NASCAR stunt could backfire on NBC News

Athens Banner-Herald ^ | 4/9/06

[LdSentinal]

Here's what now passes for "news gathering" at the NBC television network in the brave, and still relatively new, world of 24/7 electronic news broadcasting: Last weekend, a crew working for the NBC News magazine program "Dateline" showed up in Martinsville, Va. for the NASCAR stock car races. With the crew were some "Muslim-looking men" - whatever that means - as part of a "Dateline" effort to show how people in this country would react to "Muslims" in their midst.

In a recent statement, NBC News said it was pursuing the issue because it was "intrigued by the results of a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll and other articles regarding increasing anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States."

So, what happened at Martinsville Speedway?

Nothing. To the everlasting credit of the NASCAR Nation, not a curse word was uttered, not a punch was thrown, not a thing happened.

If you're a born-and-bred Southerner like me, you know in your deep-fried bones that's not the result the "Dateline" crew was hoping it would get.

No, you can bet the "Dateline" crew was expecting one thing, and one thing only: They were convinced they'd come away from Martinsville Speedway with video of their "Muslim" marks being beaten by a bunch of tire-iron-wielding, gap-toothed, trailer-dwelling, drunken mouth-breathers in wife-beater T-shirts.

Despite all its high-minded posturing that it simply was intrigued by a poll, NBC News was doing nothing more in Martinsville than looking for a video clip that would confirm its own prejudices. The "Dateline" crew was looking not to report the news, but to create some news.

Elsewhere in its statement on the "Dateline" story, NBC said, "It's very early in our newsgathering process, but be assured we will be visiting a number of locations across the country and are confident that our reporting team is pursuing this story in a fair manner."

Fair enough, as far as "pursuing this story" goes.

But, of course, the proof of NBC's "fair manner" won't be made manifest in its pursuit of the story.

The proof of the network's stated commitment to fairness will be in its editing and presentation of the "Dateline" piece, if it ever makes it to the airwaves.

It will be interesting to see if the "Dateline" segment producers are willing to air footage of their "Muslims" in Martinsville. It's not likely to be particularly exciting. According to Ramsey Poston, managing director of corporate communications for NASCAR, as quoted in the online version of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, the crew and the men "walked around, and no one bothered them."

It also will be interesting to see where else the "Dateline" crew decides to take its "Muslim" men. Will they, for instance, be willing to take the men to a polo match, a Mercedes-Benz dealership or any other supposedly "upscale" location, and air, unedited, the footage they gather?

Will they be willing to take the men, unannounced, into their own neighborhoods, and air that footage unedited?

It's too bad the "Dateline" crew didn't take a little time to poke around in the NBC newsroom before embarking on this story. It wouldn't have taken them long to realize the wrongheadedness of their apparently ill-hidden preconceptions regarding NASCAR fans.

As it happens, Brian Williams, anchor of the network's nightly newscast - and hardly a part of the demographic the "Dateline" crew clearly expected to find in Martinsville - is a deep-dyed NASCAR fan.

Here's Williams responding to a question during an interview by NBC's Lester Holt about his affinity for NASCAR: "I will watch anything go around in a circle. ... I love the car racing. ... I just have always loved it. I love the smell of it, the sound of it."

So do a lot of people.

And here's a news flash: That doesn't automatically make them simple-minded bigots.

[LdSentinal]

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[oldenuff2no]

NBC is a POS outfit and should be flushed at the earliest oppertunity.
Hey IDIOTS, you are supposed to be reporting the news not out there trying to script and create the news you socialists idiots want to see!!!!!

[leadpenny]

http://www.onlineathens.com/abh/index.shtml

[Tzimisce]

We're not supposed to believe the "Muslim Terrorist" stereotype...but we are supposed to believe the "Bigoted American" stereotype.

NBC should dress a bunch of guys in Confederate tee shirts and follow them to Yale/Hollywood/San Francisco and record the open minded, tolerant reactions of the lefties living there.

[Kirkwood]

NBC = race-baiting.

[Jim_Curtis]

I wonder if they thought to have their Muslims stroll through NBC News headquarters.

A 500 pound woman ( or I guess a man could do it ) in a burka walking around at liberal gatherings ( peace protests, NBC company picnic ) with a video camera inside the burka recording the reactions.

Burka-cam.

[Milhous]

Dateline was expecting to see a bunch of overmuscled, jaw-dragging, Bush-spouting, Muslim-hating redneck hicks who fell off the back of a turnip truck. Aren't those the kind of folks who go to NASCAR? If so, NBC was disappointed.

Did NBC put out a casting call for "redneck looking" men to act like bigots?

[Northern Alliance]

One wonders how the security guards at "Dateline" studios would react if "muslim-looking" men arrived wearing overcoats and acting in suspiciously. It would be interesting if someone would stage such a news event and videotape it and place the resulting footage on the Internet.

We need someone with the balls, equipment, and time to do exactly that, a la Michael Moore. It would not be difficult. That could just be the start. How about send a bunch of minority homeless types into George Soros' or Barbara Striesand's neighborhood. Really, the possibilities are endless.

[connectthedots]

I don't care who you are, that there's funny.

[Tall_Texan]

What's really stupid about this, of course, is that NBC has a CONTRACT with NASCAR to televise races. Those races bring in a hefty amount of advertising revenue for NBC. So, in their effort to belittle their OWN VIEWING AUDIENCE as racists, the liberal race-baiters at NBC try to invent a story that doesn't exist.

Thank you, NASCAR fans, from someone who cares little for the sport, for not taking the bait.

[groanup]

Thanks. Who runs these newspapers? Geographically challenged idiots? I assumed it was Athens, GA but I had to finally go to the "contact us" icon to find out what state it was in. Great website, but they should tell you where they are for pete's sake.

[Dad yer funny]

yup to #28 , however ,... I wuz hopin' NBC would deploy their FAKE MUZZIES...

... to P Diddy's big ol' Hamptons party [!!?!!]

... or just stoll around some of those Hamptons lanes when Bubba is visiting [HEHEHE]

[onyx]

GO TO BED! OR DONATE MORE MONEY! Convenient: just click anywhere on the graphic...lol.

Support Free Republic - Become a Monthly Donor Remember... only you can prevent fundraisers.

[truemiester]

Being Souther bred, born and raised, I could have told them that Southern folk (real Southern folk) are tolerant. You leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

"a bunch of tire-iron-wielding, gap-toothed, trailer-dwelling, drunken mouth-breathers in wife-beater T-shirts."
...not that theres anything wrong with that! (Leave my family out of this!!)(I guess it could be my 30th high school reunion....and most went to college..HAHAHAH)

[Toby06]

WTF? I don't wear wife beater t-shirts!

[IYellAtMyTV]

"What's really stupid about this, of course, is that NBC has a CONTRACT with NASCAR to televise races. Those races bring in a hefty amount of advertising revenue for NBC. So, in their effort to belittle their OWN VIEWING AUDIENCE as racists, the liberal race-baiters at NBC try to invent a story that doesn't exist. "

Maybe it has something to do with NBC losing the TV contract for NASCAR?!

[Tall_Texan]

Is that so?? Hmmm. The plot gets thicker.

Hey, NASCAR. I hope the words "Food Lion" ring a bell with you.

[txroadkill]

Me neither! Now if they would have said a Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt, then....

[Ban Draoi Marbh Draoi]

Even better.

Have a woman dressed in a very conservative manner wearing a somewhat large crucifix come into NBC's headquarters to apply for a job -- with a hidden camera to record what happens.

[martin_fierro]

Dateline/NBC/Brian Williams are journalistic JOKES.

On 18 February 1993 Dateline NBC aired an investigative report about General Motors pickup trucks allegedly exploding upon impact during accidents, because fuel tanks were badly designed. Although there were fuel tanks design problems with GM cars before, Dateline's film showed a sample of a staged low speed accident with the fuel tank exploding. Dateline NBC did not disclose the fact that this accident was staged, or the fact that the only reason there was an explosion was that the vehicle contained planted explosives. The viewers were never told about it. It appeared to be a major discovery of investigative reporters. GM investigators discovered a mistake by a study of the Dateline film. GM subsequently filed an anti-defamation lawsuit against NBC.The lawsuit in question was quickly settled by NBC and as a result several producers were fired.

Even though the new incident was staged it inspired many highly publicized lawsuits, and GM greatly reduced the fuel capacity of their trucks as a result. The publicity also drove other automotive companies to make similar changes and even destroyed the high capacity third party fuel tank market that thrived up to then. Today its almost impossible to improve a trucks fuel range by adding a tank that is designed to be mounted under the vehicle.