Questions Raised About O'Keefe's Editing Of NPR Sting Video

NPR ^ | March 12, 2011

[La Lydia]

When conservative political activist James O'Keefe released the 11-minute edited version of his secretly recorded video of then-NPR chief fundraiser Ron Schiller slamming conservatives, O'Keefe also posted what he says is the entire two hours' worth of video his undercover team collected.

"Judge for yourself" whether he produced a fair and balanced 11-minute version, O'Keefe said last Tuesday when his tapes hit the Web.

As NPR's David Folkenflik says on Weekend Edition Sunday, conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck's website The Blaze has done some judging and concluded that O'Keefe did make some misleading edits. The Blaze wrote Thursday that some things O'Keefe did were "editing tactics that seem designed to intentionally lie or mislead about the material being presented." For instance, The Blaze says that in the edited tape "NPR exec Ron Schiller does describe Tea Party members as 'xenophobic ... seriously racist people.' " But, it notes:

"The clip in the edited video implies Schiller is giving simply his own analysis of the Tea Party. He does do that in part, but the raw video reveals that he is largely recounting the views expressed to him by two top Republicans, one a former ambassador, who admitted to him that they voted for Obama.

"At the end, he signals his agreement. The larger context does not excuse his comments, or his judgment in sharing the account, but would a full context edit have been more fair?"...

[La Lydia]

Now NPR claims the O'Keefe tapes were edited deceitfully. When in disgrace, go on the offense, I guess. But either those NPR people said those things, or they didn't. Who ya gonna believe, NPR, or your own lying eyes and ears?

[DouglasKC]

I just wonder how come nobody is concerned about editing of interviews by liberal media such as cnnabcnbccbs?

[DouglasKC]

I just wonder how come nobody is concerned about editing of interviews by liberal media such as cnnabcnbccbs?

[DouglasKC]

I just wonder how come nobody is concerned about editing of interviews by liberal media such as cnnabcnbccbs?

[unixfox]

As socialists/marxists/liberals always do. It IS their creed.

NEVER TAKE RESPONSILBILTY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS!

[y6162]

No bias here...move along...nothing to see...send tax dollars...

[unixfox]

And I take RESPONSIBILITY for the spelling! DOH!

[SubMareener]

NPR is desperate! They are quoting Glenn Beck's “The Blaze” analysis of the whole tape. That said, it could be argued that O’Keefe did leave some exculpating evidence on the cutting room floor.

[henry_reardon]

considering the way O’Keefe played the acorn sting I would have thought these idiots at npr would be keeping mum

[digger48]

Then why was he canned?

And why was Vivian canned?

They’re still clinging to the “heavily editted” excuse for ACORN and Shirley Sherrod, too.

But Katie Courics interview with Sarah Palin, which pared 5 hours of taping down to what...20 minutes?.....was a snapshot into the feeble mind of the VP candidate?

[pnh102]

Why does NPR care? The people involved are canned.

[PDMiller]

Someone needs to contact Obama’s “Irony Czar”. NPR using The Blaze to exonerate itself? Seriously?

[bray]

Never heard any complaints about Katie Curic’s editing of Sarah Palin’s interview. Now we are worried about this racist? His condescension and attitude was as bad as the words.

Pray for Japan

[Doc Savage]

Schiller: Sure I shot him point blank, but they edited the video to make it seem like I was guilty!!!!!! I didn’t kill him, the bullet did!!!! They tricked me!

[chickadee]

I heard that the tape was edited by Michael Moore.

[mewzilla]

NPR cares because they don’t know what else O’Keefe has got. And it sounds as though he’s got plenty more :)

[FrankR]

Everytime the left gets caught with their pants down, they play the "context" and "editing" card. I'm sure there were edits to cut out the small talk, and superfluous chatter, but as a veteran of broadcasting I've edited many tapes and interviews, and the part that was published was in continuity with no pops, drop-outs, or slurs that would be found in edited tapes.

NPR is treading water...going down for the 3rd time.

[GOPJ]

Yeah, the guy 'took off his NPR hat' for the worst of his racist hate toward the Tea Party. So what? It's how liberals feel about us - most of us know liberals... are they saying it's NOT how they feel? That they really respect us? Gimme a break.

And besides, what about working with a group connected to the Muslim Brotherhood - a terrorist organization? Did NPR forget that little detail? Or the Jew bashing... was that 'edited' wrong?

We have NPR's number...

[EQAndyBuzz]

I’m confused. I saw Nina Totenberg say on a show that NPRs journolistas are fair and balance.

I now realize that fair and balanced means what is inbetween Socialism and Marxism.

[UCANSEE2]

What they are saying (and it's absolutely true) is that MOST OF THE PUBLIC is EASILY influenced by the edited version, because they WON'T take the time to watch the full version, or don't have easy access to it.

They KNOW this is true, because they, and all the other media, take as much advantage of that fact as they can, every day.