What I want to know is, Why didn't the reporters just keep their cameras ON and say they were OFF?

by: Rosi Efthim

Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 07:39:51 PM EDT

Yesterday, right-wing video bad boy James O'Keefe (Rutgers '06) gave a paid talk to the Bayshore Tea Party in Keyport, and barred a newspaper's video journalist from recording him. Alesha Williams Boyd reports it here. She is fairer in her telling of it than O'Keefe deserves, given how he treats other people.

It doesn't surprise me that the self-appointed king of video gotcha 'journalism' would want to control the cameras in the room. What I don't understand - Asbury Park Press (APP), I'm lookin' at you now - is why the video journalist/s in the room let him get away with that.

Given the ethical ease with which O'Keefe entraps people with his camera, this is an extraordinary video. Doug Hood, who shot it, deserves credit for recording the local Tea Party honchos defense of O'Keefe, but I wish he had done as he threatened - the 'off-stage' voices are hard to distinguish - just film O'Keefe, and let him storm out, covering that.

But what he did capture is the fear of Barbara Gonzalez, founder of the group he spoke to, that her draw, O'Keefe, would leave. After all, she says, "This is a guy who's in trouble with the law, he's got lawsuits up the kazoo (sic) for trying to help you with your freedom!"

I hope to hell somebody took this APP crew out for a round of quality tequila when they got back to the office after this encounter last night. They deserve it. Here's the video:

Note: I'm in a busy, loud place when I got this video - hat/tip John S. - and the video is a little confusing in spots.

Rosi Efthim :: What I want to know is, Why didn't the reporters just keep their cameras ON and say they were OFF?

Tags: Asbury Park Press, Barbara Gonzalez, tea party, journalists, press, lreporters, video, James O'Keefe, APP, (All Tags)

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What I want to know is, Why didn't the reporters just keep their cameras ON and say they were OFF? | 6 comments

Measley always posts (0.00 / 0)

mindless disjointed comments on Frank Pallone's Facebook page. There's a a whole group of teabaggers that monitor the page and then alert the others when ever the Congressman puts up a post. These people appear depressed and possibly a danger to themselves and others. Anyone paying a lot of money to hear O'Keefe speak is an easy mark.
That pretty much describes the Pox News viewer.

Restore democracy and the Constitution for which it stands.

by: The Wizard @ Sat Mar 19, 2011 at 02:15:33 AM UTC

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True to form for the Party of Hypocrisy (0.00 / 0)

What a big baby. He can't take a does of his own medicine.

One Vote. Yours. It really does matter.

by: carolh @ Sat Mar 19, 2011 at 13:26:30 PM UTC

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Why didn't they keep their cameras on... (0.00 / 0)

...and say they were off?

Perhaps they're ethical journalists.
Not that O'Keefe is deserving of such ethical treatment, but once a journalist gets caught lying like that, it makes it more difficult for them to do their work effectively. They did the right thing by honoring their word, I believe.

by: Bill W @ Sat Mar 19, 2011 at 15:26:31 PM UTC

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Reporters (0.00 / 0)

have this kind of conversation all the time. I used to be one. And all manner of journalistic ethics and decisions of practical consequence are the kinds of things that got discussed over vodka and chips in the bar late night.

My question was rhetorical, meant to underscore O'Keefe's hypocrisy and the fact that people are more decent to him than his own behavior warrants. But you're right that there's a little of the real question in there, too. And I made sure to name in the post at least the journalists whose names were apparent, because I think they earned their salaries - and more - Thursday night.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Sat Mar 19, 2011 at 15:52:18 PM UTC

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a reporter? (0.00 / 0)