‘The Amateur’: Did Obama Book Author Violate Journalistic Ethics by Lying to Rev. Wright During Their Interview?
- Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:10am by
Billy Hallowell
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This week, author Ed Klein’s book, “The Amateur,” has been the focus of a great deal of media scrutiny and coverage. While there is certainly some compelling content in the author’s three-hour interview with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, ideological inconsistencies and contradictory statements create some journalistic questions worth pondering.
Initially, The Blaze received edited clips that were extracted from Klein’s complete interview. After we shared these with the general public, we secured the recording in its entirety. Upon examining its content and then hearing Klein speak to media about his book, we noticed some noteworthy inconsistencies. The questions and wording that Klein used to extract answers from Wright, when compared to the media statements he has made surrounding the book, didn’t quite mesh.
At various points, it seems as though the author purposefully appealed to Wright by making comments and proclamations that indicated that he agreed with the controversial preacher’s worldview. If these views on the part of Klein were genuine, one would resign to the fact that the author was merely sharing his own perspective. But, after Klein’s discussions about the interview with both Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
As The Blaze noted earlier, Klein lambasted Hannity, Beck and Bill O’Reilly during his discussion with Wright, calling them “right wing crazies.” After learning about this less than flattering title and contending that Klein seemed to be working diligently to appease Wright during the interview, Hannity confronted the author on his television program Thursday night.
“To get from the Rev. Wright what I needed to give to him, I felt I needed to win over his confidence,” Klein told Hannity, going on to apologize for his appeasement and harsh critique. “And in doing so, I think I went too far, quite frankly.”
When Beck brought up the same issues on his radio program Friday morning, Klein offered a similar answer, admitting that he was essentially attempting to break the ice so that he would be able to extract viable data from Barack Obama’s former spiritual leader.
“When I sat down with him and we went into deep discussions about various things and he was a little reluctant at first, I went a bit overboard, to put it mildly, in trying to make him feel comfortable with me,” the author explained to Beck. “And when I made these comments about you and Hannity and O’Reilly and so forth — it wasn’t something that I normally do, but I was trying to get him to come out of his cocoon or shell.”
Listen to Klein‘s appearance on Glenn Beck’s radio show Friday morning:
What both of these statements divulge, on the surface, may seem acceptable to some. But considering journalistic ethics and the need to be forthcoming, one wonders if Klein sacrificed his professional values in an effort to convince Wright to come clean with some noteworthy information. On one hand, using such a tactic on a heavily-guarded individual like Wright makes sense; on the other, it calls into question the tactics as potentially outside of an ethical periphery.
As Wright sat and spoke with Klein, based on the author’s friendly commentary, the preacher likely assumed it was a safe space to share personal stories and issues that he had faced during and in the wake of the 2008 campaign. Yet, following the book’s publication, Klein is making media appearances in which he openly proclaims his qualms about the faith leader’s character.
While speaking with Beck about getting his Nov. 2011 interview set up with Wright, Klein said that numerous individuals, who had at one time supported Obama, urged him to meet with Wright. However, the author said that he had some serious reservations about the pastor — reservations that he clearly hid while meeting with Wright.
“You know, quite frankly, I’m not exactly fond of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, because I’m Jewish,” Klein said, recalling his initial reaction to the suggestion that he meet with the faith leader. “I think he’s anti-Semitic. He says these awful things about America.”
While these emotions are perfectly fine if they’re legitimate, the comments he made during the actual exchange reflect opposing views. After telling Wright that the aforementioned conservative commentators are “crazies,” Klein spoke for an elongated amount of time, using the opportunity to further appeal to Wright.
Next, he highlighted the fact that many right-leaning commentators accuse Wright of being anti-American, anti-Semitic and anti-white. Klein was careful to say that he was merely using others’ words. In fact, he even tells Wright, “I’m quoting now — because I don’t believe this.” But this morning, Klein admitted on air that he does, indeed, believe that Wright is an anti-Semite.
Then, Klein went on to discuss “the ignorance of white people as far as the black church is concerned.” According to the author, most white people lack adequate knowledge about the black church in America. In the audio, Klein can be heard saying that, because whites generally haven’t been to African American churches, they don’t necessarily understand how they operate. Here is a portion of the transcript from his words:
“You, in particular, bring an Afro-centric point of view to your ministry. In doing so, what I don’t think most people understand, most white people don’t understand, is that this is not anti-white. This is black, this is black theology and that it isn’t pointed at them as … you know, that’s not the point of the whole thing. But this has been something that’s been carried on now since 2008, since this debacle if you could call it — and it was a debacle — and nobody, nobody has stood up — either black or white — and made change [to] that narrative about how this somehow casts a bad light on Barack Obama because he was a member of your church.”
Listen to this part of the interview, below:
Following this sympathetic statement, Klein told Wright that he needs Wright’s help, as he is writing a book and he wants “to be honest,“ ”truthful“ and ”fair.” He even claims that, if a vote were held today, he would vote for Barack Obama again (Klein told Beck on the air this morning that he regretted voting for Obama in 2008 and that it was a mistake in judgement).
“I’d certainly vote for him against any of these clowns who are running on the Republican side. I mean, no question,” Klein told Wright in Nov. 2011., when he conducted the interview. “And I think he’s done a lot of pretty good things.”
In the past, The Blaze has discussed the importance of truth in investigative journalism. Weighing the ends versus means can often times be a difficult task for reporters – specifically, when they are in a situation in which they want to expose the truth, while keeping their intentions under wraps. However, where does one draw the line?
As we previously reported, journalistic ethics expert Robert Steele of the Poynter Institute has created a set of six rules to help journalists make that morally convincing case. If the journalist fulfills each and every rule, then he is in morally safe waters. The full rules appear here, but they include: “the information obtained [must be] of profound importance,“ and undercover reporting is permissible only when ”all other alternatives for obtaining the same information have been exhausted.”
Steele’s view, of course, is only one of many on this complicated matter; however, seeing some of the criteria can’t help one to wonder, especially after examining the aforementioned information, if Klein’s tactics qualified. And considering that the author told Wright he wanted to be fair and truthful, how he rectifies such a notion with some of his subsequent comments that seem less-than-corroboratory is an important factor.
While Klein claims that he was merely attempting to make Wright comfortable, there were likely other mechanisms and wordings that would have brought the same truths to the forefront. This piece is certainly no effort to lambaste the author or to disparage his work; however, if the truth truly has no agenda, it‘s essential that we continuously explore individuals’ journalistic tactics on all ends of the spectrum.
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Comments (364)
NickDeringer
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:14amRahab lied to protect the spies in the Bible. David’s wife lied to save Davids life.
Lying is always wrong, but sometimes necessary.
Report Post »From Virginia
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:40amConnie Chung lied to Newt Gingrish’s mother to get her to call Hilary Clinton a b!tch which they played ad nauseum and refused to apologize.
Report Post »From Virginia
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:45amThe leftwing media has lied, plagiarized and outrght fabricated the news for decades. Their favorite trick is to lie by omission. They used all their little tricks on the Trayvon Martin story.
Report Post »bobbyjoe
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:51amIt comes down to who is the “father of the lie” and whom shall you serve. Simple question? Doesn’t seem so for some posters here.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:54amA simple internet search would have told rev wright all he needed to know……………….
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:57amLying seems Wrong… unless you know that you are being Lied to: Fables; Fairy Tales; & Fiction! We hone our Analytical Abilities… to detect lies,,, because it’s our Weakness!
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:59amWhen a wife talks about her butt size you better lie like Obama on speed……
Report Post »Leighton
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:03pmThe fact that this article is even here proves the Left wing bias. They would NEVER critique their own like this. Conservatives vet themselves and take out the garbage, while liberals congratulate each other on ‘getting away with lies.” (see Clinton)
Report Post »bobbyjoe
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:10pmAll these lame excuses about “this person did it so I can do it as well” Please show me where Jesus lied…………………………I think I’ll follow his example.
Report Post »Rashomon
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:43pm“Is it okay to lie to get someone to tell the truth?” the police seem to think so
Report Post »inblack
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:10pmI’m incredibly disappointed in you people.
It is wrong to lie. It is wrong to bear false witness.
It is especially wrong to use this kind of false friendship to betray someone of whom you are asking for information.
Rev Wright is not the devil, he may be imperfect and wrong, but he is not the devil.
It is clear from the other information that Obama used Rev. Wright, not the other way around.
While I do approve of undercover investigations like the James O’Keefe ACORN investigation, Klein’s personal false confidence is unnecessary and unsettling.
The people who point to libs who have “done the same thing” are pathetic. The devil would certainly use any means necessary as would Obama or any marxist, but I would not condone it by pointing to the lowest human examples as an excuse.
Report Post »Duddio
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:17pmIf there is never an occasion to lie, then we shouldn’t have any CIA, FBI, or Police go undercover….. ever. Militaries should never feign an attack on one front to hide the real operation… that’s deception. Boxers should never feint in a boxing match, that’s deception.
If the purpose is to elicit the truth, then misdirection and feinting are legitimate tools.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:25pmYou can bet Rev Wright wanted to get his story out and chose to tell his side. At any point he could have chosen to not answer the questions or dispute the way the conversation was framed – he wanted his side of the story out there. Oprah needs to get her side of the story out there, too, as she lost many viewers due to her support of Obama. If she wants to save her television channel she had best find someone to moderate her side of the story and then go on to try to restore her reputation. It is certainly alot easier to lose your integrity than to get it back – ask Glenn. However, as Glenn has proven, honesty and integrity will win in the end.
Report Post »Want our country back
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:35pmLiar liar pants on fire…… is his nose bigger then it was before the interview….
Are you kidding me????? This last 5 1/2 yrs has been nothing but a lie and we are questioning if this author lied to Rev Wright (that hates America)…. give me a break….
Vote GOP 2012 – make it count… take back our country
Report Post »donh2
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:37pmTypical Beck COWARDICE…Can’t do an expose on a black person without the day after back peddle. Racial overbite must be some kind of mormon birth defect overcompensating for past sins against blacks. Mr . Klien had the courage to sit in the lion’s den. He had the courage to face Mr Beck’s inquisition live on air for nearly an hour….the only bottom line the Blaze takes away from it……we should all dismiss Mr. Klien because we found a slight moral imperfection to make the enemy of all the good. Mr Beck acts like an information abortion doctor . He jumps on the scandals while in fetal stage….and snuffs them out before they take life… protecting those in power. Nibbles around the edges of breaking stories but never reveals the full truth. Mocks people doing the real ground work. THIS is why people like Andrew Brietbart had nothing but CONTEMPT for Mr. Beck. He’s doing the bidding of David Axelrod helping the democrats do damage control in a sneaky back door way. Still working on the FOX format of programming people’s thoughts while pretending to have “ spit himself out ” of the fascist system of information control. Either that or he is just punching above his weight and not qualified to the task of saving this country.
Report Post »PATTY HENRY
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:36pmI don’t call it lying. I call it Schmoozing. Doing what people do to quickly ingratiate themselves to the subject of their attention. Quite obviously, Wright wished to get his voice heard. No one twisted his arm. Why Wright has these horrible ANTI-WHITE feelings is amazing to me, considering the fact that he moved into a GATED, Mainly WHITE neighborhood of multi-million dollar Mansions.
Report Post »He has made a lot of money dissing Whites and USA; Obama has made a lot of money being a politician. ROMNEY made his money by healing businesses and yes, I had only been aware of the ones that closed down. Now that I know more about him, I realize that his life is the ultimate American Dream life! He has created way more jobs than were lost by companies who were going broke anyway. I’m happy to read that more and more people are “liking” Mitt Romney. I see the man I first admired when he saved the Olympics! I want that same man Saving America. Work Hard people, Pray Hard. America is worth saving. Obama doesn’t know it, he’s not American even if he was born in Hawaii for real. And, man oh man is he wrong in his economic Ideas!! THEY DO NOT WORK. He’s just using our Tax $ to buy votes. IF we make it through Nov. and he was UNABLE to declare himself as Dictator (permanently in WH) I say we’ll have dodged the biggest bullet ever fired at our Precious US of A !!
The-Monk
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:36pm“What something is, is what it extends”
Report Post »Ask Uncle JZS
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:42pmthats just stuped mr moto monk
Report Post »SwordAndShield_ofTruth
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 3:18pmShow me in the bible where lying os condemned. It is a sin TO BEAR FALSE WITNESS, but to use guile and deciet to extract the truth? How many times did God command his servants to lie, norder to protect them?
Report Post »SHOOTnCRASH
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 3:23pmThis is leftist tactics and if true Im out.
Report Post »Sargint Rock
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 3:33pmOur enemies lie and boast about it as a tenet of their Religion. In survival scenarios, the end justifies the means!!
Report Post »chalkdust
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 4:52pmThe real question is, was Klein lying to Glenn or the Reverend? Klein is trying to sell a book. I got what I think is consumable out of the audio with Rev. Wright.
Report Post »SANE_I think
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 5:08pmNothing turns my stomach like a liar! In this case we are talking about an enemy of the people and this country. If that is what it takes to get a true American patriot Pres.instead of the commy, I am all for it! If the media had not been part of team Obama, it would never had been done.
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 6:18pm…to be honest, I resent this whole column. Conservative writers need to resist the urge to turn everything into a morality play. I think we too often clip our own wings and handcuff ourselves with unrealistic expectations.
Report Post »dmar003
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 8:59pmobama lied to get to the white house, and back peddled when someone ask’s a tough questioin. He lied about something, so he lies about other great things that he has done as president. and rev wright is right there behind him telling obama what to say and what to do. The lies are getting a little out of hand.
Report Post »Pilgrimsarbour
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 9:14pmNo, lying is not always wrong. Nazi: “Are you hiding any Jews in your house.” Citizen: “No, sir. I do not have any Jews in my house.” I have no conflict with that kind of lying. On the other hand, as conservatives we would excoriate people like author Joe McGinniss for creepily going after Sarah Palin, no matter what may think of Sarah Palin. No, I think it was wrong for Klein to put on a lying act for Wright, no matter what I may think of Wright (which isn’t much).
Report Post »iBeliever
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 9:14pmHarry Potter lied to Voldemort to save the sixth Horcrux, as long as we’re using works of fiction as a moral compass
Report Post »donh2
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 9:54pmThis man Klein is a jew sitting face to face with one of the most powerful antisemites in the western hemisphere and BECK has the GALL to fault Mr. Klein’s ethics. Haven’t any read the famous short story “ Lather and nothing else ” by Hernando Tellez ? This interview is a dramatic real life face to face encounter between a victim of hate mongering and his nemesis….and to see the German surname of Beck faulting a jew because he didn’t interview Dr Mengele with proper moral etiquette is just DISGUSTING !
Report Post »Mil Mom
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:08pmIf you read Corrie Tenboom’s book “The Hiding Place” you find the Dutch lied constantly to save the lives of Jews during Hitler’s occupation. She said her family argued constantly whether it was right or if they could have depended on God’ Providence without. Read the book, she gives an excellent illustration for not doing so, but even more for doing so.
Report Post »mauijonny
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:39pmWaterboarding is a form of lying to get the truth… I’d much rather have someone just ask me a buncha questions with “embelishments.”
Report Post »DJ in AZ
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:50pmSometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times. Using dishonest tactics will come back to bite the author in the butt, I’m afraid.
Report Post »Hydejustice
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:55pmI agree, we will never win when extracting information by being nice, especially when they are hiding facts. The bottom line is you can’t win a war by turning the other cheek, you’ll only get shot in the back.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 12:09amThere is NO Truth Detector in the Brain… which makes Humans to be Gullible and subject to Lies… but they Deny the Imperfection of Self and the lack of ability to Rationally Reason… which results in varied Opinions; which causes them to divide into Sects & Parties; and which results in any Popular Vote, simply, being an exercise in Mob Rule by a Majority.
Science (reproducing the same results, always) is suppose to keep Humans upon the Rational Track… but Scientists are subject to Lying about Theories, Models, Data, and Results, just as any Human… eliminating any Safety Net.
WARNING: Be careful and Beware of the Leaders that you select… for NO One is Totally Rational!
Report Post »bobbyjoe
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 12:16amSorry to see that every excuse seems to be made for lying. What happened to firm reliance? Even if it cost you everything, including your life or your loved ones. I always heard that excuses are like something that we all have that smells awful bad.There are only two sides to be on and there isn’t any fence to straddle. In the end all we have is our words and deeds. God bless us all………
Report Post »bobbyjoe
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 12:36amI guess the TRUTH does not live here
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 3:11am@SwordAndShield_ofTruth
Show me in the bible where lying os condemned.
——-
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Rev. 21:8)
These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue… (Prov. 6: 16-17)
You are of your father the devil… He… does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)
Wherefore, putting away the lying, speak truth each with his neighbour, because we are members one of another. (Eph. 4:25)
“You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” (Lev. 19:11)
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 4:11am@BOBBYJOE
Report Post »In Indiana Jones… he says… if you seek Truth, then go down to the Philosophy Class room… here we seek Facts!
kryptonite
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 6:03am@NickDeringer
Lying is always wrong, but sometimes necessary.
—–
We know that God never lies and that Christians are commanded to be like Him. How do we reconcile those aforementioned “ten Boom situations” with God’s law? Here’s what one brother has to say:
“[NOT ALL FALSEHOODS ARE LIES. A lie is an intentional falsehood which violates someone’s right to know the truth. But there are cases in which people forfeit their right to know the truth. The question, therefore, is not whether it is ever morally permissible to lie. The question is, “What is a lie?” A lie is the intentional declaration or communication of a falsehood designed to deceive someone who has a moral and legal right to know the truth. A lie is the telling of an untruth to someone to whom you are morally and legally obligated to speak the truth. There are, however, certain occasions on which we are not under obligation to tell a person the truth (in times of war, criminal assault, etc.). ” http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/article/moral-absolutism/
A similar distinction applies to killing and murdering.
God’s moral code is absolute, but as sinners we don‘t always discern or abide by God’s law. If we lie and repent of our sin (and it IS a sin to lie), God forgives us, but He will not tolerate the practice of lying. Constant liars have taken on the nature of Satan. That is why all liars — Obama included — will be thrown into the lake of fire.
Report Post »old white guy
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 6:15amlying to a liar. heh.
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 9:01amI love all you righteous people who have never lied, LOL, show me a human who communicates one way or another and hasn‘t lied and you’ll be the liar. If his lie is for good, he’ll be forgiven, if it’s for bad, he’ll pay, simple as that. It will be sorted out.
Report Post »Jeronimo Dan
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 9:02amYes, but Newt‘s Mother didn’t tell any of us anything we didn’t already know.
Report Post »poorrichard09
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 9:40amDan Rather lied about G. Bush’s military record. In order to get the truth out of leftys you have to smoke ‘em out, so to speak.
Report Post »marybethelizabeth
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:11amI have heard Mr. Beck boast on more than one occasion that he lied to researchers who were writing biographies about him.
Report Post »It is worse than the Edward Klien situation. He coerced others into lying for him as well
Mr. Beck is an admitted liar.
You can not believe anything he says.
VanceUppercut
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:40am@NickDeringer
“Lying is always wrong, but sometimes necessary.”
You forgot the part where it’s breaking a commandment. Oh, that’s right, religion is just something Cons use when it suits the, and discard when it’s not useful.
Report Post »VanceUppercut
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:45am@From Virginia
Report Post »Did you just get back from your vacation to Two Wrongs Make a Rightsville?
Berbel73
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:02pmDonH2 you want to talk about cowerdice? Mr. Klein did not “sit in the lion’s den” as you would like to portray it. Please, I mean come on, would his life have been in danger if he would have just came out and asked the questions without all of the subterfuge? Hardly, if anything Mr. Wright might have just ended the interview and told him to leave. however it’s more likely that he would have just stood his ground and stuck to his nature and given Mr. Klein the same answers just maybe with a more aggravated tone. No, what Mr. Klein did was beyond cowardly. He stooped to the level of the left by misrepresenting himself and who he is. The progressive left would proudly use a tactic like this since to them the ends justify the means, but a real conservative isn’t afraid to stare hatred in the eye and call it out for what it is. A real conservative would question with boldness without fear of the answer or of any sort of reprisal. Question with boldness isn’t just a catch phrase donnie, it’s how a righteous man lives his life! What’s really disgusting here is that you think that you are any better or different than those on the left.
Report Post »nancienice
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 2:11pmThat is the philosophy of the liberal democrats…We’re better than that.
Report Post »donh2
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 2:13pmIt looks BAD when you have a $150,000 bribe to keep information from entering the media…and Karl Rove, a powerful distributor of media topic flow is calling on people not to go there …Don’t look into details. WORSE is to see Mr Beck give the obediant SIEG HIEL bellamy salute to his old FOX corporate NWO masters and say “YA VOL MIEN FURAH”. I will do no more on Reverand Wright …Mr Klein a very BAD man . I will use all my media power to destroy him on your orders and program the people to take the sleep gas…Pay no attention to that bribe behind the curtain…You see NOTHING ….NOTHING !.
Report Post »donh2
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 2:40pmWhat are the journalistic ethics of Mr Beck covering a media bribery story like he’s an outside observer ? Conflict of interest ? You think Eric Whitaker’s $150,000 bribe to Wright is the only person to be bought off ? Remember Beck‘s version of Geraldo’s Vault when he interviewed Eric Massa ? The whole Obamacare bill could have come crashing down if Mr. Beck had managed to extract some damning intel out of Massa, but it just seemed like somebody “ got to ” Massa and it was a bust. Possible Karl Rove might be the source of that $150,00 bribe ? or other bribes? Someone at FOX getting a heads up on breaking stories and working a back channel to shut down the damage …making sure no corroborating evidance comes to light ? No lets not go there. Lets take the easy way out and bum rush Mr Klien into the gas chamber of character defamation. Beck is playing a HUGE role in the loss of our country . He is an accessory to dictatorship , disinformation, and double speak.
Report Post »toto
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:34pmLying is a Democratic fine art. They laud themselves on their success at doing it well. They are the most identifyable single source of decay in this country. They do not revere honesty, integrity, or character, indeed they demonstrate the opposite and denigrate those qualities routinely. For the wonderful good Democrats, wake up! You have been co-opted by the socialists and communists, and the educators have prevented you from learning about their agenda.
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:11amDid he violate journalist ethics? Journalistic ethics were abandoned by the mainstream media decades ago. Since then it’s been a one way street expected only of conservative media. He did nothing that hasn’t been done 5,000 times on 60 Minutes…or by Bob Woodward a dozen times. Good for him…anything for the cause.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:10pmJournalistic ethics is an oxy moron……………it was gone long ago!!!!!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:58pmIt is… as it always was: You Trust people who you consider to be Honest… and you read the Paper that you think delivers the Truth. Freedom of Choice; Buyer Beware!
Report Post »Hydejustice
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:56pmyep, exactly, the question is did he lie?
Report Post »VanceUppercut
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:42am@disenlightened
“anything for the cause.”
Gee, that sounds a lot like something those evil Socialist would say.
Report Post »trinklefinder
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:10amThe real issue is that the character of Wright is so poor, that you have to use unusual tactics to get him to tell the truth. You wouldn‘t have to be sneaky with an honest man who has a clear conscious and isn’t so hateful.
Report Post »From Virginia
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:51amNobody questioned James O’Keefe posing as a pimp to bust ACORN. Everybody called that good investigative journalism. I see no difference here.
Report Post »inblack
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:38pm@FROMVIRGINIA
Too bad you cannot tell the difference. I suppose you would then lie to your husband or wife, lie to your parents and lie to your kids. It’s all the same.
Klein was not an undercover reporter posing as a prostitute, he was a reporter lying in a very personal conversation to manipulate his subject. The lies were unnecessary and indicate a level of moral disregard very few people would stomach or attempt.
Based on what I have seen, in a social situation I would trust O’Keefe, I could never trust Klein.
Report Post »chalkdust
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 4:46pmNo, The Rev. will tell you the truth. You may not agree with his views but I don’t question for 1 second that he believes what he preaches.
Report Post »marybethelizabeth
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:23amMr Klein is an adsmitted liar. Who know what is true?
Report Post »He says the Reverend agreed to show him an e-mail? Did the Reverend lie?
Is the Reverend a liar too?
Did Mr. Klien see it and realize it didn‘t back the Reverend’s claim?
Can we believe Edward Klien when he says he agreed to get the Reverend’s approval of the interview transcript before publication and did not do so.
Did Edward Klien lie again or is he just someone who can not be trusted to keep his end of a bargain?
trinklefinder
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:24am@ chalkdust, he can sincerely believe his lies to be truth, but he would be sincerely wrong. when you dont assess your beliefs to find the truth then to me that makes you dishonest. you can’t be honest AND spew lies, regardless if you believe them to be true. as a man of God that he claims to be then he should know the truth.
Report Post »Papadoc
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:10pmFortunately, you don’t have to “trust Klein”. Wright’s words are there for you to listen for yourself. Sometimes it must stink to be a liberal where you have to deny logic and reality in order to keep your own ideology.
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 5:24pmIt wasn’t as much a lie, such as we hear constantly from the liberals, it was more a suggestion to help Wright give a bit more info. With all the lies from the WH, congress and others, you do what you have to do to get to the truth, which in the end will reward all of us.
Report Post »If there were more honesty in our history books, we’d have a truthful story about this country.
reconmarine
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:10amConservatives need to start fighting fire with fire. It does no good to take the high road while your enemy takes the low road and attacks you from behind.
Report Post »TimeIsUp
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:48amI absolutely agree with your comments. It is time folks on our side fought fire with fire.
Report Post »Here’s another example: After all the attacks on Sarah Palin and her children, I’d like to see someone put sasha and malia photos side by side and ask – why do these two kids look nothing alike? Who is(are) the father(s)?
chips1
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:43pmAre you trying to say that on their birth certificate, the fathers name is “We the People”? OHOOOOO!!!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:55pmPropaganda is… Lies that you tell your Enemy — MisInformation is… Lies that you tell your Friends!
Report Post »SovereignSoul
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 4:08pmAbsolutely right! To heck with those pesky ten commandments when they get in the way of us getting our way.
Report Post »FromSeaToSea
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:02amWere all big boys. Klein is whimping. Why now? Did someone get to him?
Report Post »VApatriot2
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:57amSince when did journalists become ethical? That went the way of high button shoes!!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:08amI agree .. is it ethical to get “thrills up one’s leg” .. at very least you should not report it! MSM has no ethics nor morals .. I think what he did was more of stroking Rev Wrights EGO to get to the truth .. and I see nothing wrong with that.
Frankly I am sick of playing with one set of rules .. while the other side (evil) has thrown them out.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:19amConsider the Police… interviewing a Suspect! It’s the same… no Harm; no Foul!
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:27amhttp://info.publicintelligence.net/USArmy-InternmentResettlement.pdf
Report Post »thegoldman
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:57amI call that good Journalism the left dose it all the time !
Report Post »Hydejustice
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 12:01amyep, why is this even a story?
Report Post »kevymac
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:49amLet’s just suppose that the re-election of BO is a great threat to our constitution and to the security of our nation as many blieve. Let’s further suppose that Klein is employed by a governmnet agency such as the CIA or maybe a police sting. Would the gathering of information by an undercover agent be subject to the same scrutiny as you are scrutinizing Klien’s journalistic ethics?
Report Post »Deacon1
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:48amIt may be a little sneaky, however with the dishonesty of todays political elite you will never find or get the truth from them with out some sort of deceit and lets face it, we would not know what we do know if it had not been .for his tactics.
Report Post »auntmoxie.com
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:47amThis hit me yesterday during the interview: that he had lied to get the information he needed. I don‘t see what’s scrupulous about being unscrupulous to get a story. It’s a sad statement on where we are as a people. No wonder Wright didn’t call him back.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:59amName an Actual Reporter… who has not Lied to get a Story!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:10amName a report who hasn’t lied IN a story … ever watch MSNBC? .. if not you need to .. just to see HOW BAD it is. Try Chrissy Matthews on NBC on a Sunday morning .. you won’t need to watch long. MSNBC is all lies or “misreporting”.
Report Post »thegoldman
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:20amMSNBC ABC CBS NBC ?
They make up there own stories…
Report Post »NancyBee
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 6:42pmMy gosh …………..this Admin. has done nothing but lied…….all these people are back biters….if it took him to cozy up to Rev. Wright , so be it
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:47amEthics… died in America… with the Founding Fathers!
Report Post »adeleeeee
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:10amCannot agree more… I reluctantly agree that Ed Klein did go too far.
The whole world is falling apart…..
Report Post »Steelhead
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:47amthat’s like asking Karl Rove was it alright to put Jeff Gannon in the White house press pool with planted questions.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:27pmLOL, I seriously doubt that Rove had anything to do with Jeff Gannon, or for that matter anybody else in the administration. Just type his name into your search engine and read up on the guy. He had a very limited time as a journalist and I am not sure if he was just showing his inexperience, or it was a really transparent attempt to lull Bush into answering future questions. It was actually the remainder of the White House press corps that made the accusation that the one question was so soft that it could have been a plant. Again, read up on the man himself and you might even see that disconnect through your hatred of the Right.
Report Post »Steelhead
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 1:31pmR Gadfly – yep you will do anything to get the story you want including defending a gay male escort service male prostitute that was given a hard pass to the White House.lol
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 4:54pmSTEELHEAD, You don’t get it, I am not defending him in any way. I did my research on him though. The bugger is on your side.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:00pmSteelhead where is your brother JZS?
Report Post »tubby hog
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:46amIt’s called investigative journalism. If you are trying to uncover corruption or some other type of criminal activity, do you think most people are going to spill the beans to someone who doesn’t share their same beliefs? The person has to gain their confidence. Law enforcement and journalists have been infiltrating organizations for a long time by pretending to be something they are not or by having an informant on the inside working for them. What’s the difference? What the journalists do owe the people is the truth of what they found out during the investigation? That is where the ethics come into play.
Report Post »From Virginia
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:00pmTrue – nobody had a problem with James O’Keefe posing as a pimp to bust ACORN. The left had a problem with being busted – but the public didn’t.
I thinks that’s the difference between the left and right in this country. If the right get‘s busted doing something wrong the right’s response is, “we have to get more ehtical people into those positions.” When the left gets busted doing something illegal the response is, “we have to find a way not to get caught.”
Report Post »donh2
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 2:11pmThis isn’t about ethics. This is about the “ morning after pill ” Mr. Beck ALWAYS swallows the day after covering a breaking scandal involvin a person of black race. This is about answering the telephone call from Mitt Romney to back off the Reverand Wright stuff. Its about Mr Beck doing what some boss at a corporations tells him to do, and not working for the people’s needs regarding news and truth.
Report Post »Dustoff
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:46amHmmmm, lie. Like say Dan Rather. (-:
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 12:07pmFunny that you should mention him. He was in the news the other day still claiming that those forged Air Nat’l Guard papers were the real thing.
Report Post »davidwjohnson
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:45amIf lying is wrong, then every man is guilty… “Honey, does this dress make me look fat?”
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:07amLying is Wrong… but Not a Sin (if not False Witness nor False Doctrine), Not Immoral, nor UnEthical!
Report Post »damonblankenship
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:43amThe exsistence of America is at stake, Good job Klein, and thank you, now watch your back, the Panthers will have a bounty on you. Hey Glenn, I like your voting part of this story !!
Report Post »momprayn
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:35amAs a Christian, I agree about not lying in order to get info & he could have used other ways/words to get it. Don’t believe in “the end justifies the means”. Re this, it’s a “done deal”…move on. Most of us out here are not really interested in whether he lied or not – we’re more interested in what happens next – will enough wake up in time and not vote for him and other important issues going on. If we say it’s ok here b/c we like the info he got, then we must say it’s ok for the left to do it to get their desirable results & shouldn’t complain.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:33amWhere in the Bible did you read of this Christian Morality?
Report Post »biffo
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:34amThe racist Wright words, used to promote his anti-white, black racist theology are the important facts in this book. Please concentrate on obama’s friendship with Wright and save the muddy waters for the government media.
Report Post »lynnissmart
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:32amSo What?
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:29am“Journalism” and “ethics” do not belong in the same sentence these days, unfortunately.
As a matter of fact, either alone scarcely exists in our world.
What a sad, dismal commentary on our spiritual lives.
As Neil Cavuto says, “You don’t have it? DEMAND it!”
Report Post »starman70
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:50amYOU ARE RIGHT!!! If you look at the drivel, distortions and outright lies told every day in the mainstream media, it is ok.
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:29amIf that was the case .They would have too put all the lame media in jail for there lies ?.
Report Post »PCsince1776
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:24amDoes the MSM violate journalistic ethics everyday? Oh wait … there are no journalists in the MSM any more … just opinionated ideologues….. my mistake.
Report Post »righthanddrive
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:21amSome say there is an old saying – there is a sucker born every minute. Live and learn guys……It’s going to be that king of an election campaign….After all ABC’s George S did try ad snooker the GOP field.
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:18amLefties lie, cheat and steal. They have no moral guideline. “Journalistic ethics” doesn’t exist on the left. The scarier part is we expect them to lie these days…..they have no reason not to.
Report Post »salvawhoray
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:17amNope.
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