Bill Sammon's memo to Fox, edited for accuracy
September 21, 2009 7:27 pm ET by Ben Dimiero
As Eric mentioned earlier, Mediaite obtained an internal memo written by Fox News managing editor Bill Sammon this afternoon. Sammon was responding to the embarrassing video of a Fox producer encouraging the 9/12 protestors prior to a live report.
While Mr. Sammon's memo is mostly on-point, I wanted to take the opportunity to revise it slightly. My additions are in bolded italics throughout.
From:
Sammon, Bill
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 2:25 PM
To: 005 -Washington
Subject: standards
For those of us who have only been at Fox for a relatively short period of time, it's useful to remind ourselves that, as journalists, we must always be careful to cover the story without becoming part of the story. Occasionally, however, the story is totally about us. At news events, we're supposed to function as dispassionate observers, not active participants. We are there to chronicle the news, not create it. Unless other outlets are ignoring super-important stories.
That means we ask questions in a fair, impartial manner. For example, Obama's health care plan is not necessarily worse than cancer, which is why we must simply ask if it is. When approaching interviewees, we identify ourselves, by both name and news organization, up front. This is especially important when we ambush them on vacation. We seek out a variety of voices and views. Sometimes these can be hard to find, so don't stress too much about it. We take note of the scene in order to bring color and context to our viewers. For example, take stock of a scene by asking tax day protesters when "are we going to wake up and start fighting the fascism that seems to be permeating this country?"
We do not cheerlead for one cause or another. When celebrating the defeat of various Democratic proposals and ideas, use, at most, one exclamation point proclaiming "Victory!" We do not rile up a crowd. If a crowd happens to be boisterous when we show it on TV, so be it. If it happens to be quiet, that's fine, too. It's not our job to affect the crowd's behavior one way or the other. If the crowd we spent months encouraging to show up happens to be angry, then we should respect their display of grassroots anger. Again, we're journalists, not participants -- and certainly not performers. Note: Exceptions granted to rodeo clowns.
Indeed, any effort to affect the crowd's behavior only serves to undermine our legitimate journalistic role as detached eyewitnesses. Remember, our viewers are counting on us to be honest brokers when it comes to reporting -- not altering -the important events of the day. If these important events of the day are eerily similar to GOP press releases and websites, so be it. That is nothing less than a sacred trust. We must always take pains to preserve that trust. I cannot stress this enough: always.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please stop by. I'll be working with Sean on our upcoming video editing ethics seminar.
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This is a nice PR trick by Fox News. They can "leak" this kind of self-serving memo stating all of their sacred news principles, and it saves them having to answer a lot of questions about the whole thing.
If he is dumb then he actually believes that.
I don't understand how FAUX SNOOZE stays.....well, on, much less has a large viewership. Or maybe I do: Since conservatives HAVE spent decades poisoning the minds of their followers, most have likely been trained since birth to hate Dems....no surprise then that over this time, they grew up many of their children to become Teachers, Doctors, Lawyers, elected officials, and media heads, to perpetuate that poisoning, and we get what we have today: A boat load of ignorant, mean spirited, haters who - OH, SO NOT GOOD :(!
Personally, I can't figure out how FAUX escapes being successfully sued to death many times over [though they have had multiple suits brought against them, It obviously doesn't bother them] for the lies and smears they consistently spew. What ever happened to libel and slander laws?
Why is it these loons can bring guns to within feet of Obama events yet liberals got hauled off just for "no Bush" t-shirts?!
Is THAT supposed to be equal justice? And BTW, this disparity is usually ignored in the MSM. WHY?
And why are those conservatives paraded on TV allowed to get away with claiming there's no racism in their T-bag whores when I can see DOZENS and DOZENS of hideous, racist signs at all of them? MSM, I would certainly do a MUCH BETTER JOB....and I'd charge your bosses much less to do it, too, ya greedy creeps.
How did conservatives become immune to retribution for any ill they do? And last but possibly most importantly:
WHY THE HELL did Liberals sit back for DECADES while these animals became the ones who control the media AND in a way, even when in the minority, the government; the two MOST IMPORTANT entities to "we the people"?!?
We SUCK!
Crap, four years as a journalism major and they never told me that.
I know it's Fox News, but Sammon's letter exemplifies top-level journalism as a whole. They screw up at kindergarten-level daily. Most other people in Sammon's position pretend that the skullcrushingly obvious mistakes are subtle and nuanced.
Secondly, Sammon's a shrub-shill of the first order.
When Teddy Kennedy died, he was on fixed news Sunday whining about the favorable coverage from the NYT in their obit lead in contrast to their obit lead for Jesse Helms.
What else do ya need to know?
Do you plan of firing anybody who does not follow your edict? Because if that is the threat, you will be a very lonely man, in charge of no one. If there isn't a threat of termination, then this whole thing is a sham and you are a liar. Which is it Mr. Sammon, integrity or duplicity?
You may continue sponsoring and promoting teabagging events on air in the future, but take care not to get caught doing it at live events.
Bill Sammon