https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/26/abc-news-should-be-ashamed-caving-latest-james-okeefe-scam/

By Paul Waldman
Opinion writer

Feb. 26, 2020 at 5:15 p.m. EST

How are news organizations not wise to this scam?

That’s the reaction I had when I heard that ABC News had suspended reporter David Wright after Wright got secretly recorded by Project Veritas, the group run by conservative con artist James O’Keefe. Their goal is to “expose” media they see as biased and liberals they don’t like, which they usually do by recording people without their knowledge, then deceptively editing their comments and releasing them as an “exposé.”

I’ll explain a bit about that history and how it relates to what just happened, but here’s the latest:

The network disciplined David Wright, who reports for ABC’s signature news programs, including “World News Tonight,” “Good Morning America” and “Nightline,” several people confirmed late Tuesday.

The choppy, poorly shot video, released Wednesday morning by Project Veritas, captured Wright on what appeared to be a hidden camera, seeming to complain in general terms about political coverage.

“I don’t think we’re terribly interested in voters,” he said, echoing gripes about the superficiality of some aspects of White House and campaign coverage that have been raised by journalists for decades. Also: “Commercial imperative is incompatible with news.”

Not only are they suspending Wright, they’re also banning him from political coverage once he returns. They might as well put up a billboard atop their headquarters reading, “C’mon, conservative grifters: Have at us. We’re a bunch of cowards and we’ll crumble under the least bit of pressure.”

</snip>