Why Is Live Action Doctoring Its Planned Parenthood Audio?
February 04, 2011 2:50 pm ET by Jeremy Schulman
When the anti-abortion rights propagandists at Live Action began releasing their Planned Parenthood smear videos earlier this week, we explained that their claim that Planned Parenthood was covering-up "child sex trafficking" was clearly a lie.
That's because way back on January 18, Planned Parenthood's president wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder about the incidents and requested an FBI investigation into the possibility that "an individual or individuals are engaged in activities that violate several federal criminal statutes relating to sex trafficking involving minors."
So Planned Parenthood obviously wasn't covering up anything; they were fulfilling their obligation to keep children safe.
We also warned that media should be skeptical about the heavily edited video footage released by Live Action.
As it turns out, we were right to raise concerns.
Yesterday, Live Action released a video that it claimed showed a Richmond, Virginia, Planned Parenthood's supposed "willingness to aid and abet sexual exploitation of minors."
In reality, it showed nothing of the sort. ABC News reported that the Planned Parenthood employee "appears to act professionally and appropriately" and that "[l]egal experts ... said the clinic worker's advice on how a minor could obtain an abortion without her parents' consent is consistent with state law." According to Planned Parenthood, the employee "immediately notified her supervisor, who subsequently notified members of Planned Parenthood's national security team, who are working with the FBI, which is investigating these visits."
But Live Action also appears to have doctored the audio of its Richmond "sting," moving audio from one portion of their video to a different portion.
Take a look at the 7-minute, heavily edited video that Live Action promoted. Go to the portion of the video where the camera's timestamp reads "10:32:58" (frame number 21125). The "pimp" asks how they could "set up" an abortion for a "15 year old." From off-screen, the employee apparently asks, "Well, I mean the judicial bypass?" The employee apparently goes on to explain the process. (I say "apparently," because you can't actually see the employee talking; it's just a video of the wall.)
Now look at what Live Action says is the "full" 14-minute video of the Richmond encounter. Again, go to the portion of the video where the camera's timestamp reads "10:32:58" (frame number 21125). This time, the audio is different; the employee appears to be discussing the cost of birth control and STD screenings.
In the "full" video, the portion of the exchange about the judicial bypass process discussed above begins when the camera's timestamp reads "10:34:28" (frame number 22604) -- a minute-and-a-half later than in the heavily edited video.
The only explanation is that someone at Live Action moved around the audio in one of the versions of the video.
All of which leads to this question: If Live Action is doctoring audio of their Richmond sting, what else are they lying about?
Not the Medical kind, but one that alters video by using a mouse.
You know, like Andrew Breitbart, that guy who saw himself as a Shirley Sherrod assassin.
But instead he turned out to be a Steaming Bowel Movement & had trouble in its passing.
Speak truth to power.
Mr. News
Of course with a party so willing to embrace absolutely insane interpretations of reality, no matter how far from a stable narrative it is, no matter how often they contradict themselves, and still consider themselves rational participants are clearly pretty vacant. They are told they are smart, that they see "between the lines or something" when really, they are seeing monsters in the closet shadows.
They want to rest, but they just keep hearing from the likes of Beck "Wait..Wait what was that? did that shadow move? Are you sure its safe..? that was a creak, why would under your bead creak? Dont touch the floor, or something might grab you."
and while those of us who dispelled those monsters when we had real lives to deal with, the right wing always slumbers until one of these Beck-like figures scares them again, and then only so much to get them scared of an "other" who is stretched grossly out of proportion. A boogey-man to scare the rightwing into action.
1. Someone, anyone, generates misinformation.
2. Certified Republicans media outlets (Drudge, Limbaugh, Malkin, Coultergeist, Brightbaaa) run with it.
3. Other media outlets, supposedly not authorized by Republicans, echo it - the NYT, WaPo, NPR. "Some sources say..."
4. The source is discredited and the item shown to be false. But the Certified Republicans keep treating it as real, and most others don't effectively report retractions.
5. The public is misinformed, and sentiment is incrementally moved to the right.
Usually rank amateurs, marks, and morons have job #1.
Job #2 can be a prestigious gig, full-time job with star power.
Job #4 is also performed by Palin and Gingrich. Santorum and Delay have recently applied for this job.
Our job: to not take it and to call it out.
True, the Liberals ARE behind the curve, but that's only because we still EXPECT our opponents to use above-board tactics in their arguments.
DON'T expect responsible and respectful behavior from the Reich. THAT, it turns out, our own presumption of their respectability, is their real weapon. They never hesitate to fabricate and lie when it serves their purposes, and the ONLY way to convince them to stick to the real truth is to consistently show everyone their tricks, when they do so.
Of course with a party so willing to embrace absolutely insane interpretations of reality, no matter how far from a stable narrative it is, no matter how often they contradict themselves, and still consider themselves rational participants are clearly pretty vacant. They are told they are smart, that they see "between the lines or something" when really, they are seeing monsters in the closet shadows.
They want to rest, but they just keep hearing from the likes of Beck "Wait..Wait what was that? did that shadow move? Are you sure its safe..? that was a creak, why would under your bead creak? Dont touch the floor, or something might grab you."
and while those of us who dispelled those monsters when we had real lives to deal with, the right wing always slumbers until one of these Beck-like figures scares them again, and then only so much to get them scared of an "other" who is stretched grossly out of proportion. A boogey-man to scare the rightwing into action.
And, when they lie about these videos, they'd get the pinnochio nose growth.
In place of that and because of their track record, it's clear that whatever they come up with has been heavily doctored.
I certainly hope the people running politically "targeted" institutions will take notice and be more ready for a fight next time some conservative brat with dreams of being a guest on Hannity and Beck decides to use electronic media to to slander and terrorize them with fraudulent setups.
This has got to stop, or we can just forget journalism ever returning to a place of respectability. Fox and other right wing media outlets won't take a stand. Kudos to ABC for doing what they were supposed to do, rather then just accepting the over-sensationalized and factually incorrect right wing narrative.
Imprudent editing? Yes. Lying? I don't see it.
Because that's the only way anyone would buy their BS agenda.
Seriously, friend, you are in danger, here. Next, you'll start to watch Glenn Beck while AWAKE from your accustomed trance! And when that kind of thing starts, you'll soon be signing up for the One World Government and throwing the rest of the Reich into FEMA concentration camps, with the rest of us clueless Liberals.
This sort of stuff happens all the time on broadcast news, they cut and shift portions of audio and video for many reasons. As long as the message conveyed isn't changed it's called editing not doctoring. No attempt was made to dispute the validity of the audio, except for the lame/ominous statement First, since the message remains intact whatever video you watch it's called editing, not doctoring. Secondly, the phrase "...what else are they lying about?" implies that they've been caught in a lie when, in fact, the truthfulness of the recording was never questioned in this article. If MMfA really wanted to make a convincing argument they'd come up with some proof rather than just throwing a red herring into the echo chamber.
BTW, I'd bet the above article went through some sort of editing. According to MMfA standards that must mean it's been doctored and is just a pack of lies.
Or, if it is a worker, how do we know what question the worker is responding to if the audio has been spliced from a different portion of the video?
This isn't hard to figure.
We don't need advice from the psych ward, mmkay? Now, isn't it past your bedtime?
Quick question: Exactly how brown are your eyes?
-A REAL journalist or investigative reporter does not enter into the situation with a predetermined judgment and elaborate setup to manipulate the outcome to suit their agenda.
-A REAL journalist does not terrorize and harass members of an organization with only the goal of slandering them.
-A REAL journalist investigates, rather then attempt to "force" the news to happen in a way they can later edit to suit their goals.
This is not journalism, this is dirty advocacy propaganda in the pursuit of destructive political ends. No good can come of results achieved by complete dishonesty and fraudulence.
Get real!
Broadcast news "edits" for commercial timing and when they do edit they usually announce they've edited the video and give their website where you can view the entire video.
In the case of Liveaction just like Breithart, "creative editing" was done to create a picture to got with the story THEY want to tell.
The truth is Liveaction's fake video sting against Plan Parenthood is not breaking news or any serious relevant news, just another agenda driven story featured on Fox Noise the GOP Public Relation firm of the GOP.
First is was Acorn, then it was the NAACP (Shirley Sherrod) and now it's Plan Parenthood and next it'll be NPR or someone else.
The loony right is predictable if nothing else.
So if I interview you, and ask if you raped a young girl in 1997, but don't like your answer of "No," so I insert your voice answering "Yes" from some other place in the tape, surely THEN you would understand the danger to truth, here?
Seriously, is THIS how shallow your definition of truth is? Did God teach you that?
You should take a look at yourself and ask why you're willing to lie and assist in the lies of others who want to smear good people for political gain. That's a really ugly character trait.
By the way, this isn't knew PP employees have been caught doing this foor more than 4 years, in at least 10 states and in at least two dozens instances...that to me smells of a standard practice no one bad apple.
In addition, PPs story just doesn't add up. Who waits to report a potential crime of the rape and trafficking of underage girls, and the crime report by way of a letter to the AG, rather then just calling the local cops.
Did any PP employee ever excuse themselves and go have someone call the police at the time of these activities. You have a crime inmprogress, girls in danger and you decide writing a letter is your answer? Please.
Hey, we have a guy here claiming he has 14 year olds being raped and sex traffixed..but we don't call the police? We send a letter to the Justice Dept...give me a break.
Really? A "crime in progress"?
Now EXACTLY WHERE is this "crime in progress" taking place? In front of the Plan Parenthood employee? Down the street, 2 blocks over?
And WHAT do YOU think the local police would do when the Plan Parenthood employee says this guy says he's trafficking 14 year old girls and the guys turn around and says, no I didn't say that, this employee is lying?
Unless there is ACTUAL PROOF, it becomes one persons word against another and the Plan Parenthood employee has ZERO PROOF that anything this guy says is the TRUTH!!!!
You loonies need to adjust your tin foil hats, you're screaming and foaming at the mouth about an event that's not even real!
Let's give you a clue, if someone identifies themself as a trafficker in child prostitution, any advice you give to skirt the laws against child prostitution and sex trafficking is ILLEGAL. By definition the girls are not willing participants in this activity...they are underage...hello.
If a sex trafficed 14 year old is told to lie to the judge to get a judicial by-pass, that is a crime...hello. Were not talking about a 14 yer old that got pregnant by her 14 year old boyfriend, we are talking about young girls in coerced sex with adults.
Pentagon Paid Billions To Contractors Suspended For Fraud
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/02/pentagon-billions-contractor-fraud_n_817682.html
and this:
The ACORN hypocrisy
http://dangerousintersection.org/2009/09/23/the-acorn-hypocrisy/
Take this with the Repugs plan to privitize Social security and give vouchers for medicare in the name of fighting debt while hyproctically adding to the debt in the sum of 436 billion dollars with a tax-cut for the top 2% and we see whose side these radical right wing Repugs are on.
Call in the Murines and get the red out! Hehe... yeah, I had to do it.
"Accurate or not, the videos helped fuel a debate on the Hill that was already resurfacing."
I like that: "Accurate or not." New Fox News slogan.
Source:http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/05/abortion-debate-returns-capitol-hill-proposed-restrictions-advance/
Once news media stop even making the pretense of fact checking whatever comes in the door then expect to see this sort of thing a lot more.
John
You guessed it.
It was the OLD MMFA before they became Right Wing obsessed and forgiving of the so-called Mainstream Media and it's commitment to the Republican party and the Corporations they solely represent.
http://mediamatters.org/research/200807230001
Ah, the good old days.
John