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.

[R. Scott]

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

I do in warm weather – but we always called them Pisano shirts.

[mazda77]

NBC did not want to renew its deal starting next year. The are in the last year of the contract and will (should) be doing the last half of the season starting with the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. ABC/ESPN will be taking NBC's portion starting in 07. Fox's deal is that they don't want to compete with NFL so they take the first half of the season while alternating the coverage of the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400. Since I am an engineer for one of the professional road racing teams (Grand American) and have contact with the announcers (mostly from SPEED Channel) they are only interested in racing and have a lot in common with the teams and fans. This thing in no way is a reflection on them pesonaly but I'm sure they are making their feelings known up their corporate ladder.

Personally, I would like to see NASCAR terminate the remainder of their contract and let the new guys (who will most likely hire most of the NBC crew) get an early start. The truth is that the major networks hire a sports broadcast contractor to do most of the work anyway.

[infidel29]

"intrigued by the results of a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll and other articles regarding increasing anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States."

Increasing anti-muslim sentiments when DoJ records show violence against muslims in the U.S. is markedly down?

[sportutegrl]

Unbelievable hypocrisy: NBC stereotyping NASCAR fans as ignorant, hate filled bigots. Southern whites are racist, etc. They are too stupid to get the irony.

[norwaypinesavage]

"Dateline NBC did not disclose the fact that this accident was staged, or that the vehicle contained planted explosives. GM investigators discovered a mistake by a study of the Dateline film."

Dateline was for more incompetent than just this. GM filed a lawsuit and used the discovery process to demand access to the doctored vehicle. NBC claimed it was destroyed. GM called junkyards in the area and found the doctored truck AND BOUGHT IT. The pyrotechnics were still attached! NBS showed less competence in this event than a fifth grade classroom exercise.

[Coldwater Creek]

I have always thought it rather amusing, that when possible terrorist attacks are being talked about, no one every mentions the huge crowds at the races. But, then if you attack 200,000 rednecks mad the WTO would soon be over, wouldn't it????

[Coldwater Creek]

Try the NASCAR sites. The news was there a couple of days before it hit FR.

[InvisibleChurch]

they should have attached exploding gas tanks to the nascar fans to show how 'dangerous' they were

[sportutegrl]

Here's (NBC's Brian) 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 can't think up a comment.

[Coldwater Creek]

Will you quit talking about Anderson Cooper and Shep what's his name like that. I bet that NBC doesn't know just how Southern that these two bigots are.

[ßuddaßudd]

They set out to create something they could call "news" then use to "sell soap".

Bingo! NBC's primary function is to sell advertising space, not report news.

[don-o]

if it weren't for FreeRepublic and Malkin,

Anyone know how much the MSM reported this?

Fox should be on it like ugly on an ape!

[WestCoastGal]

I posted a report on the Nascar thread about Bruton Smith the owner of Texas Motor Speedway saying the FBI will be monitoring things at this weekends race because of Dateline's sorry need to make up stories.

My guess would be the Dateline crew may need security at this point rather than the muslim plants.

[BallyBill]

I'm sure someone else bought this up, but what was to stop NBC from using its own "NASCAR LOOKING" people to act the way NBC expected for the report? You know, get the film technician and dress him up as Jim Bob to go out and spit some tobacky at the rag heads.

[thoughtomator]

Now they should take some NASCAR-looking types and send them into a mosque, and see if the reception is the same.

[DUMBGRUNT]

General Motors pickup trucks

[RayChuang88]

Interestingly enough, Michael Wilbon was the ONLY commentator on ESPN that supported what NBC tried to do. Practically everyone else--Woody Paige and Skip Bayless on Cold Pizza, the regulars on Around the Horn, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic on Mike & Mike in the Morning, etc. said it was not only wrong, but a case of flat-out race baiting.

[SheLion]

My guess would be the Dateline crew may need security at this point rather than the muslim plants.

Excellent!  And a very good idea!  Pity how a large news media has to fall to such low dirty tactics just to make news, eh?  They suck!

[Coldwater Creek]

LOL!!!!!

[Coldwater Creek]

We will not watch the races on NBC, but listen on the radio where you get a much better picture of just what is going on.