How Andrew Breitbart Hacks the Media – Wired, April 2010.

By now, you have probably heard of how Shirley Sherrod, a former(?) Federal official, was forced to resign after a heavily-edited video of a recent speech she gave at an NAACP event was used as evidence of reverse-racism in Obama’s administration.  After the tape was released by Mr. Breitbart to FOX News, both the NAACP and White House called for Ms. Sherrod’s resignation.

Then, the unedited video was released (you can view it here).  Basically, the videotape shows that Ms. Sherrod’s statements were the exact opposite of what FOX News reported.  The NAACP apologized last night for being “snookered“  and called for her case to be reconsidered.  The farm family that Sherrod referred to even defended her while, just a few hours ago, the White House apologized.

Of course, all of this could have been avoided if the White House and the USDA remembered one basic fact – FOX News is not an actual news station.  Also, once they realized that Mr. Breitbart was behind the videotape, they should have remembered how an earlier, heavily-edited videotape falsely accused ACORN (and let to that organization’s demise).  At the very least, someone should have asked to see the complete unedited tape.  Even Mr. Breitbart admits that viewing the entire tape demonstrates that Ms. Sherrod is not a racist.

Mr. Breitbart and others like him are taking advantage of the decline of journalism.  Newsrooms are cutting back on staff and especially investigate reporters.  At the same time, they have to fill the 24-hour news hole and compete with other cable stations and local news.  Ratings are more essential now than ever.  Media manipulators know these weaknesses and use them to their partisan advantage.  As the Sherrod case shows, reputations can be damaged in just a few hours.  What is unusual about the Sherrod case is that the true picture came just as quickly.  In cases such as ACORN or Climategate, it was several months before the truth came out but was of little help in averting the damage.

It is imperative that the audience become more skeptical and reserve judgment before all of the facts are in.  More and more media manipulators are taking advantage of the decline of traditional journalism to spread their falsehoods.  Unfortunately, I don’t hold much hope as when obviously fictional news events (such as this from the Onion) are viewed as investigative journalism.

You have a strange idea of “fun,” Mr. Breitbart.

“Well, then social networking has achieved a communication first,” I replied.  “Remember the constant quote from our professors in the communication program?  That you cannot not communicate.”

“Yes.”

“Well, it appears that social networking technologies can create new and more immediate ways of communicating.  And it also appears that social networking technologies can now make it possible to fully not communicate.”

That is a powerful unintended effect with major societal ramifications.

My favorite chapters?  “The science of not boring people;”  “How to make a point;” and “What to do if your talk sucks.”  An especially motivational chapter is “You can’t do worse than this” in which Scott shares stories of famous speakers and their worst speaking moment.  There is nothing really new here but the advice of rehearse your speech, come early and check out your speaking arrangements, and don’t read your slides needs repeating (over and over in some cases).

I think where this book will be most helpful is in training federal government speakers.  I’ve seen some good briefings but your average speech by public officials can be a painful event.  Granted, most topics are of a highly technical nature and dense with policy points and regulatory language but the presenter can at least work to engage the audience.  With Scott’s advice, the presenter can successfully engage the audience.