Media Staging
Thursday’s NBC Nightly News led, yes led, with how, as anchor Brian Williams put it, President Bush had that morning conducted “a staged event” via satellite with ten U.S. soldiers and one Iraqi soldier in Iraq. “Today’s encounter was billed as spontaneous,” Williams intoned. “Instead, it appeared to follow a script.”
Andrea Mitchell warned that “the troops were coached on how to answer the Commander-in-Chief” and, indeed, not until two minutes into her three-minute story — after showing clips of how a DOD official had told the soldiers the questions Bush would ask — did Mitchell note how “the White House and at least one of the soldiers says the troops weren’t told what to say, just what the President would ask.” So, the answers were not staged. The soldiers, naturally nervous about appearing on live TV with the President of the United States, were simply told who should answer which question and to “take a breath” before answering. Scandalous! Over video of Bush on the aircraft carrier, Mitchell went on to remind viewers of how “this isn’t the first time this administration used troops to help sell the Iraq war.”
Watch the teleconference with President Bush & troops.
One good turn deserves another. Here are some examples of media staging:
Michelle Kosinski’s of NBC’s “Today” show Friday:
(Video above) **hilarious!
In one of television’s inadvertently funny moments, the NBC News correspondent was paddling in a canoe during a live report about flooding in Wayne, N.J. While she talked, two men walked between her and the camera, making it apparent that the water where she was floating was barely ankle-deep.
Pres. Bill Clinton and wife Hillary on vacation in Virgin Isles Christmas 1997:
The media had been alerted that the Clintons might be photographable on this beach at this time… just weeks before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke. i.e., preemptive damage control.
At a White House press briefing later that day, White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry verbally spanked the LA Times for publishing the photo saying it showed disrespect for the President and First Lady. The rest of the press corps was informed about the photo but the public display of outrage by McCurry conveniently alerted them to the “loving couple” on the beach. Another staged moment by the White House to make the Clintons appear happily married as a preemptive measure for the impending extramarital affair bombshell with Lewinsky.
Cindy Sheehan & Al Sharpton in Crawford, TX earlier this year:
The photo on the left was the image circulated by the media; the photo on the right is the actual full length image, revealing a weak anti-war movement 4-1 in favor of media support over American support.
Bill Clinton, Anniversary at Normandy, June 6, 1994:
President Clinton “happening upon” a group of stones (on stoneless Normandy Beach), in deep contemplation, squatting down to rearrange this mysterious cluster of rocks into the shape of a cross.
Clinton walking through the cemetery of American soldiers at Normandy… happened upon a fallen flag… tear in eye, stoops down to reinsert it by the gravestone.
Clinton giving speech with strategically located US battle ship in background (I thought only Bush was allowed to “use” the US military for photo ops?)
How about this?
Clinton at Ron Brown’s Funeral:
CBS Forged Bush Document: (*Little Green Footballs broke the story)
Etc., etc.
The “staged event” of Thursday was no staged event at all. Of course, the mainstream media, professionals at propaganda and staging events, are a bit paranoid at the appearance of the President walking their turf. Who can blame them?
RELATED:
NBC: So deep, you need a canoe
Cross-posted at: Amy’s Blog
October 17th, 2005 at 8:45 am
Yeah, the MSM, in their deceit and smug arrogance sickens me. The local rag tries to say they are unbiased, but when the President was here to speak on May 7, their photographer/reporter was repositioning 2 dozen protesters to try to make them look like 100 or more. They even counted kids as adults. Not only that, the rag helped stage problems to report on, yet when Kerry came to town, they weren’t looking for the same problems with Kerry. In fact, the leader of the May 7 protest had been quoted as saying NO ONE should be allowed to have a Billion dollars, not a company (John Deere) or a person, yet the local rag refuses to confront this state senator on his not demanding Kerry and Theresa give away their billion in the same fashion this bozo state senator demanded that John Deere give away it’s billion dollars.
October 17th, 2005 at 10:44 am
Interesting, PCD. As one who counter protests anti-war protesters, I had an experience in which we were on opposite sides of the street: anti-war protesters on one side, war supporters (us) on the other. They were protesting outside of my military post (those military supporters!). A news truck drove up, a reporter and cameraman got out and covered the war protesters as THE story. In reality, it was US who were the real story. We were getting honks of support, thumbs up and the honking at one point in our favor became so loud and continuous that the camera man had to turn around (he had his back to us) to see what the commotion was about! He got in his truck and drove back. I wrote to the network who disagreed that the slight was biased. He said that they cover soldiers returning from Iraq at our post, so that made it fair.
Unfortunately, the real story went untold. The real story is that the war-protesters got the finger and NO support, while our town SUPPORTS THE TROOPS and the anti-war protesters were misrepresenting themselves as “Military Families Against the War.” None of them are military families or have any associations with an active duty member. They’re liars! Not that the media pointed it out.
Geesh!
October 17th, 2005 at 12:32 pm
Amy, I take it you are member of Protest Warrior. A very worthy group, in my opinion. I think you for your efforts.
The members of the MSM are psychotic in their arrogance, and blind to their own bias. They deserve the poverty and loss of jobs that await them.
Oh, one little anecdote from the May 7 visit by W here. One of the cops told a bunch of the shipped in “Billionaire Boys” to “move on dot org” when they tried to block the driveway to the convention center were people were awaiting the President.
October 18th, 2005 at 6:16 am
[...] “Canoe” Reporter Should Be Fired » The Compromise of Politics » Iraqi Victory, American Achievement » Howard DeanVisits California » Mayor Ray Nagin: Running For Re-Election » Condi Rice: I Don’t Want to Run for President » Rebuilding New Orleans » See Condi Run » Mel Gibson Buys $24M Malibu Mansion » The Clinton Stench » Neutral on the Miers nomination » Media Spin of Toledo Riots » A Crackdown, Not a “Crackup” » Media Staging » Time Magazine: “Are we winning?” » Iraqis Vote for Constitution (A Sad Day for Liberals) » Democrats Facing Reality? » Border Skirmishes Between US and Syrian Troops: Is Escalation at Hand? » Turning Tide? » Here Comes Jessica’s Law List all posts » [...]
November 8th, 2005 at 3:55 am
MEDIA STAGING
Is that the best Dumbgirl has to give on this subject to make excuses or to justify why her President would stage such an event to fool America?! Did he really think the American public is THAT stupid to buy into the hype? Oh wait….he’s got the half…
January 12th, 2006 at 10:57 am
[...] Here are more examples of staging. [...]