Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

Obama Gets Applause at West Point, Fox Erases It?

Posted by "GrrlScientist" on May 25, 2010
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President Obama addressed the graduates at West Point Academy on Saturday, saying, “Adversaries want to divide us, but we are united by our support for you — soldiers who send a clear message that this country is both the land of the free and the home of the brave.” His comments about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the threats of terrorism received applause from the graduates, but Fox News apparently didn’t like it! Filmmaker Michael Moore linked to the Fox video on Twitter, which features what seems to be an edited pause, making it look like Obama was met with silence when he said the country is poised to end the war in Iraq this summer. However, Michael Moore isn’t exactly the most unbiased reporter.

Watch the Faux News version for yourself [Fox News version, 0:46-56]:

Compared to the official White House recording [see actual footage, before FauxNews got their grimey hands on it: 10:28-38]

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Comments

  1. #1 Tabor
    May 25, 2010

    I get so mad that they can get away with such propaganda. They routinely load incorrect videos of crowds in news stories and now they edit out applause…idiots!

  2. #2 Thomas
    May 25, 2010

    Soon they’ll edit out Obama altogher in the old Soviet style of pretending unwanted people never existed.

  3. #3 pk1154
    May 25, 2010

    Bastards!!

    Was going to say more, but deleted it.

    So I’ll say this again:

    BASTARDS!!

  4. #4 Ray Ingles
    May 25, 2010

    http://ceasespin.org/ceasespin_blog/ceasespin_blogger_files/fox_news_gets_okay_to_misinform_public.html

    “On February 14, a Florida Appeals court ruled there is absolutely nothing illegal about lying, concealing or distorting information by a major press organization… The attorneys for Fox, owned by media baron Rupert Murdock, argued the First Amendment gives broadcasters the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports…”

  5. #5 Scott
    May 25, 2010

    I agree that Faux “News” misreported here. But, IIRC, Cadets at the Academies in this type of political speech situation are required to applaud politely. The idea is that, as members of the armed forces in uniform, they aren’t allowed to express political opinions, but are expected to show polite responses to whoever is on the podium. I haven’t watched the video, so I don’t know how enthusiastic the applause is in this case, but it might not be as meaningful as at an otherwise “open” political rally.

  6. #6 jon
    May 25, 2010

    @Scott: Of course a bunch of wet behind the ears kaydets are supposed to applaud politely and keep their opinions to themselves. That’s what makes Fox’s lie so egregious; the implication that even those well-mannered kids refused to applaud, thereby expressing an opinion through their silence.

  7. #7 Kevin
    May 25, 2010

    How is it not illegal to misrepresent ‘news’ in these ways?

  8. #8 Lloyd Hargrove
    May 25, 2010

    Strange also that the background scene doesn’t seem to line up very well with the compared vids while both are seemingly close to being directly in front of the President, more or less.

    My initial thoughts were that Fox was posting just a brief 1:49 edited clip versus a 32:55 minute official document clip and that this might also have some bearing in the lack of applause, but the “silent” pause as shown with Obama standing there looking like he’s waiting for applause is a bit much. Not a bad speech but it was a bit long.

    As to the edit, I thought this kind of crap went out of fashion when Bush left but apparently not. So goes the continuation of crass media political leanings.