Courtroom Explodes in Laughter After ABC’s Sawyer Touts Fairness of Journalists

Photo of Scott Whitlock.

Thursday’s edition of "Good Morning America" featured a Diane Sawyer anecdote that revealed the low opinion Americans have of journalists. After wrapping up a segment on people who avoid jury duty, the ABC co-host recounted the "hurtful" experience she had in a courtroom:

Video (0:55): Real (1.51) or Windows (1.71 MB), plus MP3 Audio (607kB) and MP3 audio (just the soundbite -- 130 kB)

[Wrap up of segment on getting out of jury duty.]

Diane Sawyer: "You know, I wanted to sit on a jury once and I was taken off the jury. And the judge said to me, 'Can, you know, can you tell the truth and be fair?' And I said, 'That's what journalists do.' And everybody in the courtroom laughed. It was the most hurtful moment I think I've ever had."

Before closing the July 12 piece on Americans who evade jury duty, GMA reporter John Berman divulged another fact about Ms. Sawyer. She’s the individual who explains the rules to New York jurors:

7:34am

John Berman: "For those who do show up, in New York at least, there are some treats."

Diane Sawyer [From a New York instructional video]: "Hi, I’m Diane Sawyer and I’m going to take you through the way it really is, what you can expect when you sit on a jury."

Berman: "Now, we don’t know if the man in Massachusetts had the benefit of that inspirational video."


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I SO WISH I WAS THERE TO SEE

I SO WISH I WAS THERE TO SEE THAT!!!  hahaha!

She should star in a remake of "Clueless" , a new movie about modern day "journalists".  Diane, you and your peers are a JOKE! 

Anyone who says they support the troops but not the mission is a liar. 

That would have made it worth

That would have made it worth being called for jury duty.

Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge will be shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods. Albert Einstein

There is no way I would have

There is no way I would have survived being in that courtroom. I would still be laughing myself to death. Who knew Diane was such and good comedienne.

Imagine how the rest of us fe

Imagine how the rest of us feel ...

The trouble is she doesn't se

The trouble is she doesn't see the irony in what she said and what everyone believed. 

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.

The truth hurts, doesn't it D

The truth hurts, doesn't it Diane?

Poor baby, maybe you need to go to a remedial self-esteem course.

Wasnt' there a story out toda

Wasnt' there a story out today about the ever-lasting damage caused by someone being called 'fatso' when they were a kid?

I can't even begin to imagine the damage Diane must have suffered as a result of the entire courtroom laughing. She needs to seek Government-sponsored medical assistance somewhere.

Yes... in Cuba.*****"I'm

Yes... in Cuba.

*****

"I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for a clown that gives a damn!" - Sticky the Clown

They've certainly solved th

They've certainly solved the "fatso" problem...
JMR

Indeed....a case wher

Indeed....a case where the truth truly hurt. I got a huge laugh outta this... Happy Trails...

Do you think she will reflect on it?

Nope. Neither do I.

Admiting that you have a political point of view (bias) and acting accordingly would be honorable and correct. Trying to pretend that you do not is just trying to deny reality or attempted lying.

The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic

Open statement to Diane Sawye

Open statement to Diane Sawyer - Poor dear, you were hurt by the laughter of the masses - you need to get out of your lib limo and actually listen to what people say, not hear what you want to hear. But to help you get over your trumatic experience, you should go back to that court and demand that everyone who was there, and laughed at your stupid remark, apologize and help pay for you counseling.

As far as being the most hurtful moment in your life, now you know what we feel when we happen to stumble upon one of your newscasts and hear your tripe - get over it.

But if you really want to feel hurt - John Edwards has better looking hair.

There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V

If she thinks that was bad, s

If she thinks that was bad, she could come in to Newsbusters and have a chat. I'm sure a nice long dialogue with us would make her feel much better.

Hey - I can be just as compas

Hey - I can be just as compassionate as anyone, especially to cowardly "journalists".

There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V

That's exactly what I mean. W

That's exactly what I mean. We could bring her in for a nice, big, group hug. ;>)

Well apparantly Diane has s

Well apparantly Diane has still got it. But hey looks aren't everything, right?

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

Oh Mighty One...It's whats in

Oh Mighty One...

It's whats inside...so they say anyway.

LOL....

Diane right here

I like this picture of Diane.

Perfect! but if only that w

Perfect! but if only that where a muzzle or ball gag or... oh...sorry...

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

"It's whats inside...s

"It's whats inside...so they say anyway"

Hi bt, I think "they" are right. But from her surprise at the reaction, it would seem she is oblivious as to what's really inside. And is easily hurt by the truth.

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

The truth hurts.

The truth hurts....(some that is...lol)

Well, looks rank pretty high

Well, looks rank pretty high in my book, but if there is nothing between the ears, I would prefer they not speak. ;>)

It wasn't that bad, at least

It wasn't that bad, at least they just laughed. If I had been there I might have felt inclined to boo when she made that statement. Or maybe toss a few grapefruits...

Yes Diane. We all remember

Yes Diane. We all remember your truthful and fair special on North Korea. By the way, just how many people did it take to pull your mouth off of Kim Jong Il's butt?

These pompous asses (add in B

These pompous asses (add in Bryant Gumble, Bob Costas, ... put in your own flavor here) are so full of themselves it amazes me they can be so clueless or think of themselves as an important cog in society. Here's a concept ... just report the news. Nothing more, nothing less.

There was a news guy that was on a local Cinci station back in the 70's. Channel 9, Al Schottelkotte. He would do the whole news program from news to weather to sports. No inane commentary, no personal views, just what was happening in the world.

From Wiki: "For years Schottelkotte, a workaholic, anchored the news six days a week (Sunday through Friday), doing the noon, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, making him far and away the most visible of all news anchors in Cincinnati"

Ha! let's see one of todays talking heads even get close to that.

Tsk, tsk Diane. All I can think of now is a variation of Dan Akroyd's classic line to Jane Curtain, "Diane you ignorant ..."

"All generalizations are false, including this one.” Mark Twain

All I can think of now is a

All I can think of now is a variation of Dan Akroyd's classic line to Jane Curtain, "Diane you ignorant .."

Please...call me an ambulance...can't breathe...laughter...incontrollable...*urk*

If you listen closely enough,

If you listen closely enough, you will hear the sound of Diane's bubble being burst.

Dutch

I thought that was the sound

I thought that was the sound of air moving between the right and left ear.

Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge will be shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods. Albert Einstein

Sawyer

(knock) (knock) (knock)  Hello! Diane! Are you there? This is reality calling.

I think it's the hard cold la

I think it's the hard cold laugh of reality.

Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge will be shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods. Albert Einstein

Oh Puhleeeeeeeze.....Boo Hoo.

Oh Puhleeeeeeeze.....Boo Hoo....Cry me a river....

....the most hurtful moment you have ever had?

Haven't lived much in the real world have ya Diane?

Btw....I am still laughing with everybody in the courtroom...

'To Tell the Truth' is something you prima dona leftists in the drive-by are allergic too...and we in the real world know this little fact.

Totally OT, but just thought

Totally OT, but just thought I'd point out that the Dow Jones is up over 270 points.

But Bush's economic and tax policies have nothing to do with it.

Prester...wow, it was 184 las

Prester...wow, it was 184 last I saw and I thought that was great and oil finally was down about 1.25 a BARREL....(which has a long way to go yet to help us)

Of course Pres. Bush has nothing to do with this at all doncha know....

Correction, it closed up 290

Correction, it closed up 290 points and a record high.

Make it +283.86.

Make it +283.86.

Prester...Hi again...I put a

Prester...

Hi again...I put a link about this in the OT.

A cartoon character could do

A cartoon character could do her job.

Captionfest. Diane: "W

Captionfest.

Diane: "Where are my DNC talking points?!?!"

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

So easy, even a journalist ca

So easy, even a journalist can do it.

Cartoon characters?

They already are.

Olberman, Matthews, the anchor previously known as dan Rather, ad nauseum.

I like your idea!  And, so m

I like your idea!  And, so much more entertaining!

Anyone who says they support the troops but not the mission is a liar. 

Here event might be believabl

Here event might be believable from some newscasters but not from Sawyer.  She is a liberal honk.  We know she is not brain dead and she would have to be brain dead to really believe she is fair.  She is one of the most consistent and mean spirited liberal honks in the media.  Don't let the smile fool you.  I don't believe her at all.  She knows what she is.  To my views of her  I will add liar.

I hope everyone understands

I hope everyone understands, Dianne just made an excellent fiscal argument for cameras in the courtroom. Why? 3 words: "Pay Per View." Seeing that courtroom break out in laughter when she makes that claim about journalists, for a lot of us here on NB, would be at least as valuable as some stupid boxing match! I think I'd plunk-down $10-15 without even thinking about it (but I just won some loot at poker today, so I'm in an unusually-generous mood!). Anyway, stuff like this could vastly impact that particular court's budget -- who knows how many indigent defendants Dianne's wond...er..hurtful moment could finance voluntarily instead of via the taxpayers??!?
JMR

Not Learning Lesson

Clearly Diane did not learn her lesson. Instead of realizing what people think about journalists, Diane decided to feel hurt. Poll after poll shows that Americans don't trust journalists. The reason I don't trust journalists is because they try to hide their biases. If they hide their biases, what else are they hiding in their stories? If I don't know where they are coming from, how can I trust their message? That's why I love newsbusters.org because these "journalists" are all exposed. I call for open journalism instead of closed journalism. Who do they donate to? Who do they vote for? etc.

See this msnbc article on how journalists overwhelmingly donate to liberal politicians.

Sawyer's courtroom experience

Sawyer's courtroom experience and her quote align with Bernard Goldberg's description of the MSM elites.  It's not that they are consciously pushing a liberal agenda; it's that they actually believe they are centrist/neutral/objective, and they honestly can't understand charges of liberal newsroom bias.  The eruption of jury laughter in direct response to her statement about journalists and truth, should've been the bucket of cold water in her face --- that's direct feedback from John Q. Public.  Chances are that beyond the embarassment, it didn't cause her to reevaluate her own position, and she still can't understand why they laughed. 

Sadly, I think you're right.

Sadly, I think you're right.  She'll see the people that laughed at her as simply hurtful and mean and probably won't even consider the possibility that they have a point.

Dutch

As one of my profs once sai

As one of my profs once said...

"The basic problem with the jury system of justice is that it places the question of guilt or innocence - and with it the freedom, or even the life, of the accused - in the hands of 12 people who weren't even smart enough to get out of jury duty!"

~~~

"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it."
-- Marge Simpson

How exactly does this getting

How exactly does this getting out of jury duty thing work anyway? I'm 55 years old and as dumb a a brick...but i've never been called. maybe they read my IQ tests. Anyway, I would have loved to have the chance to put some scumbucket away.

mandrake...I think it depends

mandrake...

I think it depends on population and voting records, it does in my area anyway....

I have been called numerous times....lol.

Having served on a jury for

Having served on a jury for the first time a couple of years ago at age 51, I can say with all sincerity that it was one of my proudest moments as a citizen.  Along with 11 strangers from different walks of life, we weighed evidence and passed judgment on a fellow citizen.  Along with voting, it is one of the foundations of democracy, and I will gladly serve whenever I get called again.

As for your college professor's low regard for citizens on jury duty, Tom, it's probably just as well that he doesn't serve on one.  I wouldn't want to be judged by someone who holds the responsibilities of citizenship in such low regard.

Di Sawyer's Most Hurtful Moment

A normal person would think if perhaps Richard Nixon had given you your first big break as he did Sawyer that watching him being driven from office might be a most hurtful moment.

Or perhaps talking to Saddam Hussein knowing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's lay buried in his genocidal mayhem might be a most hurtful moment.

Thirty years in news, in covering assassinations, rapes, mass slaughters, child molesters and tidal wave disasters.....and Di Sawyer's greatest hurt is a few people laughing at her.

It is worth repeating. Di Sawyer was not hurt by America being ripped apart, by genocide on Iraqi's, about disasters, rapes, murders or child molestation, but was most hurt when a few people laughed at her.

Telling, very telling.

*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS

Very, very good points!!!  A

Very, very good points!!!  A keeper.

Anyone who says they support the troops but not the mission is a liar. 

So the broad in the hijab g

So the broad in the hijab got slapped in the face with reality. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA giggle giggle snort tee hee,

Oh is there video?
A moment like this is too rich for the great unwashed masses not to see!

WhatAMaroon

Not in the mood to find thi

Not in the mood to find this funny after HotAir does a hit piece on Mitt Romney. What Fred Thompson is going to save America? That guy reminds me of Bob Dole. Totally off topic.

"Can, you know, can you tell

"Can, you know, can you tell the truth and be fair?"
"That's what journalists do."
Sound like an evasive answer to me. Why would she not just say "Yes"? I can see why the Judge took her off of the jury. A simple question and she has use it to remind everyone present that she is a Juuuuuurnalisssst.

The "man in Massachuse

The "man in Massachusetts" is unindicted manslaughter inflictor and serial scofflaw, Fat Teddy Kennedy, whom parents in Mass warn their children about not getting into a car with!

If Sawyer actually believes journalists have any credibility left, she is even more gullible or dishonest than she appears.

Aw... Poor widdew baby. D

Aw... Poor widdew baby. Did you get a boo-boo on your feewings because people know the troof?

Yeah, whatever. You can complain about your hurtful moments after you apologize for all the hurtful moments you and your news organization have caused innocent people over the years.

Damn right.Hosea 6:9And as tr

Damn right.

Hosea 6:9

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests [those responsible for making sure the People have daily access to the Truth] murder in the way by consent [they destroy people by consenting to evil instead of exposing and confronting it] : for they commit lewdness [moral and ethical mischief].

Jeers for Sawyer

Diane got a taste of what she's usually insulated from:  The opinions and reactions of real people.

Wouldn't Diane Sawyer be up for jury duty in a very liberal jurisdiction?  If so, the reaction is more telling.

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.