ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria • Hacker News Board

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#11

Post by canadacorner » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:31 PM UTC

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #2

I really hope there's an incompetence (as opposed to just not caring about doing their job right) based explanation for this otherwise it calls all of ABC's other reporting into question as well as that of every similiar media company. Edit: I'm genuinely curious why this getting down-voted?

I suspect someone sold them the altered footage and they rushed to get it on the air. Either for a financial benefit, or to specifically get them to air falsified footage. (Project Veritas?) Responsibility still lies with ABC to verify.

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#12

Post by xxxtentachyon » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:32 PM UTC

maxaf wrote: post #4

News outlets and so-called journalists only ever had “credibility” insofar as there wasn’t another information medium by which their claims could be (in)validated. Now that this medium exists (you know, the internet) “journalist” is no longer someone we need to trust, believe, or finance.

I think I can take it as an axiom that in order for a democracy to function well, the people in it need to know what's going on both domestically and abroad. Who do you suppose should go out and find and publish needed information? If your answer isn't "journalists", then what separates those people from journalists?

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#13

Post by codegeek » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:32 PM UTC

Mainstream news media has really gone to the dogs. Doesn't matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, I highly recommend not watching mainstream media on TV and instead find indie youtube channels.

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#14

Post by youareostriches » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:32 PM UTC

maxaf wrote: post #4

News outlets and so-called journalists only ever had “credibility” insofar as there wasn’t another information medium by which their claims could be (in)validated. Now that this medium exists (you know, the internet) “journalist” is no longer someone we need to trust, believe, or finance.

"Hey, this steak house's hamburger tastes terrible. Therefore, all other steak houses can be ignored and we can all just eat McDonald's instead, because who needs quality?"

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#15

Post by hockeybias » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:33 PM UTC

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #6

> It should be noted that Kentucky is located nowhere near Syria. I am horrified that the author felt the need to clarify this, as if it was in dispute.

I believe it was typed in a tongue-in-cheek' manner.

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#16

Post by greenyoda » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:36 PM UTC

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #2

I really hope there's an incompetence (as opposed to just not caring about doing their job right) based explanation for this otherwise it calls all of ABC's other reporting into question as well as that of every similiar media company. Edit: I'm genuinely curious why this getting down-voted?

The only scenario I can think of that's merely incompetence is that someone outside of ABC sent them the video, claiming that it came from Syria, and ABC made no effort to validate that person's credibility.

If the video was produced anywhere inside ABC's organization, it would be dishonesty rather than incompetence. Anyone who downloaded a video from YouTube and edited out the people with phones at the bottom would have known that the video was not footage of a battle.

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#17

Post by remarkEon » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:36 PM UTC

How possible is it to realistically fake something like this, instead of just re-purposing some gun porn? I'd be more concerned about that than some anxious journalists getting trolled into publishing something that is, to the initiated, obviously not from Syria.

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#18

Post by equalunique » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:36 PM UTC

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #2

I really hope there's an incompetence (as opposed to just not caring about doing their job right) based explanation for this otherwise it calls all of ABC's other reporting into question as well as that of every similiar media company. Edit: I'm genuinely curious why this getting down-voted?

>“This video right here appearing to show the Turkish military bombing Kurd civilians in a Syrian border town,” Muir said. “The Kurds, who fought alongside the US against ISIS now horrific reports of atrocities, committed by Turkish-backed fighters on those very allies.”

One possibility is that it was Kurdish sources who supplied the video to ABC, falsely claiming that it was a fight against them in Syria. If that turned out to be the case, then would the media fess up to being duped by them? It would force ABC to change their narrative on Syria - something that I believe they're unwilling to do, no matter what.

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#19

Post by beerandt » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:37 PM UTC

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #2

I really hope there's an incompetence (as opposed to just not caring about doing their job right) based explanation for this otherwise it calls all of ABC's other reporting into question as well as that of every similiar media company. Edit: I'm genuinely curious why this getting down-voted?

Even if it's incompetence, I suspect it will still be based on some element of media bias. It's just a matter of who will get blamed.

Like if the film editor (or librarian or intern) that filed the original footage thought it would be funny to label a bunch of gun-loving Kentuckians as terrorists. Video gets tagged "Terrorists waging jihad on Americans. Automatic gunfire and explosions at night"

A few days/hours later someone searches the library for recent footage of Syria, and the keywords fit.

Re: ABC news is trying to pass gun range videos as combat footage from Syria

#20

Post by Rebelgecko » Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 7:37 PM UTC

canadacorner wrote: post #11

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #2

I really hope there's an incompetence (as opposed to just not caring about doing their job right) based explanation for this otherwise it calls all of ABC's other reporting into question as well as that of every similiar media company. Edit: I'm genuinely curious why this getting down-voted?

I suspect someone sold them the altered footage and they rushed to get it on the air. Either for a financial benefit, or to specifically get them to air falsified footage. (Project Veritas?) Responsibility still lies with ABC to verify.

It's a shitty situation, I doubt ABC knew it was footage from the US. But how do you verify that a random video clip, filmed at night, actually took place in Syria (assuming the crowds were cropped out before they saw it, otherwise its fairly obvious)