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NBC's Bigot Stunt at Martinsville
Apr. 7th, 2006 09:36 amI don't know how many have read about what Dateline NBC did last weekend.
Here is the article I read a couple of days ago:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AoLzcPowSTWn4ejKr96.qAfov7YF?slug=ap-nascarmuslim040506&prov=ap&type=lgns
Here's B. Duane Cross's commentary about it on NASCAR.com:
http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/opinion/04/06/cross.nbc.dateline/index.html
What was the point of going to a NASCAR race unless the producers felt certain that they would get juicy material from bigoted rednecks waving Confederate battle flags? They didn't want to blow their story budget sending a crew and bait to someplace where they wouldn't get a reaction. Of course, some producers in NYC thought, "Hmmmm, where is someplace that will have lots of bigots so we can get good footage?" But, how would this event be "fair" compared to taking the bait to a large mall, an airport, community sports complexes on Saturday mornings, or other "everyday" places where Muslims go through their life? Those circumstances would truly show what prejudice/hatred that Muslims might experience in America. It's sad to see a news department that seems to have a love for Trading Spouses/Wife Swap style of "social education." I'm glad to see they were proven wrong at Martinsville.
While I don't think that NBC was targeting NASCAR as the bad boy of the story and have/will do this sort of stunt at other events and settings, it makes me wonder what sort of objective story they can create out of this now. The public will scream murder if they happen to have a few clips of SOMEONE/ANYONE saying anything negative after we've read news reports about how no one took the bait. And if NBC strikes out at baiting other events, will they do a story about how much Americans aren't prejudiced against Muslims? The experiment is spoiled for NBC and I hope they recognize that.
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Here is the article I read a couple of days ago:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AoLzcPowSTWn4ejKr96.qAfov7YF?slug=ap-nascarmuslim040506&prov=ap&type=lgns
Here's B. Duane Cross's commentary about it on NASCAR.com:
http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/opinion/04/06/cross.nbc.dateline/index.html
What was the point of going to a NASCAR race unless the producers felt certain that they would get juicy material from bigoted rednecks waving Confederate battle flags? They didn't want to blow their story budget sending a crew and bait to someplace where they wouldn't get a reaction. Of course, some producers in NYC thought, "Hmmmm, where is someplace that will have lots of bigots so we can get good footage?" But, how would this event be "fair" compared to taking the bait to a large mall, an airport, community sports complexes on Saturday mornings, or other "everyday" places where Muslims go through their life? Those circumstances would truly show what prejudice/hatred that Muslims might experience in America. It's sad to see a news department that seems to have a love for Trading Spouses/Wife Swap style of "social education." I'm glad to see they were proven wrong at Martinsville.
While I don't think that NBC was targeting NASCAR as the bad boy of the story and have/will do this sort of stunt at other events and settings, it makes me wonder what sort of objective story they can create out of this now. The public will scream murder if they happen to have a few clips of SOMEONE/ANYONE saying anything negative after we've read news reports about how no one took the bait. And if NBC strikes out at baiting other events, will they do a story about how much Americans aren't prejudiced against Muslims? The experiment is spoiled for NBC and I hope they recognize that.
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_happy_hour and personal journal
