The 46th News & Documentary Emmy Awards nominations are out, and it seems that everyone is talking about just one of them. The “Outstanding Edited Interview” category is hardly a common draw for public or even industry attention. However, one of this year’s nominees is CBS for its primetime special featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The interview is the basis for a $20 billion lawsuit by President Donald Trump against CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, alleging election interference due to the biased editing out of an embarrassing answer by Harris.
The nomination seems clearly designed to push back at Trump and rally around CBS. (For the record, I opposed this lawsuit on both legal and policy grounds.) However, it sends precisely the wrong message for the media at this time.
Many have criticized CBS for its editing of the interview with journalist Bill Whitaker after the network shortened portions of Harris’s answer to a question about the war in Gaza in its initial broadcast. It later provided a full transcript of her remarks online. (For full disclosure, I worked twice under contract with CBS as a legal analyst.)
While I have great reservations about the legal action, I agree with Trump that the interview showed bias and an effort to protect Harris. CBS has been repeatedly accused of such bias, including criticism of the performance of Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan as moderators in the presidential debate. That included reneging on a pledge not to “fact check” and showing manifest bias in their treatment of the candidates.
In the interview, Harris had one of her signature verbal pileups, an incomprehensible effort to explain the U.S. position in the Middle East. The word salad was played on the Sunday show but the primetime interview on 60 Minutes featured only the second half of the answer.
The “Face the Nation” clip showed Harris saying that
“The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
The “60 Minutes” clip showed Harris saying more concisely that “we are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States, to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
This interview, shortly before the election, was considered one of the most important of the campaign. Harris avoided spontaneous exchanges or interactions with the media and only agreed to a few interviews with favorable outlets. One of the issues in the campaign was Harris’s embarrassing answers, particularly while representing the United States abroad. These include:
“I am here. Standing. Here. on the northern flank, on the eastern flank, talking about what we have in terms of the eastern flank and our NATO allies, and what is at stake at this very moment.”
“Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine, So basically that’s wrong.”
The word salad moments were common and Harris was kept on a tightly scripted agenda where the press was kept at a distance. Thus, the CBS interview was viewed as one of the few opportunities to see how Harris would do in an actual prolonged interview.
In other words, it was news that Harris struggled again when asked to speak for any length of time with a reporter.
60 Minutes decided that viewers did not have to see that part of the answer in primetime, even as part of an answer in which Harris claims that they want to be “clear” on where they stand on the issue.
CBS was wrong in the editing. Moreover, the suggestion that it should be given an award for such biased editing says much about the state of American journalism. No doubt many in the media approved of the network cleaning up Harris, yet again, for public reviewing.
None of this changes my view of the underlying litigation. Paramount Global’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, is believed to want to close the lawsuit to clear the way for a multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media. It also wants to avoid continuing tensions with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which can delay or halt the purchase.
However, this lawsuit would ultimately fail. The media is allowed to engage in such editing. Indeed, bias itself is not generally actionable. Moreover, there were moments when Whitaker did press Harris, in sharp contrast to most of her interviews on shows like The View, Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show, and Late Night with Stephen Colbert.
I have been a vocal critic of the mainstream media for embracing what I call “advocacy journalism” in my book, The Indispensable Right. Many in this country view mainstream media as a de facto state media due to the bias shown against Trump and for Democratic talking points. Indeed, the mantra “Let’s Go Brandon!” was embraced by millions as a criticism of the media as much as it was a criticism of President Biden.
However, the threats of harassing lawsuits destroy any moral high ground for Trump. It is also entirely unnecessary. As I will address this week at the Library of Congress, the public is leaving mainstream media en masse in favor of new media. Revenue and readers/viewers are dropping for many media outlets. That includes CBS, which has continued to struggle with ratings while refusing to offer more balanced coverage, including a recent controversy over pushing the “baby hoax.”
CBS was wrong in the editing of the interview and the nomination of the network for the interview only magnifies that error. However, the Administration should leave this matter to the public and the market to sort out.
The “Outstanding Edited Interview” category…
Assuming there’s a non-edited award as well, I read this as more of a slam on Harris and CBS. Kind of like an award for the illusion created by special effects or AI. Nominating CBS for this shows they were attempting to sell the illusion of a competent candidate; aka, election interference.
Olly: The good news is that the Emmy nomination of CBS for that interview is getting almost as much media attention as the coverage for the original editing.
For those who missed it the first time around, instead of “Backfield in motion,” it could turn into “Backfire in motion” by reminding everyone of, -or introducing them to, the original controversy.
Good point, lin.
Now the term Verbal Pileup is an excellent description of Ms Harris speaking. I won’t say speaking style because there is no style. I disagree with the Professor on the suit. I think it was a clearcut attempt to influence the election by masquerading as a news show. As a result we should try to take every bit of cash away from CBS as they nose dive towards their almost inevitable crash. As far as Ms. Harris being “pressed by Mr. Whittaker’s questions”, I would say just about any question he asked would press her competence.
On the other hand maybe English is a second language for her. We just have not figured out what her first language was.
As a comparison, in the case of Melania Trump, English is about her 3rd or 4th language and she can express her self far more competently.
My 9 yr old granddaughter whose heritage is Chinese-European and is bilingual can express herself far more cogently, but she is not quite sure where Ukraine is quite yet. Thats for next year.
GEB,
Trying to imagine the conversations the 60 Minutes producers had to lead them to the decision to edit the so-called interview to that level to deceive their viewers. Someone/s watched the tape, and made the conscious decision to edit the tape to the point of creating a totally false narrative. Why? Harris answer was a complete and total mess. She, by her own answer, looked incompetent. Be one thing if this was just a one off, she had a bad interview or bad day. But we have all seen her repeated word salad messes in other interviews, settings, on the campaign trail. Again, I think we should not critical of CBS for they put on the air, why people did not vote of Harris. Has nothing to do with her being a POC, or a woman. She just was not competent for the job. And CBS proved that point.
A thought on your statement about people leaving MSM for other news/information outlets. In MA the governor is pushing for increased development of housing. I was led to a podcast site (which then led me to another investigative journalist site) about the immigrant shelter and housing, the costs, etc.. I was amazed at the young ages of the “journalists” digging for the answers. It very much impressed me that they were forging ahead with their investigations in spite of the walls that were being put up to block them from getting through doors to get the answers to questions–one question would lead to another question, etc, etc. Each non-answer would lead to another question.
Thank you professor and CBS for pointing out how we as a nation dodged the bullet that would of been the Harris admin. I think CBS should win this award as proof of what a hot mess Harris is and had she won, her admin would of been just as big a mess as the Biden admin was. Perhaps even worse.
I think CBS should win this award as proof…….that Democrats are fascists
A major news corporation was caught to be aligned, fawning, on bended knee towards the political leaders of the US government, Democrats, and are now set to be awarded a prize. Benito Mussolini would be green with envy. Anti-fascists aren’t what they used to be. SMH
Regarding Economic Fascism
In Mussolini’s Italy, businesses were grouped by the government into legally recognized “syndicates” such as the “National Fascist Confederation of Commerce,” the “National Fascist Confederation of Credit and Insurance,” and so on. All of these “fascist confederations” were “coordinated” by a network of government planning agencies called “corporations,” one for each industry. One large “National Council of Corporations” served as a national overseer of the individual “corporations” and had the power to “issue regulations of a compulsory character.”[16]
The purpose of this byzantine regulatory arrangement was so that the government could “secure collaboration . . . between the various categories of producers in each particular trade or branch of productive activity.”[17] Government-orchestrated “collaboration” was necessary because “the principle of private initiative” could only be useful “in the service of the national interest” as defined by government bureaucrats.[18]
https://fee.org/articles/economic-fascism/
Well, isn’t that a pat on the back? Just keep doubling down until the only base left for the dems consists of those with IQs lower than the average temperature of Baffin Island.
Good for the Emmy’s standing up for 60 Minutes against the censorship and bullying efforts of the trump administration, Turls. They’re putting up a necessary fight that outstrips what even CBS is willing to do in its trying to kiss trump’s ass in order for him to okay the Paramount merger.
Cracks me up seeing you take a stand against editing, Jon…, especially since the network you work for produces the most curated, Russian disinformation influenced platform in existence.
Good for the Emmey’s standing up for the right of the media to engage is poorly done, biased and deceptive editing
Once upon a time 60 minutes won awards for Catching people deceiving the public.
We have come full circle – now it is 60minutes that is the deceptive used car dealer.
Fox News has been caught being deceptive to its audience for years.
“Fox News edited Trump’s rambling answers and false claims in barbershop interview, full video shows”
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/10/24/media/fox-news-edit-trump-barbershop-interview
Funny how that was missed by Turley.
Firstly, your sources are CNN, the same biased leftist propaganda wing who had 97% negative coverage for anything conservative, >1000 stories promulgating an already established false Russian hoax, hundreds of fraudulent pronouncements of the mental acuity of Pres. Biden, etc., etc.
2. This is about a news media organization censoring truthful damaging material about a presidential candidate to aid an election. Election Interference!
You think Fox News will self report that they edited their own content to deceive their audience?
You didn’t show CNN was wrong.
And you didnt show they were right. So moot.
“news” outlets are not sources, Gigi.
George
When are you going to answer for the 4 big lies that Steven pointed out a couple of days ago?
Like your avoidance of the facts, Johnny Say. Looks good on you, bud.
Lawn boy is mad at Johnny for calling out his idiocy
If Trump found a cure for cancer, you TDS types would have to deny it. We completely predict your sour vitriol and it is approaching the absurdly comical at this point.
They are the cancer hence they would denounce its cure.
We completely predict your sour vitriol and it is approaching the absurdly comical at this point.
Frankly its boring because the same soyboy who runs all of the sock puppets has an IQ < 80. 70 is the cutoff for mental retardation. His verbiage is sophomoric, sentence structure grade school stuff, repetitive phraseology no matter the avatar predictable. He gets paid by the character which is why he posts the same crap hour after hour even to reply to his own confabulations. His handlers don't pay him for original content. Watching the grass grow is better use of time than reading the Act Blue paid troll clog the forum comments section
Estovir,
Great comment.
Estovir-excellent comment. Joe Biden, remember him, was functioning at about IQ of 60, hence the list of people to call on and the already known questions with “the answers” and guidance from the stage by the Easter Bunny.
The Easter Bunny fiasco was the tell that he was an empty suit. I was not aware he had an IQ of 60 but it makes sense.
It is refreshing to see a President like Trump go toe to toe with the MSM / DNC. When he does engage them as aggressively as they dish it out, they run to their computers to whine how aggressive he was to them and how it portends badly for voters. Theyre as Juvenile as the trolls
Then there is this:
5 Reasons Why Democrats, Not Trump, Are Literally Hitler
The similarities are too shocking to ignore
1) Fascist fashion
2) Anti-capitalist canines
3) Fearsome beards
4) Terrible Trains
5) Virulent anti-Semitism
https://freebeacon.com/satire/5-reasons-why-democrats-not-trump-are-literally-hitler/
You say, “standing against the censorship and bullying efforts of the trump administration”.
Do you have a reasoning problem? CBS was the party using their bully pulpit to commit biased reporting through censorship of the actual interview. You must be one of the few people who still have main stream media lead you around like a sheep.
Anonymous 9:18am
Another voice from an alternate universe. Sort of like Bizarro World in the old Superman Comics
At what point does Bias editing become Fraudulent deception????????????????
I’ve watched Harris give speeches and interviews over the years, and it looks to me like she is using every speaking tactic possible to cover for her ignorance. The odd laughing is a tactic. She does this to buy her time to formulate an answer, and also to show condescension toward the questioner. As if this question is foolish and not worth of an answer. The word salad is also a cover. She’ll use a long string of nonsensical platitudes woven together to form an answer. She has probably perfected this over the years. Its like a person who can’t read. They have become very good at covering it up. “What does this say, I forgot my glasses.” or “The print’s too small, can you read this for me?”
This convinces me all the more, that massive DEI preferences are being given when grading Bar exams. In most states, half of it consists of a standardized MBE multiple choice exam, but the other is a written exam that can be graded on a completely subjective basis. They’re averaged together is some way, but it is often possible to tank one and still pass. They claim its anonymously graded, but that’s not quite accurate. They may not know the specific name of the candidate, but there is still an identifying number for each exam that could be used to convey a lot of information.
@Anonymous
She reminds of a kid who didn’t read the assigned material trying to improvise a verbal book report on the spot.
Given she failed to garner even 1% of her own party’s vote in the prior primary, there is no question she was simply installed by those actually pulling the strings.
It’s all a joke, and a bad and transparent one.
James,
Oh, it is a bad joke alright. Right up there with Joe Biden is “laser focused,” and “sharp as a tack.”
Hey, let’s not be too tough on Kamala. We need her for the 2028 election as the opponent for JD Vance. Kamala embodies everything that is good about the Democratic Party. She came pretty close to winning in 2024 so really, the Dems should run her again. I plan to vote for her in the primary.
“Outstanding Edited Interview” category: “[O]ne of this year’s nominees is CBS for its primetime special featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris . . .” (JT)
In related news:
In the category of “Outstanding Creative Writing,” The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has nominated former Harvard President Claudine Gay.
The AAUP dismissed allegations of plagiarism as yet another threat to democracy and as a vast right-wing conspiracy.
Woke I hate Trump crowd nominate there own for editing the truth/censoring the bad parts of Harris interview, makes a lot of sense for they simply hate Trump and want the Globalist/control crowd to take over. MSM has lost their minds.
The category should be entitled “ Outstanding Edited Interview in Pursuit of a Left-wing Agenda.”
And this on the heels of Carville saying if the dems lied like Republicans they would lose all credibility, and after the dems essentially admitting mass amnesty was the purpose of flooding the border (gee, ya think?). Pfft. The modern left’s sheer madness, disdain for the rule of law, and their disdain for human intelligence and dignity is truly astounding.
Screw these people. They do not have anyone’s best interests other than their own in mind, and haven’t for some time. And they really do think we are insignificant, expendable, and stupid.
You’re smarter than that, James. That’s a cartoon of Carville with a voice dub. CBS should have best cartoon masquerading as news.
There are actual people in the world who may or may not know their image is being used. Their are entire communities with no roads leading in or out. They live in isolation and they have no idea this phantom abrego garcia even exists. He’s here for others like him. The violent criminal group is profiled.
Wake up.
@Anonymous
No, it’s something he actually said on an actual podcast, and it was then made into a meme. You are not a serious person. 🤷🏽♂️
“While I have great reservations about the legal action, I agree with Trump that the interview showed bias and an effort to protect Harris.”
What? Does Turley know that Fox News shows bias and efforts to protect Trump in the most obvious ways possible?
What a joke. The lawsuit is plainly stupid and Turley knows it, he just doesn’t want to say it out loud because it will upset his MAGA nutties.
The kind of editing CBS did is standard operating procedure in any broadcast news organization. Even Fox News does this when Trump starts to ramble on and on in his interviews with Fox News. If Turley is going to be critical of “word salads” coming from politicians he should focus on the one who is a master at it, Trump. In fact, he’s famous for it.
@George
🙄🙄
You had no problem with the billion dollar lawsuit against fox.
So which is it ? Is it OK for the media to be deceptive and lie ?
Or isn’t it ?
The FOX/DVS lawsuit was allowing sources to present their claims regarding an issue of significant public interest – the integrity of a presidential election.
Contra the left – the DVS claims were NOT proven wrong at the time, In fact they have not been proven wrong ever, though they do not appear to have been likely – more and more information increases the certainty of election fraud in 2020.
The mere fact that Harris fell more than 10M votes short of Biden in 2020 is damning. Trump got slightly more votes than in 2020 and won. Where did all the democrat votes go ?
CBS’s trying to take the nonsense Harris spewed and turn it into something that made sense was creative and may actually deserve an emmey.
But it is also MORE baised and fraudulent than anything Fox has ever alleged to have done.
First this was hard news – purportedly straight jounralism – it was not an opinion show.
The interview was presented to the american people as a truthful reflection of Harris’s ability to answer tough uestions – allegedly under preasure.
This was 60 minutes not gutfeld.
People expected the unvarnished truth – what 60 minutes used to be famous for
What they got was 60minutes covering up for the cheating used car dealer and helping them sell junkers to an unsuspecting public. 60 minutes did not report on the fraud the created the fraud. They did not express an opinion on the fraud – they were the fraud.
“ You had no problem with the billion dollar lawsuit against fox.”
Because they were engaged in defamatory actions not journalistic editing.
“ The FOX/DVS lawsuit was allowing sources to present their claims regarding an issue of significant public interest – the integrity of a presidential election.
Contra the left – the DVS claims were NOT proven wrong at the time, In fact they have not been proven wrong ever, though they do not appear to have been likely – more and more information increases the certainty of election fraud in 2020.”
Revising history John?
Fox settled because they knew they couldn’t win. We all saw that including Turkey. Newsmax still has to contend with their case.
“ So which is it ? Is it OK for the media to be deceptive and lie ?
Or isn’t it ?“
Apparently you don’t understand the distinction between journalistic editing and deliberate defamatory conduct.
“ CBS’s trying to take the nonsense Harris spewed and turn it into something that made sense was creative and may actually deserve an emmey.
But it is also MORE baised and fraudulent than anything Fox has ever alleged to have done.”
Clearly you’re delusional. One interview compared to Fox News multiple instances getting caught fabricating or editing stories to make Trump look good or make excuses is on record for anyone to see.
“ Fox News on Friday used digitally-altered photographs to combine separate images of protests in Seattle without telling readers that the photographs had been manipulated, The Seattle Times reported.”
https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-combined-photos-together-for-stories-about-seattle-protests-2020-6
“ Rupert Murdoch says Fox stars ‘endorsed’ lies about 2020. He chose not to stop them”
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/28/1159819849/fox-news-dominion-voting-rupert-murdoch-2020-election-fraud
“ What they got was 60minutes covering up for the cheating used car dealer and helping them sell junkers to an unsuspecting public.“
No they weren’t covering up anything. The accusation came from Trump and as usual his MAGA hordes bought into it. 60 min showed the entire interview and nothing changed her answers. Lying is par for the course with Trump.
“60 min showed the entire interview and nothing changed her answers.”
Another big lie from George.
When are you going to answer for the 4 big lies that Steven pointed out a couple of days ago?
I don’t think Trump is a master at word salad–He may be more of a master a rambling. I think the lifelong politicians are more of a master at word salad or is it the use of certain words to cover their tuchus. If one carefully listens to how they place the words or use adjectives and adverbs, the lifelong politicians protect themself.
If lawsuits are not filed, how is the continuing bias shown? CBS did not want to release the transcripts until threatened.
C’mon Turley…
They deserve an emmy for making sense of what Harris was saying.
Would you call it journalism?
No. Mocumentary?
Period Drama Piece?
Fan Fiction?
An innovative use for AI?
Inquiring minds want to know!
-Gumby
Interesting that Turley chose this relatively unimportant current news item to opine upon, rather than the DEI SCOTUS justice’s recent pronouncement that Trump’s largely justified criticism of Federal judges was a clear “danger to democracy.” Turley has adopted protective camouflage in an attempt to lead his readers to believe that he is no longer a lefty, but it seems pretty clear that at heart he remains so, and regards the current ridiculous anti-US comments and advocacy of the D3m0ncr@p$ as nothing more than a passing and correctable aberration.
Personally, I’m hoping KBJ’s statement indicates political ambitions, and that she receives great acclaim by the Dems, along with encouragement to continue in that vein. I would absolutely love to see her resign to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, and follow in Harris’ stumbling footsteps. One more Trump nominee on the Court should completely sideline poser Roberts, whether or not he remains Chief.
If she were to run for president, first question should be: Can you identify what a woman is?
Because this is important.
And judges pretending that being criticised for their bad actions is a threat to democracy IS the threat to democracy
Your issue is simple.
Either the courts can fix themselves or they will be fixed externally.
Judge Boasberg continues to preside over a case that SCOTUS has already said he has no jurisdiction over.
Recently Judge HOwell – who has a long list of prior abysmal decisions seems to believe that the president can not revoke the security clearances of a law firm that participated on a fraud on the FBI with very serious national security conseuences.
Judge Xinis beleives she has the power to direct foreign policy.
Judge Dugan beleives she has the power to help criminals evade law enforcement.
The due process that the law reuires for illegal aliens is extremely limited – They are being deported – removed from where they have no right to be and returned to their home. They are entitled to an oportunity to prove the government is wrong and that they have some right to actually be in the US. To produce a US passport, Visa, Residency permit.
The overwhelming majority do not try – like most people caught by our justice system, they are guilty and look for the best deal possible, and they agree to leave.
The courts have been respected in the past – because they have earned that resspect.
Today few respect the courts. Not on the right, the left or even independents.
Those on the left have no problem with criticising judges whose decisions they do not like.
But call it a crime and threat to democracy if the biased decisions of judges they like are called out for the crap they are.
“ Judge Boasberg continues to preside over a case that SCOTUS has already said he has no jurisdiction over.”
What is not over is the contempt charges that still have to be resolved. They don’t go away because the case is no longer in his court.
“ The overwhelming majority do not try – like most people caught by our justice system, they are guilty and look for the best deal possible, and they agree to leave.
The courts have been respected in the past – because they have earned that resspect.”
The overwhelming majority are given little to no notice. Lawyers are not provided and all the paperwork is in English. Trunk makes it easy for them to not know what their rights are.
Courts do not have to earn anything. You try disrespecting a judge and claim he has not earned it. You would find yourself in a holding cell pretty quick.
Trump on the other hand seems to be begging for respect instead of earning it. He seems to demand it. You are making the wrong argument John.
MSM bias against Trump and for Democrats is a given. We’ve been living with this for years now. But for the bias to be awarded an Emmy nomination FOR EDITING is beyond the pale. It’s a slap in the face to Trump, the millions who voted for him and fair dealing in general. I can’t grasp legal concepts like the professor, but I’d personally like to see this kind of in-your-face, go-to-hell bias by CBS punished in a way that would make the leftists there think twice before trying to sway another election.
“But for the bias to be awarded an Emmy nomination FOR EDITING is beyond the pale”
Surely you aren’t surprised by this? The entire entertainment industry has been dominated by lefties and outright Marxists for very nearly a century now. That was acceptable as long as it produced material that was of at least some entertainment value to nearly everyone, even if quite a bit of it was tinged pink, and the actors and producers were not afforded popular forums in which to espouse their private idiocies. However, that gradually changed to the point that nearly everything now produced has a blatant woke POV with zero caveats expressed, and the MSM (which has over time become nothing more than a segment of that same industry) runs right to those actors and producers for opinions as if they were verified policy experts.
“Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine, So basically that’s wrong.”
Just for the sake of accuracy of terms, that statement is not “word salad”, it is perfectly clear. It also shows the intelligence and analytical ability of a somewhat dull 7 year old child.
Or the intelligence and analytical ability of a daily cannabis user.
Beyond the pale of news reporting, perhaps the 47th News & Documentary Emmy Awards should introduce a new category: “Best Lies or Distortions.”
Operation Mockingbird is doing well, still. There appears, Deep State goes lunatic and flies on autopilot. WCGW?
Wasn’t William Paley an Asset when creating CBS?