Media Research Center President and NewsBusters.org Publisher Brent Bozell today issued a public statement in which he demanded that MSNBC accept responsibility and apologize for concocting a racially charged "news" story that falsely accused a supposedly white health reform protester of carrying a gun out of hatred for a black President.
NewsBusters.org's Kyle Drennen initially reported on this on Tuesday, and yesterday provided an update: that the Second Amendment Foundation, as the name would suggest a gun-owners rights group, had condemned the liberal network for "using deceptively-edited video from a Phoenix, Arizona anti-tax rally on Monday to invent a racial stereotype in its on-going effort to demonize and marginalize American firearms owners as ‘racists.’"
After Politico.com picked up Kyle's initial NewsBusters.org item, an MSNBC spokesperson attempted to justify the slander: "Contessa was speaking generally and not about that specific person with the automatic weapon."
But Brewer did specifically cite an unidentified African-American man who attended a protest outside of a Monday speech by President Obama: "Yesterday, as President Obama addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Phoenix, a man at a pro-health care reform rally just outside, wore a semiautomatic assault rifle on his shoulder and a pistol on his hip."
Bozell's statement:
"This goes beyond ‘sloppy' reporting by MSNBC. This was a deliberate effort to brand conservatives as racists - and now as violent racists.
"Since the beginning of the presidential campaign, this so-called ‘news' network has tried desperately to convince viewers that opposition to Barack Obama must be race-based. Now they are actually producing deliberately misleading stories to push that agenda. As a ‘news' network, MSNBC is a disgrace.
"MSNBC owes this man and the tens of thousands of protestors a public apology. It should also extend that apology to its tens of thousands of viewers."
—Seton Motley is Director of Communications for the Media Research Center and Contributing Editor for NewsBusters.org.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Thank you Seton and
August 21, 2009 - 12:57 ET by d1carterThank you Seton and Brent...MSNBC has not been a "news" organization in some time. MSNBC was created as a cable propaganda channel by the management of NBC. Jeff Zucker and Steve Capus created this monster to put out the liberal message. It is now out of control and they are responsible.
"[MSNBC's] tens of thousands of viewers."
August 21, 2009 - 13:02 ET by SickofLibsHar! Nice one, Brent!
Viewers.
August 21, 2009 - 14:36 ET by blazermaniacI thought that Brent meant, tens of viewers!
So wait a minute
August 21, 2009 - 13:02 ET by nwahsMSNBC is editing black people out its video's of the protests?
MSNBC edited out any images that would identify the guy carrying the guns as black?
How is this not blatant racism?
I am the mob. Don't tread on me.
As a ‘news' network,
August 21, 2009 - 13:05 ET by motherbeltAs a ‘news' network, MSNBC is a disgrace.
Well said, and pithy!!
Tens of thousands of viewers?
I think Brent was being kind.
mb... LOL good
August 21, 2009 - 13:15 ET by bigtimermb...
LOL good point...very kind indeed...more like overly generous.
edit~Uh-oh mb....he was referring to protesters...not viewers...hehee
Brent has that right.
Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh
Way to Go, Brent!
August 21, 2009 - 13:13 ET by BO STINKSKeep the pressure on. It's about time these liars are held accountable by and to the public. Bet we'll be hearing more and more accountability stories in the future.
"...it must be known that we are at all times ready for war." G. Washington
Deliberate
August 21, 2009 - 13:15 ET by KC MulvilleNow that they've run out of red meat to feed their audience, they're throwing out sausage, filled with whatever scraps they can find.
msnbc apologize? I'm not
August 21, 2009 - 13:17 ET by bigtimermsnbc apologize?
I'm not holding my breath.
Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh
Me either. The drive-by
August 21, 2009 - 13:57 ET by QueenMumMe either, bt. The drive-by media is alive and well; and the people who really need to know the truth will never hear it.
Good work, Brent. I presume someone at FNN will pick up on this. I hope so
"The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out
of other people's money."
—Margaret Thatcher
Well, MSNBC might try this for a start:
August 22, 2009 - 14:34 ET by needle“We at MSNBC are sorry some people object to the fact that we are dedicated to the success of the Obama administration, which we helped get elected in the first place. Naturally we are not going to have anything to do with the reporting of information that reflects poorly upon our Obama administration, and may occasionally exercise our freedom of the press to make up stuff, and to enhance our news stories so as to trash those who resist our policies and views. If you don’t like this, well then we are sorry for you.”
- Relying upon the State Run Media for your information is like relying upon an embezzler for your portfolio management.
This has GOT to be an MSNBC trial balloon.
August 22, 2009 - 15:07 ET by TailgunnerHey Olbermann...run this up your flagpole.
Nationalized Healthcare is a DEATH SENTENCE.
MSNBC doesn't see color: no really, they edit out blacks
August 21, 2009 - 13:25 ET by Jack BauerThis much I know is true:
If there was ANY news footage of a person of pallor carrying a firearm at any Townhall or Obama event, it would be on a thirty second loop 24/7 for a month on every cable news outlet.
The fact that MSNBC had to edit the only footage to make the black man "invisible" (hey, isn't that racist?) tells us all we need to know.
Let's remember...
August 21, 2009 - 13:42 ET by xcor057that the MS in MSNBC stands for Microsoft. There are two companies to boycot and email here.
Liberalism is fiction
I would but...
August 21, 2009 - 14:18 ET by wizardjrMicro$oft makes such crappy software that it keeps me in high-dollar jobs trying to get things to actually work. The .Net platform is okay but I've already discovered some really nasty 'features' that crop up in the most dastardly ways.
Thanks Micro$uck.
protect your self online!
August 21, 2009 - 19:30 ET by armedcitizenThe latest Ubuntu is the easiest transition for windows users. You even can run it as a live CD, which does not install anything on your PC, and you can use that way for general web browsing, virus free!!
Sorry for being off the main topic, but I've been runing Ubuntu Linux for a long time now, and I'm very surprised and pleased on how easy it is. When you run into any trouble, there are thousands of friendly folks with the answer!
So that's my first suggestion, second, keep your powder dry..... :-)
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
NRO's Goldberg...
August 21, 2009 - 13:43 ET by BKeyserhas a really good post about Obama and the Race Card. Intelligent read.
Re NRO Link
August 21, 2009 - 14:15 ET by slickwillie2001Good link. Here's another one, to counter the alternate history that the liberals are trying to sell us on:
The Long Sordid Tale of Anti-Black Brutality on the American Left: http://www.reason.com/news/show/135553.html
Brent's statement ...
August 21, 2009 - 15:20 ET by SentryDanBrent's statement that MSNBC is a disgrace is spot on. And that MSNBC owes the protestors and their viewers an apology is also spot on. I doubt, however, that will ever happen. That network, as with all the rest of the MSM are so in the tank for "the chosen one", "the messiah" obama.
Remember folks, Freedom isn't Free. It was bought with the blood and sacrifice of the men and women who are serving and who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.
Also remember folks, that the way to SUPPORT THE TROOPS is to support their mission. Anyone who says that they support the troops but don't support their mission is lying about supporting the troops. And if you want to know, yes I do have a dog in the fight, he is a United States Marine.
Why Bring A Gun To A Presidential Townhall In The First Place?
August 21, 2009 - 16:02 ET by The7SticksThe question I would ask is: why bring a gun to a presidential townhall in the first place, regardless whether you're black or white? Can you imagine the outrage if someone tried to pull a stunt like that at a townhall meeting with the second President Bush? Obviously not in the media, but at least in the general public anyway? I don't know what the point was that needed to be proven by brigning a gun. President Obama has made it clear that he's not going to take away peoples' guns in general and not infringe on our second amendment rights. So what's the point?
"Can you imagine the
August 21, 2009 - 16:14 ET by NL207"Can you imagine the outrage if someone tried to pull a stunt like that at a townhall meeting with the second President Bush?"
Where was the outrage over either a novel, "Checkpoint", or a movie, "Death of a President", about assassinating the President during Bush's time? These weren't just about assassinating any US President. They were specifically about killing Bush himself.
Your argument fails the test.
NL... It's 7s....he can't
August 21, 2009 - 16:20 ET by bigtimerNL...
It's 7s....he can't help himself at times....well heck, the majority of the time...as I bet you already know.
Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh
I know who it is and I don't
August 21, 2009 - 16:22 ET by NL207I know who it is and I don't care. He needs to change his diaper anyway.
At least a reality check
August 21, 2009 - 16:25 ET by bigtimerAt least a reality check about O/Holder etc wanting to mess with the 2nd Amendment...if they can...plus HR45 in the House.
Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh
Do you really believe a word Obama says?
August 21, 2009 - 19:23 ET by Tailgunner'President Obama has made it clear that he's not going to take away peoples' guns in general and not infringe on our second amendment rights. So what's the point?'
Either you don't believe that and you're a Dem shill.
Or you actually believe it which makes you a Dem fool.
If Obama doesn't like the laws of a particular state he can go elsewhere.
I'm under no obligation to please him or make him feel secure by surrendering my rights.
Nationalized Healthcare is a DEATH SENTENCE.
Obama also said he wasn't interested in the government...
August 21, 2009 - 19:33 ET by R D Helm...running the auto industry, the mortgage industry, and the banking industry.
The feds now own two of our three automakers, a majority of the mortgage industry, and are working swiftly to take over the nation's banks.
Yet, you want me to believe that this lying sack of manure isn't interested in taking away our guns just because he said he wasn't.
Right.
-Dave
"tens of thousands of viewers"
August 21, 2009 - 21:22 ET by Jack HermanIsn't that being generous?
"MSNBC owes this man and
August 21, 2009 - 21:33 ET by MikeB"MSNBC owes this man and the tens of thousands of protestors a public apology. It should also extend that apology to its tens of thousands of viewers."
Yeah. Like that'll ever happen.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
An Apolgy from MSNBC
August 22, 2009 - 07:11 ET by ChattychitoGood luck! you'll get an apology when the lake of fire enters an ice age.
"A man who doesn't borrow from the brains of others proves he has no brains of his own." CH Spurgeon
MSNBC viewers
August 22, 2009 - 20:13 ET by thelahunginjeetYou mean its tens of viewers?