Showing posts with label need for fact checking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label need for fact checking. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Australian Radio Program On 'Piracy' What 60 Minutes Should Have Done; TechDirt, 11/4/09

Mike Masnick, TechDirt; Australian Radio Program On 'Piracy' What 60 Minutes Should Have Done:

"On Monday, we wrote about that that ridiculous attempt by 60 Minutes to do a story about movie piracy that was basically one long press release for the MPAA's position. Facts weren't checked, and the reporter, Leslie Stahl, didn't bother to push back on a single claim made by any of the (all industry insider) guests. However, Boing Boing points us to a "radio documentary" on piracy that was done on Australian radio the very same day as the 60 Minutes episode aired. You may notice a major difference in that the Australian radio folks actually looked at the facts, invited on people who could refute industry claims, and actually pushed back on claims by the industry".

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091103/0303386776.shtml

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

60 Minutes Puts Forth Laughable, Factually Incorrect MPAA Propaganda On Movie Piracy; TechDirt, 11/2/09

Mike Masnick, TechDirt; 60 Minutes Puts Forth Laughable, Factually Incorrect MPAA Propaganda On Movie Piracy:

"31 years ago, in 1978, the television program 60 Minutes put on an episode about the awful threat of "video piracy" to the movie industry. Featuring the MPAA's Jack Valenti, the episode focused on how the VCR was going to destroy the movie business because anyone could copy and watch a movie in the privacy of their own home. Of course, in retrospect, that episode is hilariously wrong. You would think that, given how wrong they got it thirty years ago on this particular subject, 60 Minutes would be a bit more careful taking on the same subject again.

No such luck.

CBS's 60 Minutes has made itself out to be more of a laughingstock than usual when it comes to "investigative reporting," putting on an episode about "video piracy" that is basically 100% MPAA propaganda, without any fact checking or any attempt to challenge the (all MPAA connected) speakers, or to include anyone (anyone!) who would present a counterpoint. The episode is funny in that it contradicts itself at times (with no one noticing it) and gets important (and easily checked) facts wrong. And, of course, it basically mimics that old episode that history has shown to have been totally (laughably) false."

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091101/1818186751.shtml