Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

kpete

(71,901 posts)
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 10:25 AM Sep 2012

The Romney-Koch Handshake: Network TV Censors Revealing Moment




When Mitt Romney walked down the aisle toward the stage at the Republican National Convention, among the people whose hands he shook was the conservative billionaire and major political donor David Koch. But it was a moment missed by the tens of millions of viewers at home. While Democracy Now! was there on the floor and captured the handshake on video, the networks cut away just before the handshake to show footage of two enthusiastic young women supporters and then an overhead shot of the convention center. Then, the shot came back to Romney shaking hands further down the aisle as he ascended the stage. Groups in the network of David Koch, and his brother Charles, intend to spend nearly $400 million ahead of the 2012 election.

video & more:
http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/theromney-koch-handshake-network-tv-ce
16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Romney-Koch Handshake: Network TV Censors Revealing Moment (Original Post) kpete Sep 2012 OP
Dear God get the red out Sep 2012 #1
The revolution will not be televised harun Sep 2012 #2
K&R jsmirman Sep 2012 #3
Then Bigredhunk Sep 2012 #4
Can someone please explain to a stupid European: OldEurope Sep 2012 #5
Unfortunately free speech in the good old USA Jazzgirl Sep 2012 #6
Didn't they make some sort of argument that it was for entertainment purposes? XemaSab Sep 2012 #8
*sigh* / nt OldEurope Sep 2012 #9
It has been determined by a Florida appellate court LiberalAndProud Sep 2012 #16
OK, was it really censorship? Unless there were instructions... JHB Sep 2012 #7
Seriously? harun Sep 2012 #10
Police States control the media. Octafish Sep 2012 #11
Koch paid for that handshake... Octafish Sep 2012 #12
I thought the choice of Lyin' was the Kochs' from the start. Overseas Sep 2012 #14
K&R. I was very sorry to hear that networks had cut out that telling moment too. Overseas Sep 2012 #13
Rachael showed the clip last week BumRushDaShow Sep 2012 #15

OldEurope

(1,273 posts)
5. Can someone please explain to a stupid European:
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 01:03 PM
Sep 2012

Is there no possibility for a sort of control for radio or tv? Can you sue a radio station for telling lies? Does free speech include lies?

Jazzgirl

(3,744 posts)
6. Unfortunately free speech in the good old USA
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 01:06 PM
Sep 2012

includes telling lies. In fact, Faux won a lawsuit in Florida where they were sued for lying about something (would have to dig up story) but they fought and won because it was "free speech". Bizarre I know.

XemaSab

(60,212 posts)
8. Didn't they make some sort of argument that it was for entertainment purposes?
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 01:16 PM
Sep 2012

Or am I thinking of something else?

LiberalAndProud

(12,799 posts)
16. It has been determined by a Florida appellate court
Sat Sep 8, 2012, 03:13 PM
Sep 2012

that press organizations have no legal responsibility to report truth. Fox News was the test case. Fortunately for me, I learned early not to believe everything I see on television.

http://ceasespin.org/ceasespin_blog/ceasespin_blogger_files/fox_news_gets_okay_to_misinform_public.html

JHB

(37,132 posts)
7. OK, was it really censorship? Unless there were instructions...
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 01:14 PM
Sep 2012

....along the lines of "when he gets near the Kochs, cut to long shot" it might just be the way it worked out.

I saw the side-by-side clip from Democracy Now!, and the network version looked to have pretty typical pacing for an event like this: on the floor following the handshakes, cut to long shot of the whole arena making the big cheers, cut back to floor, etc., rather than one long, dull shot from a single camera.

There was some video booth producer who made the decision to make those cutaways, but keep in mind there were perfectly mundane reasons for doing so, and this was live, not an after-the-fact edit.

Overseas

(12,121 posts)
14. I thought the choice of Lyin' was the Kochs' from the start.
Sat Sep 8, 2012, 02:43 PM
Sep 2012

But didn't realize it came with such a big payload.

Overseas

(12,121 posts)
13. K&R. I was very sorry to hear that networks had cut out that telling moment too.
Sat Sep 8, 2012, 02:41 PM
Sep 2012

Such a blatant disregard for what faces us as a country.

But they don't want to risk the hundreds of millions the Koch's are pouring into TV ads, I guess.

BumRushDaShow

(127,312 posts)
15. Rachael showed the clip last week
Sat Sep 8, 2012, 03:00 PM
Sep 2012

and even aired a side-by-side video comparison of the broadcast version and DemocracyNow!'s version set to run so that the timing matched between them. The broadcast version had quickly cut away to some cheerleaders in the arena or something and then cut back to the rope line after the evil handshake was over and satan retreated back out of the camera view. DemocracyNow!'s footage stayed with the rope line the whole time without any cuts of that handshake.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»The Romney-Koch Handshake...