CNN exposed pushing scripted propaganda at Town Hall event

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: MostlyReading


Haab is a hero for sure, but he’s also not left leaning, is he?

He too is playing a role in a right wing agenda.

I have no idea if he is right, left, sideways, up or down leaning, and I do not care. It is not the point here, ffs.

The point is that CNN wanted to script and stage the town hall event by changing his question. The job of a news outlet or any organisation pretending to do journalism/reporting is to present the FACTS. Period. It is NOT to stage, script, alter or spin, like they routinely do.

CNN is garbage.

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: neo96

What does that have to do with establishing the credibility of the OP's story? Nothing. Still waiting for a student ID or other evidence the story is real.

Good grief, even Politifact admits he goes to that school, AND he's ROTC. Even more, he helped save kid's lives.

Sheesh.

www.politifact.com...

a reply to: MostlyReading

And that point is wrong.

One question was moderated, out of several hours worth of discussion.

There’s that right wing hyperbole I’m talking about.

On par with the msm ironically.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: MostlyReading

And that point is wrong.

One question was moderated, out of several hours worth of discussion.

There’s that right wing hyperbole I’m talking about.

On par with the msm ironically.

I've heard three reports of scripting questions.

1 was Haab
2 was the father of a girl who survived the attack
3 was the girl who asked the Dem politician a question about NRA blood money that was meant for Loesch, meaning that the girl had no idea what she was reading.

At some point you have to acknowledge that there is a narrative agenda at work.

a reply to: Teikiatsu

I’ve already acknowledged it.

A lot of these people are still running on emotions, it shows in the videos I’ve seen, clear thought process is hard to come by in a time like this. Both sides politicising this so soon should be what people should be up in arms about, not doubling down on their political ideology.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: Teikiatsu

I’ve already acknowledged it.

A lot of these people are still running on emotions, it shows in the videos I’ve seen, clear thought process is hard to come by in a time like this. Both sides politicising this so soon should be what people should be up in arms about, not doubling down on their political ideology.

What are conservatives and gun rights activists politicizing? At most we are being proactive. Republicans aren't standing on the corpses of kids as if they are a soapbox. Conservatives didn't point fingers *while the shooting was actively happening.* Gun rights people didn't bus anyone anywhere for 'listening tours.'

Good grief.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: MostlyReading

And that point is wrong.

One question was moderated, out of several hours worth of discussion.

There’s that right wing hyperbole I’m talking about.

On par with the msm ironically.

You still have no factual basis for your claim that he was the only one who had his question altered and scripted. And you are now being obtuse since you lack the mental agility to grasp the point about what news reporting and journalism is - and what it is NOT.

I will not waste more time discussing this with you, just a heads up. I could have far more meaningful conversations with a brick wall.

a reply to: Teikiatsu

CNN released the emails between CNN and Haab and his father. You can see here that Haab offered a list of questions and then followed up with several pages of questions and background info he wanted to read. CNN said that was too much info and indicates they had a phone conversation where they agreed he could ask one of the questions he initially submitted. Haab’s Father then got mad that his kid wouldn’t be allowed to read pages of material and pulled out of the event:

www.washingtonpost.com... rm=.3c372ba8cd44

As for #3, the student did indeed ask Loesch a question when she was not on stage. You can read the transcript below (or watch it in the video). It’s pretty obvious the girl knew exactly what she was asking and knew Loesch was not on stage, but was probably watching. Tapper then let her ask a question of Nelson.

www.cnn.com...

TAPPER: Welcome back to the BB&T Center in Florida and CNN's town hall with the students and families and faculty of Stoneman Douglas High School. Next week students are going to return to campus for the first time since the shooting. Our next question comes from first year student Michelle Lapido (ph). She has a question for Senator Nelson. Michelle.

LAPIDO (ph): I just want to start with my school is not going to be another statistic in the 18 shootings that happened this year. My school's going to be the last and the beginning of gun control. Stoneman Douglas is strong and will be heard because our kids and our staff did not die for nothing. They died for change and they died for each other. Their deaths will not be taken in vain but as a calling for the change, gun control and safety in America. They're watching us from heaven and we are going to save what they died to protect.

So, I had a question for Ms. Loesch but she's not here yet. So for her and the NRA -- she's probably watching -- and all of you puppet politicians that they are backing. Was the blood of my classmates and my teachers worth your blood money?

TAPPER: Senator Nelson, you don't have to answer that question. Let's move on to the - - to the next question.

(BOOING)

LAPIDO (ph): Excuse me? I'm a student. I should have the - -

TAPPER: I understand that but your question - - I thought you were going to ask Senator Nelson a question. You're question sounds like you wanted to ask Dana Loesch a question in the next segment and I'm happy to do that if you want.

LAPIDO (ph): It's actually fine. I had another question for you Senator Nelson.

TAPPER: OK. Let's do that then.

LAPIDO (ph): So, I'm going to have to go back to school. On to the same campus, the same building to pick up my stuff, to resume my classes, to keep studying and I'm never going to feel safe on another public school campus ever again. I never want to have to go through and feel like I'm putting myself in such a vulnerable situation ever because that was one of the worst moments of my life.

So why don't we consider the worst possible scenarios? Because these things have been happening all around the country and it's more common than winning any lottery. Why don't we assume the worst situation like we do on planes, where we have life vests in case we land in the ocean or slides in case we need to an emergency crash. Why don't we have Kevlar vests in classrooms for our students? Why don't we build our walls with Kevlar so that kids aren't being shot through their own walls because they're so cheaply built? Why don't we have more funding to protect ourselves? Why do you guys protect yourselves with guns, protect yourselves with vests and you protect America's children with nothing but drywall?

a reply to: MostlyReading

The fact is, no one else has come forward.

Just one kid and one question.

Hardly pushing propaganda.

If that’s too complicated, perhaps that brick wall is a better if you headbutt it.

a reply to: nataylor

Yep, I would bet that people here ignore it in order to continue the crusade against the MSM and CNN at the behest of FOX NEWS and the President of the United States.

originally posted by: DerBeobachter
I followed the events since the day after the shooting. First i have to think of that little girl with the short hairs. Media said that she is the face of the protests now. Ok, that changed fast, seems to be this boy now, i don´t know the names of them, she had a mexican name if i remember right. Funny thing was that i had ti think of an actor (no, not a crisis actor!) when i watched her and listened to her. The outrage, the gestures, everything was a bit implausible, a bit too much but not very credible, imo. And she was hyped too much by th media. It looked all a bit staged and trained.

Then i watched most parts of the town hall meeting last night, lying in bed with a flu. So maybe i fantasized, but the whole event looked like a fully scripted event, it was more a show than what i expected. Sure, the feelings of the poor victims were real, but as a european i had the feeling that it even could be an oscar event or similiar, more show than anything else. The song at the end of the meeting made that feeling complete, it felt all a bit suspicious. Like the victims were used to gain high ratings.

Everything that followed the shooting looks like as if some of the students were controlled by whoever, maybe the media. It felt as if the students often even weren´t using their own words. All that felt to artificial, not real. Too much show for such a tragedy.

But hey, maybe i am in delirium, really not sure right now...

I agree. And hope you get feeling better soon!!

originally posted by: Pyle
a reply to: nataylor

Yep, I would bet that people here ignore it in order to continue the crusade against the MSM and CNN at the behest of FOX NEWS and the President of the United States.

YUP...

The father complained that his son isn't an actor...

Because CNN wouldn't let HIS kid read a script written by his father

....The level and amount of SHEER cognitive dissonance is astounding.

a reply to: nataylor

tldr

I simply don't care what CNN says. I have no reason to trust them.

a reply to: Teikiatsu

Well that ruins your credibility and exposes your closed mindedness then, as they show the email exchange.

It paints a different picture to what the likes of Fox News was painting.

Now, be careful here if you dismiss the emails as fake, as that may mean all emails could be fake, including the much lauded Wikileaks emails.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

a reply to: Teikiatsu

Good grief, even Politifact admits he goes to that school, AND he's ROTC. Even more, he helped save kid's lives.

We've moved on from that point. The right mercilessly savaged one of the first students to come forward, first claiming he was a "crisis actor" who did not attend the school, then acknowledging he was when they realized his father was in the FBI, allowing them to attack America's counterespionage establishment. The right wing echo chamber immediately accepted Haab's credentials because he attacked CNN. For hours, not one person on this thread did enough due diligence to confirm his identity.

But now that you bring it up: are there any witnesses to his claim that he saved other students' lives? Have any of them come forward? Or do you just believe him because he attacked CNN?

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: Teikiatsu

Good grief, even Politifact admits he goes to that school, AND he's ROTC. Even more, he helped save kid's lives.

But now that you bring it up: are there any witnesses to his claim that he saved other students' lives? Have any of them come forward? Or do you just believe him because he attacked CNN?

So you are jumping in with CNN and accusing the student of being a liar? How odd that you would do such a thing given you hate those kids being questioned so much when they are saying things you want to hear.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: Teikiatsu

Well that ruins your credibility and exposes your closed mindedness then, as they show the email exchange.

It paints a different picture to what the likes of Fox News was painting.

Now, be careful here if you dismiss the emails as fake, as that may mean all emails could be fake, including the much lauded Wikileaks emails.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Which email? CNN produced one and so did the father of the kid. They are different. CNN have accused the father of doctoring the email... but how do you know they did not doctor the email? One of the emails is faked.

www.nydailynews.com...

I am inclined to believe the family who have just gone through this tragedy, not a known bias network who lie and dox people for criticising them.

originally posted by: UKTruth

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: Teikiatsu

Good grief, even Politifact admits he goes to that school, AND he's ROTC. Even more, he helped save kid's lives.

But now that you bring it up: are there any witnesses to his claim that he saved other students' lives? Have any of them come forward? Or do you just believe him because he attacked CNN?

So you are jumping in with CNN and accusing the student of being a liar? How odd that you would do such a thing given you hate those kids being questioned so much when they are saying things you want to hear.

No, where do I accuse him of being a liar? All I am doing is pointing out the hypocrisy of those who cast aspersions against a legitimate student while accepting the story of a different student uncritically because they prefer his narrative.

originally posted by: UKTruth

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: Teikiatsu

Well that ruins your credibility and exposes your closed mindedness then, as they show the email exchange.

It paints a different picture to what the likes of Fox News was painting.

Now, be careful here if you dismiss the emails as fake, as that may mean all emails could be fake, including the much lauded Wikileaks emails.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Which email? CNN produced one and so did the father of the kid. They are different. CNN have accused the father of doctoring the email... but how do you know they did not doctor the email? One of the emails is faked.

www.nydailynews.com...

I am inclined to believe the family who have just gone through this tragedy, not a known bias network who lie and dox people for criticising them.

In other words, you believe him because he trashed CNN.

Let´s face it, the elephant in the room is this:

Because news organizations are profit companies (earn money, surprise, surprise!) they go by what is cost effective and brings them quotes.

One could argue that they did this townhall meeting to inform and give voice to the people that live there. Now, I did not lookup how long this event was, but consider this:

At the end of the day, there won´t be a second meeting so "the truth conclusion" must be drawn after the meeting, by the viewers. Attention span is also at fault here. So what they do is not wildley let people ask questions and talk about everything, they moderate it.

They do this because of several reasons but those are the main ones:
- Time, so everyone has the chance to say something.
- Steer the discussion into the direction they want it to go.

If you watch polit talks (there are really good ones, neutral ones, where I live) you notice this very quickly. That´s why those talks often do have several meetings and guests.

So that´s one way of "scripting". The other thing is if you provide questions and pick only a certain demography of people. Of course most victims will be against guns, they fear them now.

I think that father pulled his son from the list because he wanted to protect his son from CNN. I´m not giving a statement that this was right or wrong, but it´s something you consider. At the end of the day you have to protect your kids -not overly- but you consider, is it worth the attention it brings to you, and also the cause, if your life is ruined after that.

We all know "errors happen". If the situation get´s critical during the meeting, they can always cut directly to an advertisement and blame it on some glitch or human error.

They run the show, make no mistake.


TL;DR: Scripting has several facets. Optimizing costs (no second meeting because less quotes = cost reduction) is one reason, steering the public discussion into one direction is another one.