When journalistic malpractice becomes precedent
Governor Palin addressed a church audience in June. Among the topics were soldiers going to Iraq. She asked the congregation to “pray…that our national leaders are sending them on a task that is from God” (via Huffington Post and Hot Air):
Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan. So bless them with your prayers, your prayers of protection over our soldiers…
Here’s how Gene Johnson of the AP misreported Palin’s address to the congregation and made a clearly false assertion in a news story:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a “task that is from God.”
Here’s how ABC took the journalistic malpractice of the AP one step further, taking for granted that the quote was accurate, in an interview of Governor Palin:
GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?
PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.
GIBSON: Exact words.
What to say? In a world where journalism still took its declared standards seriously, Gene Johnson of the AP should be reprimanded or fired for the obvious and gross distortion of Palin’s words. As for ABC, they should get off their duffs and use primary sources when available (and we’re giving ABC the benefit of the doubt that it was simply lazy in this case). Leaving aside the journalistic malpractice in this case, Governor Palin’s response was noteworthy and impressive:
the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said — first, he suggested never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words. But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side. That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie.
We haven’t watched this on TV, so we can’t judge how the incident looked, but in print, Governor Palin clearly came out on top.
September 13th, 2008 at 1:40 am
I watched the video of the interview and thought that Gov. Palin was impressive and at her best when describing the thoughts of Abe Lincoln on God and war.
It should be noted that when Gov. Palin asked Charlie Gibson for clarification on the Bush Doctrine, he botched the definition, which is not in his words “the right to a preemptive strike”. The Bush Doctrine claims that a country that harbors terrorists is just as responsible for any terror attacks as the terrorists themselves- which was his justification for attacking the terrorists in Afghanistan AND the Taliban.
After watching the interview, I thought Palin did fine, and that Gibson failed in his attempt to look and act like an intellectual.
Although the race appears to be close right now, what you’re looking at here is a blowout on Nov. 4.
September 13th, 2008 at 3:37 am
Sorry, but the ‘honest error’ excuse for ABC won’t wash. They showed a selectively edited clip of the video of the quote, so they had access to the full quote when they were putting their questions together. They also subsequently edited out the confrontational “Exact words.” rebuttal of Gibson’s from tape-delayed showings on the West coast.
This was a deliberate and premeditated attempt at the public ruin of an innocent woman in aid of an ideology. Thanks to the alternative media it seems to be failing.
September 13th, 2008 at 4:39 am
Charles Johnson has posted a ten-minute clip.
Both by body language and occasional quavers in her voice, Palin seemed nervous. She kept trying to shift into the person-to-person informality in which she is comfortable, but gravitas was needed. Palin did about what might be expected from a first-term governor who has unexpectedly been thrust into a hostile national spotlight. Her insecurity is the counterpart of the teleprompter-less Obama’s uh’s and um’s.
Gibson was a pompous jerk who deserved a cream pie in the face. IMO Palin’s objectively best move was to counterattack like George H.W. Bush did during Dan Rather’s 1988 ambush interview. She doesn’t yet have the experience to be confident about using such a tactic, but it might have worked anyway.
Hostile interviewer Gibson underperformed more badly than Palin did. Most of us have had to endure sessions with smug, arrogant, unfair, entrenched, incompetent authority figures–teachers, bosses, interviewers, reviewers, bureaucrats, etc.–, and that’s how Gibson came across. Many voters may get so angry at Gibson that they will overlook Palin’s deficiencies; that may be especially true for women voters. Gibson made a much stronger case for media bias than he made against Palin.
There is considerable merit to Glenn Reynolds’ suggestion that candidates bring their own cameramen to interviews. I can’t help wondering if the VP debate will be manipulated via preferentially leaked gotcha questions.
The Gibson interview was an early round of a match between a fast-learning rookie and a bunch of know-it-all veterans. Hopefully Palin will correct her deficiencies faster than the MSM correct theirs.
September 13th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
For a fascinating look at how much of the interview was left on the cutting floor for the benefit of ABC new’s agenda, check this out
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/09/13/abc-news-edited-out-key-parts-sarah-palin-interview
You can see that the editors of the interview deliberately omitted key parts of the interview where Gov. Palin is answering questions re: Georgia/Russia in a measured and detailed manner.
In today’s NY Post, the indefatigable Glenn Reynolds, who always seems ahead of the curve, has a great suggestion for future hostile interviews, bring your own camera:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09132008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/bring_your_own_camera_128856.htm
September 13th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
From my previous comment:
Not just the VP debate, come to think of it…