Posted on 11/23/2005 10:27:02 PM PST by Greg o the Navy
CNN Apologizes for X on Cheney's Face Wednesday, November 23, 2005 (11-23) 08:55 PST New York (AP) -- CNN has apologized for a "technical malfunction" that briefly flashed a black "X" mark over the face of Vice President Dick Cheney during the network's coverage of a speech on Monday. The "X" flashed twice, on the air for a total of one-seventh of a second, CNN said Wednesday. The incident caused a brief sensation on the Web among people suspicious that it was a political commentary. But CNN said some of its machinery had a "momentary glitch" and no human operator was involved. The "X" is something used by a computer to mark a space where one visual element is to segue into another, and is normally not seen by a viewer. The network likened its appearance to a computer that inexplicably freezes. "We obviously regret that it happened and are working on the equipment to ensure it is not repeated," the network said in a statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Of coarse we all do but not in front of the customer/ client/ patient!
Journalists, at least in the past, had a code of ethics. Prided themselves on reporting facts. (Heck at least I thought they did. Who knows.)
They probably dumped the code years ago but it wasn't until this year that made it obvious they are less ethical than used car salesmen.
They have a product to sell. Most of us would rather buy stuff from adults than kids having a temper tantrum.
If some asshole pulled this stunt in my company, I'd FIRE his ass in a heartbeat. Securit would be in his office and he/she'd be in the parking lot before he/she could call his/her spouse.
You would NEVER work for me, or any of my clients.
Just a little friendly fire in the field and you kill a few Americans.
/disgust /puke /rant
Why would I work for you? What's your biz?
Ok, I'm working on vague recollections of 18 or so years ago when I did a weekly program that was about half live and half on tape for a network affiliate in N.M..... So, I could be wrong because either thechnology had been changed or because I am remembering wrong....
Now, if VP Cheney was on tape, the X could conceivably be an accident.... But the Producer of the segment would have been remiss to have not pre-viewed the segment and fixed it. if that were the case.... or it could have just as easily been done accidentally or on purpose by someone in the editing/control booth, and the Producer did do his/her job, but thought it was a good political statement..... So, if the segment was on tape, it was either done accidentally or on purpose by an editor, with a producer that is a complete incompetent, or was the producer was trying to make a political statement on purpose.
If the segment was live, then the odds of it happening by accident are VERY unlikely... Such things as 'Transition to Black in 5 frames' are (were, anyway) primarily used during the VTR editing process and should be invisible to the 'people at home'.
I was inexperienced (HA,... I was borderline incompetent ) at the technical aspects of editing and working with the control booth techs. Nonetheless, I never had a glitch like this go out on the air, even when my producer was too busy with other duties to watch over me.
So, I'd say that while it is POSSIBLE that this was a total accident, it is highly unlikely, especially with a crew of experienced professionals running an international network operation...... I'd say the odds of it being a pure accident that just happened to occur during a segment by CNNs most hated personage are about the same as winning the Powerball lottery... Twice.
I would never hire you based on your ID. I do not deal with thugs and drug dealers engaged in murder and mayhem.
I've never sold or done drugs.
Thuggery and mayhem is another story.
No comment on murder. :-)
"Don't make it part of ours."
Thanks for saying this. It has disturbed me
lately that this is becoming so. The other
day on one thread, a couple of guys made the
point that they read DU posts so they can
"get a good mad" on to start their day.
If we are only participating in political
and cultural discussion to become like the
liberal Democrats, then we have surrendered
to them and their insane ideas.
You make good points.
The scumbag Democrats are always crybabying for "an apology" for something or another, as if an apology would accomplish anything at all. Their constant whining for "an apology" makes them look even smaller than they are (if that's possible). There's no need for us to imitate the simpletons.
CNN screwed up, they got caught, and we blasted them for it. End of story.
They can shove their "apology" where the sun don't shine.
Regards,
LH
Hitman does make a good point. Save the indignation for the big stuff.
We should remain classy and focus on issues.
At the very least have the poise, smarts, and stones to move through life without being outraged and mortified often.
It's kid's stuff.
I see there are several threads about this issue. I too watched that morning as these statements were made on CNN:
"On the air, CNN's director of technical operations explained to Kagan that at the end of Cheney's speech, the plan was to "have a CNN logo up on the screen and use that as the way of getting back from the speech back to you on camera and one of the many graphics we use here at CNN." ......
"But he explained IT CAN'T BE REPRODUCED: "YOU CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN ON PURPOSE" ....
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/p...RTICLE_ID=47534[
The next morning, I watched Fox and Friends. Lo and behold, they reproduced it.....that put that big black X over Brian Kilmead's head, repeatedly, intentionally, and ON PURPOSE.
CNN should have said it was a malfunction and left it at that. But they took it a step futher.. The compared it to a computer glitch that one has no control over. They said it was one of those things that just happens, and that "you can't make it happen on purpose".
Me thinks thou dost protest too much CNN.
Does anyone know if anything or something is being done to hold CNN accountable?
Kimberly
Haven't you heard of computers that only break down once and never have the same problem again?
"Other examples?
Haven't you heard of computers that only break down once and never have the same problem again?"
A computer did this, I do not think so, computers only do what they are instructed to do, breaking down does not describe what took place here.
Somebody gave the instruction for this to take place the instant it did, and further if it were a break down the X would have been frozen in place for a much longer time frame than was shown to have taken place.
Sorry I am NOT buying their story.
I am sure it was intentional. They are trying the boundaries to see what they can get away with now. Let them do this kind of thing all they want. Their ratings will plummet.
I can ask a friend tomorrow who has a degree in film and masters in theater who works on many of the reality shows here in Los Angeles. He'll know for certain.
Do glitches like that ever occur to Rats on CNN?
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