KTVA calls claims pushed by Palin on Fox News Sunday "absurd"
October 31, 2010 2:18 pm ET by Media Matters staff
Politico's Ben Smith reported, "Big Government today posted a snippet of recorded conversation from the newsroom of the Anchorage CBS Affiliate KTVA," and that "Sarah Palin on Fox News Sunday this morning called the tape evidence that the station are 'corrupt bastards' conspiring to fabricate news about Miller."
Smith further wrote, "The transcript does not, in fact, make it terribly clear what they're talking about," and that KTVA general manger Jerry Bever issued a statement saying that the allegations being forwarded by Palin were "absurd."
KTVA's statement in full:
A press release issued Saturday October 30, 2010, by the Joe Miller campaign claims that KTVA personnel, "openly discuss creating, if not fabricating, two stories about Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Joe Miller." KTVA General Manager Jerry Bever says, "It's unfortunate that this recording has happened. It's unfortunate because it does not accurately reflect the journalistic standards of our newsroom and the garbled context will no doubt leave more questions than answers. The Miller campaign's analysis of the recording is incorrect in many material ways ranging from personnel involved in the conversation, the interpretation of conversation snippets and the reported transcript of the perceived garbled conversation."
"While the recording is real, the allegations are untrue," said Bever. "The recording was the result of a cell phone not being hung up after a call was placed to Randy DeSoto, Joe Miller campaign spokesperson, Thursday afternoon to discuss Joe Miller's appearance on that evening's newscast. That phone call was placed near the end of a coverage planning meeting in our newsroom regarding that evening's Miller rally in downtown Anchorage. The group of KTVA news personnel was reviewing potential "what-if" scenarios, discussing the likelihood of events at the rally and how KTVA might logistically disseminate any breaking news."
Bever continues, "The perception that this garbled, out of context recording may leave is unfortunate, but to allege that our staff was discussing or planning to create or fabricate stories regarding candidate Miller is absurd. The complete conversation was about what others might be able to do to cause disruption within the Miller campaign, not what KTVA could do."
While Bever would not discuss any personnel issues linked with the recording, Bever says "Have we had internal discussions about the level of professionalism we need to bring to our conversations, internally and externally? Of course we have, this is a lesson to learn from."

















Since the tape is in position of the Miller campaign...how does KTVA know the full content...and thus be able to deny the charges?
If KTVA has the full tape...confirming their rebuttal...then Brock's plaintive cry for full disclosure by Breitbart should more logically be directed at KTVA.
I repeat; to support an accusation, the accuser needs proof that what they're saying is true and valid. The person being accused needs to do nothing of the sort if no evidence has been presented that the accusation is true. And no, the word of Breitbart, Palin, and Miller aren't 'proof'. They're one and all proven liars.
Palin better have proof if she wants to claim stuff like this, and she better allow access to the unedited versions. Otherwise it's not 'proof' at all, just more smear from the mistress of it.
Sure is...and it's yours.
I didn't say that Breitbart should not release the full transcript to back his claim...that's your strawman deflection. Of course Brietbart should release the tape in entirety.
However, I'll leave it to you to explain how KTVA can make a clear and definitive rebuttal if they don't have the full tape. If they do have the full tape...then Brock's call for full disclosure should be directed to his ally in the argument...and that is KTVA...simple logic that it appears you and Brock have missed.
If KTVA has the tape...they can clear up the entire fabrication by Breitbart...regardless of your faulty logic that they should rely on Breitbart to clear them of these charges.
THEY. DON'T. NEED. THE. TAPE. They don't need to do anything whatsoever unless some evidence is released that they've done something wrong. In that case they simply need to refute whatever 'proof' Breitbart and Palin have dreamed up.
You really seem incapable of understanding simple concepts like 'burden of proof' and logical arguments. Bravo. I've seen third graders that pick up on it quicker than you.
One more time: when a person is accusing another person of something, it isn't the responsibility of the person being accused to mount any sort of defense beyond saying that they did not do whatever it is when the only 'evidence' is the word of proven liars like Sarah Palin and Andrew Breitbart.
I'd have thought it would be hard to fail as spectacularly at understanding that concept as you have, but you've proven me wrong. Bravo.
</sarcasm>
Kinda like how the Tea Party yelled the n-word at black congressmen and there is STILL no evidence?
If there is more, what isn't it out there.
And do you think that the tape is necessary to recall a conversation?
The QOTUS is crying like the spoiled bitch she happens to be.
BS=Breitbart Sh$t
Using Wesley's 'logic', you could call him a child molester and claim that you have a tape of him luring children. According to him, it's now his responsibility to seek out proof to show that he isn't, not yours for proving such a condemnation.
See how it works Wesley, you retard lunatic?
BROCK: "Sarah Palin has made serious accusations of journalistic malfeasance... Palin has a responsibility to release the full, unedited tapes publicly and to all media."
Logically, the accuser has the responsibility of providing evidence to back up their accusation. That's just common sense.
Logic fails you.
Go back to you mothers basement, Wesley.
Duh, doofus - they were THERE, participating in the conversation while it was going on! They KNOW the context of the cropped comments, because they were part of the overall conversation!
KTVA doesn't have to HAVE the tape - they have the memories of all the people who were there, discussing HOW they would react and report given a variety of possible scenarios!
Geesh - this is not rocket science, dummy!
TV station officials know what else was said in the news department event coverage meeting because, surprise, TV station news department personnel were there and recalled what the context was and, in general, what they were discussing and said.
A listen to the audio snippet Breitbart obviously excerpted, as he did to the Sherrod video, leaves absolutely no doubt that there is more recorded audio before what we hear. The message the caller left for the Miller campaign spokesman is missing, for sure. And, there is a good possibility there was additional conversation among the TV newsroom personnel that was not included in the released snippet. My guess is that it was not released, if it exists, because it is exculpatory for the TV newsroom personnel with regard to Breitbart's, Miller's, and Palin's fantasy about a concocted story.
There could also be the issue about the legality of releasing the recorded material without permission of both/all parties to the phone conversation. That's a matter of state (Alaska) law. I don't know, off-hand, what ALaska law is on the matter. But, a cousin of this situation has Breitbart protege O'Keefe in trouble with Maryland officials in the ACORN case.
But in the RightWingNut world, it is always Halloween. They dress-up as FoxBots everyday.
If KTVA were going to make up some story, where is said story? If they did make one up, and didn't release it, then there is someone out there who would know about it.
No jacked up story from the station equals no story from Palin and company. I am pretty sure that they're just making stuff up.
does she really believe that someone committed to vote against her boy would simply change their vote based on this absurd claim..?
You Bozos will believe anything Caribou Barbie, and Breitfart will dish up!
They said they released a "Snippet" AKA out of context. Where is the rest of the effin tape?
The news station employees don't need it, they witnessed it live!!!
How many times are you gonna let this clown pull this crap before you realize that he's full of S#$t?
I was a newspaper reporter for 20 years. During election season, part of our job was to discuss the political strategies of warring camps. And when covering criminal trials, we also discussed defense strategies. Our sports reporters were known to speculate on coaches' and players' strategies. That's what reporters do.
Sure the profession has some bad eggs, but like Veruca in Willy Wonka, they're ejected pretty quickly. And the worst, worst, worst offense is to deliberately misinform. Not only would you get fired, you'd get shamed in the trade press and have difficulty finding another job.
Jose, you and your likeminded friends have been played. The right has been on a decades-long campaign to discredit the media so that when Republicans and conservatives are held to account they can play the "liberal media bias" card and get away with pretty much anything.
It's kind of like criminals arguing that the cops are always framing them. Imagine if criminals had a 24/7 cable news network and control 90 percent of talk radio -- you'd be posting here about the inherent "corruption" of cops.
I hold both sides of the ideological divide accountable.
Do a search on Jose
here.
and note that I get thumbs up sometimes.
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