at 5:49 pmI think the technical term you are looking for, Dr. Matt and tombaker, is “Batshit Crazy”.
March 17th, 2009 at 5:59 pmCool! Fox apologized falsely reporting made up information as fact. 1 down 1,345,634 more to go.
March 17th, 2009 at 6:23 pmUm, moron, there is a huge difference. Cafferty comes on and does opinion pieces and they are presented as his takes on subjects. Faux news took different clips, spliced them together, and presented them as a news quote in their reporting, making it appear to their brain-dead, unquestioning viewers that he said this recently and wasn’t qouting someone else when he did say it. Giving a clearly stated opinion vs. deliberately editing footage to make a false statement are pretty cut and dried. The latter violates every precept of journalistic ethics, but then Faux and their leadership have no ethics.
March 17th, 2009 at 6:36 pmI suspect that John Kerry fills his quota by responding to keywords, by skimming or using a bot (and bold font), and he never actually reads replies. Skimming the RSS feeds, maybe?
I’ll post Obama’s history, though, every time I read one of his “community organizer” dumps, for the benefit of any new readers, if no one (other than trolls) objects. If he doesn’t seem to notice, I’d wager he’s a bot.
March 17th, 2009 at 6:42 pm“trollbots”?
wouldn’t put it past’em – wonders never cease and all that…
March 17th, 2009 at 7:48 pmFaux news is a fraud.
March 17th, 2009 at 8:32 pmralph the wonder llama Says:
I’m looking forward to Habib’s spin on this latest smear from TP.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Not me. I am tired of trying to beat Q-tips into anvils. The guys skull is just impenetrable.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:18 pmJK you ignorant racist piece of garbage. Olbermann isnt lying just because you dont like him. We all know how stupid you are and how allergic to facts you brainwashed morons are.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:21 pmDon’t get me wrong, Eugene. i was looking forward to the latest mental gymnastics our troll friend would put on display.
I know there’s no talking sense into him.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:44 pmTranslation: When we’re called out and exposed to scrutiny we will quickly admit to it and move on. Nothing to see here, get a move on it, don’t look back, hurry up now.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:51 pm