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Recently covered a subject with which I am very familiar

posted 3 years ago by Techto (1066)
5 replies | jump to latest

Leslie Stahl oversimplified an important but complex subject. It was very one-sided because the subject of her piece/scorn declined to be interviewed. It’s always a bad look to send a letter (which will be heavily excerpted) rather than sit for an interview but seemingly their subjects frequently don’t trust 60 Minutes’ journalists to be even-handed or, perhaps, doubt their willingness or ability to understand a complex problem, preferring a familiar good-guy, bad-guy narrative. I’ll be more skeptical of their reporting going forward.

[–] ducksoup (3933) 3 years ago

Mind telling us the piece you are referring to?

[–] Techto (1066) 3 years ago

I’d rather not. It’s the familiar 60 Minutes expose template where you are informed the subject declined to be interviewed - so most of the audience will naturally assume s/he doesn’t have a good counter-argument or defense.

[–] ducksoup (3933) 3 years ago

How do you know what most of the audience assumes?

[–] Techto (1066) 3 years ago

Because it would be in the subject’s interest to be seen to vigorously defend their reputation personally on camera if they were indignant and had a strong rebuttal. It’s not unlike a trial where it’s noteworthy when a defendant doesn’t want to take the stand in their own defense. Rightly or wrongly some will see this as indicative of a guilty person’s fear of being cross-examined.

[–] ducksoup (3933) 3 years ago

Well, sure, that's one line of thinking. I see no reason to believe that most people think that way though.