At the intersection of fanfic and politics...

[heidi]

It seems that FOX's chief political correspondent (you may remember, the same guy whose sister (or possibly sister in law?) is working on the BUSH campaign) wrote a bit of fanfic about Kerry's Tampa rally today. And it seems that the story, fabricated quotes and all, made it onto a broadcast, as well as onto the network's website. FOX did apologize somewhat rapidly, but it makes you wonder whether the people at FOX who've called for the firing/resignation of Dan Rather for airing the piece about those National Guard memos are making the same calls now for one of their own.

And yes, I recognize that the situations are not identical. At one, the fabrication was, it seems, not created within the newsroom, and at the other, why, it was! It's too bad the Cameron piece didn't mention Republicans for Voldemort - we'd've hosted it on FA (except I think it might be a little short).

The thing is, there's a much better way to use fake quotes. Man, that Cameron is never going to make it onto SNL at this rate.

Comments

[mozzarella.livejournal.com]

Kinda reminds me of how the AP apparently released an article about the debate last night, using past tense ... before the debate had actually happened.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Which, in and of itself, is like what happened when TIME MAGAZINE's Pathfinder website accidentally posted the pre-made GUILTY page when OJ was acquitted.

[mozzarella.livejournal.com]

Hah! I never heard about that. Now that's great too.

[megd.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of the AP report that completely made up the response by Bush supporters to the news that former President Clinton was in the hospital.

Yet that took quite a while to pull down off the air, and some sites still have the wrong info.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

No, it's nothing like that. The ap story was based on what someone heard at an event. This fox story was made up. The only fact was kerry's presence at a tampa rally. Everything was fiction, and not attributable to a mishearing.

Plus, while the people at the rally might've been unclear about their reaction, people on places like lucianne goldberg's site where hoping clinton would die.

[megd.livejournal.com]

Heidi, did you listen to the recording or catch it on tv? You would have to be fairly dense to have misheard it. And it took a while for the story to be corrected, not that the media seemed to spend some time correcting the facts.

Here, Fox made an apology. It is something that was written not to be seen, I know I've written things that are never meant for anyone else besides a selected group to see. I'm sure you've done the same.

I've seen places advocating Bush's death. I've listened to how horrible he is and how he should die.

That goes both way. It's really unfortunate, but that's how people are.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I remember the lie about the reaction to Clinton's surgery. At first I was shocked anybody would be so crass, then it was cleared up an hour or so later (maybe I heard about it late).

The important thing in the end is probably how many people still believe either story, or tell it even though they know it isn't true.

[ancarett]

Somehow I'm not surprised that they ran that. Nor that they think that an apology is sufficient punishment for them, while at the same time holding that nothing could ever sufficiently excuse the CBS team for their screw-ups.

Accident or intentional?

[shelaghc.livejournal.com]

I've become enough of a conspiracy theorist that I wonder if it really *was* an accident or an attempt by FOX to draw attention away from the shoddy job done by the shrub at the debate.

Think about it - what better way to divert the networks than by a FOX screwup? The same way that the fake memos diverted attention from the one and only person who openly corroborated the fact that Bush never showed up for any of his National Guard duty.

However, so long as the networks don't take the bait and stay on the *real* subject, the "accidental" screwup was for nothing but embarrassment on the part of FOX news.

At least, that's my theory.

;->

[didi75.livejournal.com]

Said Fox apology in an editor's note:

Earlier Friday, FOXNews.com posted an item purporting to contain quotations from Kerry. The item was based on a reporter’s partial script that had been written in jest and should not have been posted or broadcast. We regret the error, which occurred because of fatigue and bad judgment, not malice.

***
On the Daily Show two nights ago Steven Colbert (I think) started giving his report on the debate. John Stewart interrupted him, asking if he had already written his report before the debate even happened. Colbert continued saying, yes-that's what reporters do, write up reports based on conventional knowledge and projected outcomes and fill a few facts right before deadline. Stewart asked why, and Colbert responded, "because we're lazy John, lazy thinkers."

Although the DS is obviously poking fun at the media, I think that this satirical sketch is closer to reality than we might want to believe. Fox editors say their mistake wasn't out of malice, but from fatigue and bad judgment. Well, I agree with Colbert, they're just lazy thinkers.

:D

Clarification

[didi75.livejournal.com]

Of course, not ALL reporters are lazy thinkers ;)

Maybe that Fox political correspondent borrowed Rita Skeeter's quick quotes quill?

[hedwig-snowy.livejournal.com]

Yes, Carl is a pip. Always amazed at the way he ad-libs comments in his live feeds that denigrate Democrats and their ideas. Normally not as blatant as this, but not always all that subtle either. He's an ass. (Have you seen 'Outfoxed' - about the Fox News Channel? Where Carl Cameron is in a pre-interview with Bush and starts yammering away about how sweet his sister is and how hard she's working for George's campaign...and then he's supposed to be a tough interviewer??? Guess that's the point...Fox hired him...they know...he's not supposed to be tough on a guy who supports tax cuts for Murdoch or will allow one guy to own as many newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations that he can afford...)