Fox ambush crew pursues history prof with bogus claims -- and is proud of it
The Ambush Virus is spreading at Fox News. Earlier this week, producer Griff Jenkins ambushed history professor Alan Brinkley over the wording of a few lines in one of his textbooks:
Jenkins claimed that the network invited Brinkley onto the program, but Fox News has been known to lie about inviting its perceived enemies on air. ThinkProgress contacted Brinkley and it turns out Fox extended an invitation to him only after stalking and ambushing him:
A Fox News crew was waiting for me when I left my home yesterday, followed me for two blocks with questions and accusations, and then left. Later that day, I was asked to come onto the show, which I declined to do. I did e-mail the person who invited me with responses to the two mistaken charges they made when I was being followed by the camera crew.
After being stalked and ambushed, Brinkley did release a statement to Fox refuting Jenkins’ claims — and forcing Jenkins to halfheartedly admit he had been wrong about one of his charges.
The key part of Brinkley's statement reads:
One is that I claimed that only one person was tried and convicted in the war on terror. That’s not correct. I said that of the large group of Muslims rounded up immediately after 9/11, only one of them was tried and convicted. Other defendants were, of course, tried and convicted at later dates.
The problem, as The Bwog noted, is that Jenkins was waving about numbers from this year, while Brinkley's book was published in 2006 -- when, in fact, the statement that Jenkins finds so offensive was in fact accurate.
So the basis of Jenkins' charge against Brinkley was essentially bogus; if he had a beef with anyone, it might have been with the editors at the book's publishing house, who evidently have not been diligent enough in updating details of the book for its subsequent printings. Moreover, it's clear that Jenkins is misreading Brinkley, who carefully specified that he was talking about the people arrested immediately after 9/11, while Jenkins' figures refer to all the terrorism suspects rounded up since the terror attacks.
Now, having been shown for the screwup that he is, you'd think Jenkins would go into hiding and take his vicious little videotape with him. But there he was again this morning on Fox and Friends, proudly running the tape again, and declaiming:
Now guys, shortly after this encounter, the good provost did issue a statement. However, it was responding to something I didn't accuse him of. And he pointed out in one of his books, somewhere else in another chapter, he did mention 3,000 Americans were dead. Fact is, that there's bias in these books, and he misleads the reader.
The worst part of all this, as we noted when Bill O'Reilly sends out his minions on similar attack missions, is that this is a gross abrogation of basic ethical standards for journalists -- who typically resort to such stalking and ambushes for actual criminal actors or public-office miscreants -- not people whose words the journalist finds offensive.
Fox is using its ambush crews not to attack people they genuinely believe have broken the law or harmed the public's welfare, but merely people with whom they disagree.
That's a very, very dangerous development.
The Rude Pundit has some appropriately rude thoughts in response to Jenkins.
Like that chippy who claimed on bill o'really who claimed ambush journalism of this sort has been done since political reporting started...
Maybe on Inside Edition
Something o'really should be familiar with.
It's when "journalists" raid a wedding of Rainier Wolfcastle to snap pictures for their voyeurs.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
is one of Fox's stalkees going to whip out a cell phone and call 911 to report an assault by a stalker?
"Trust no one, Mr. Mulder." - Well-Manicured Man
I've been wondering the same thing myself. I thought stalking is against the law.
problem is this...its not stalking...
its reprehensible, its odious, its crap...but its not illegal, as any private investigator can tell you.
as long as broily doesnt send his rats to scurry after you for weeks and weeks even after youve told him to stop, its not stalking...
1st amendment allows people the right to be assholes as long as it doesnt do any serious damage. and since being a douchebag isnt a compromise of ones safety, he can do it to as many people as he wants, as long as he only does it once per person.
so that brings us to the possibility of a class action harassment lawsuit...any thoughts?
..is not so strict. Call 9/11 and report a disturbance. When the police show up, claim harassment and "Disturbing the peace". Put on the best show when the cops start to arrive.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
is that the ambushers punishment is to be told to go away.
by this time, he already has the footage he needs to embarrass (with editing) whomever the target is.
and that leads me to a fair legal question...does no one have the right to say 'no' to bill oreilly? he could easily say that he called angelina jolie and she refused to come on his show (whether he did or not, and no one can prove that he didnt), ambush her, and then say 'angelina jolie going to be on my show tonight'
and we know this because he's done it....
well, jessica alba's 'disagreed' with him, is she next? maybe there's something scarlett johannson said that he didnt like? how about megan fox?
"journalists" get mace or pepper spray right in their pasty white faces.
the link to the rude one is not working... ?
[Thanks, mikeg. Sent the notification up the chain. Site Monitor]
[It's linked now! Site Monitor]
das ist richtig! no linkee!
Bite my shiny metal ass.
http://www.startalkradio.net/
I don't give a toss.
and watching that one guy in your class fail out, in epic, cringeworthy spectacle.
me of Pee Wee Herman falling off his bike and proclaiming: "I meant to do that."
Hasa Diga Eebowai
going on to financial success with Fox News.
"I'd say: "HEY GRIFF! Sorry I missed you at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance meeting the other night. You know, Bruno asked about you again. He says you can come and pick up the "thing" you left there... anytime, day or night."
enjoy the Rude Pundit's take on these issues. You can always rely on him to lower the political discourse to just the right level. Especially for Fox buffoons. Now if only Driftglass would weigh in on this one I think we'd have all the bases covered.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Jeez....I just went to that Fauxnation site for the first time. Just by looking at the headlines on the home page, you can see that it is extremely obviously biased towards repubes. The top story....."Obama on foreign soil....America has Shown Arrogance," as if this is so important to warrant the first thing you see on that home page.
A little down the page....another picture of Obama in the Culture section, with the headline "Declaring War on Catholics." And right next to this one is the stiff griff ambush.
There are also stories about Limpballs....I'd have to say that 90% of the comments I see on this site come from limpball suckups and lovers.
What a piece of right wing repube propaganda...what else can you expect from faux news?
Sickening, I tell you...very, very sickening.
Ha, it's like you're surprised!
Bite my shiny metal ass.
http://www.startalkradio.net/
I don't give a toss.
Not really, but I just sent BillO an email about some of the comments I just read on that site. BillO always says that the left wing haters are so much more vile and vicious than the right wing haters and, in fact, he has stated that right wing haters are insignificant. He often says that left wing sites need to screen their comments and take those out which are hateful.
Just reading some of those comments on the foxnation site, you can see an intense hatred coming from these right wingers. Here are a few comments I saw in just about 5 minutes of surfing that site. These all refer to Obama:
“sorry excuse for a President.”
“I'm sick of this ignorant, disrespectful, pompous, commie jerk”
“Obama is not worthy of respect”
“This poor excuse for a human being is discusting (sic)”
“this idiot hasn't a clue”
Most disturbing....
“Let’s do whatever it takes to get rid of this worthless leader.”
This last one sounds like a threat to Obama.
These right wing smear sites like this are very dangerous.
The reason 90% of the comments are positive is THAT THEY CENSOR THE REST!!! In at least 2 different subjects I posted reasonable, articulate lucid arguments that disagree with the Fox party line. They never showed up. No profanity, no personal attacks, just a well-reasoned dissenting opinion.
In Pravda, there is no truth, in truth, there is no Pravda.
This weekend, I also posted some reasonable comments....no profanity, no name-calling....simply disagreeing with some of the other comments. Those did not get posted.
But I also saw someone else make a comment that their postings didn't show up this weekend....maybe a problem. Several comments I posted this morning have shown up.
But I have no doubt FoxPravda is censoring some comments.
I'm with the rude pundit on this (loved that link!). If these sh-ts from Fox try to get in your face, be as rude as possible. Curse up a storm. Screw them! Griff Jenkins strikes me as someone, who has never been laid. Let him know that. These people are bullies. We need to fight back. Make them cry like the babies they are. And seriously, what kind of name is Griff?
It's probably short for Griffin. The BabyNameWizard sez:
Origin of the name Griffin:
Borrowed from the Welsh, Griffin is from Griffinus, a Latinate form of Griffith, which was used in the Middle Ages. Griffith is a Welsh name of debated origin. Some believe it to be an Anglicized form of Gruffydd, the Welsh form of the Roman Rufus (red, ruddy). Others however, think the name is derived from the Old Welsh Grippiud (prince).
But I really can't wait till one of the fox ambush crews goes after the wrong person or group and ends up in body bags or never seen again.
Quite frankly suprised it hasn't happen yet
Carry a taser, and if some twit assaults you, well you were afraid for your life so you hadda tase 'em in the ballz...
and laugh while they writhed on the ground clutching their roasted nutz...
Apply LIBERALLY!
HA!
with 11,000 deaths due to gun violence a year it's surprising that none of them are these crews stepping onto someone's private property one too many times.
We needed another FDR, instead we got another clinton.
Has on retainer, probably coach these morons on what exactly they can get away with.
From Glad bags.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
.
Griff Jenkins was the tool Fox sent into the Recreate 68 protest at the DNC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D74Xs1VuYAE
When the crowd chanted FUCK FOX NEWS, he cried WHY DONT YOU BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH.
What a tool.
Answer every question with two words: "Andrea Mackris." They will not use a second of it.
Uh, Griff? It's "Unfinished Nation", not "Unfinished Business". Caught yourself the second time, but you obviously didn't memorize the bullet points.
Broily could give a damn about ethics as long as he doesnt break any laws.
until he DOES start breaking laws, in which case everybody will be out to get him. and that doesnt matter because theyre only little laws anyway.
This bimbo is a perfect example of the right wing nutcakes, and what sort of "hero" it takes to get on their list of "great american heroes". I mean, joe the Not-plummer is a prime example.
This butt head actually believes he is "cool". Like he is doing some sort of "civic service" to chase after people and pester them with his assinine questions that often make no real sense.
I just wish EVERYONE would remember to start asking about bor's sexual harrassment pay off. That would turn the cameras off like instantly.
We need a team of several people armed with cameras and microphones that follows Griff Jenkins as he stalks these people. The moment he ambushes them the team should do the same to Jenkins and demand to know why he is doing it. Turn the tables on this filthy little rat. If I lived in the area .. I'd do it myself
But who is gonna bankroll it?
And how will anyone know when exactly anyone is going to be ambushed?
They're already afraid of him. Seems like the perfect guy for the job!
CSBO - Citizens to Stop Bill O'Reilly .... seriously ... ambush this producer every time they pull this. Start by opening a Blog web site so you can identifying yourselves as CSBO ... print t-shirts ... follow this creep the same way he follows the people he ambushed .. as so as he pounces on someone get over to them and grill this looser Jenkins with questions while he is trying to sting his prey ... 1) Did Bill O'Reilly put you up to this? 2) Did you check your facts before you decided to pull this stunt. 3) How many hours have you been stalking this person. Don't let up and get it all on tape.
And then put the tapes on all the blogs and on YouTube, and maybe Stewart, Colbert, Olbermann, and Maddow would use them too.
What a bunch of waste-case morons.
This kind of stuff should be illegal. What right do they have to stalk and ambush people. Has anyone looked into whether or not these folks have some legal recourse. It's harassment and intimidation. Wish people would start giving the O'Reilly asswipe gang a taste of their own medicine.
People need to start IMMEDIATELY just as a matter of course, to start suing Faux News every time in lies about what people say, or harasses them publicly like this. Don't worry about whether you'll be successful in court, just drown them in lawsuits.
Enough of this stupid shit.
...manufactured news and you may as well get used to it. The more successful the Obama administration is, the more of this crap you will get.
Maybe it's time to contact Fox's advertisers again, not just for "The Factor" but all of them. Lots and lots of emails and snailmail letters. This would be for "successful stalks", in the sense that the person stalked cannot shut the stalker up.
I still think the best stalkee response would be a shouting non-stop rant to the stalker on camera about Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment of Andrea Makris and how Fox had to pay up and yet still keeps O'Reilly in their pay. Most employers will fire a sexual harasser in a minute, though of course Fox has a long record of welcoming lawbreakers, from sexual harassers to Ollie North-types.
Baring the fact that they are used against people incorrectly (as in the case of this story), there is no reason that people should not be held accountable for the things that they have said.
It has been far too long in history that people have been able to make decisions that are horrible and hide behind them.
Can it be misused, sure, but I think the value that could be gained is much greater.
I am hoping that after getting frustrated being asked the same question, they finally tell the truth.
There is a very simple way to handle this weasel. Keith Obermann ran a segment one night that was perfect. When o lielly's little renfield sticks a mic in your face, all you have to do is start talking about Andrea Mackris and NOTHING else. Then they would have nothing to twist into a story at all. This needs to be much more commonly understood. Every blog sould have a link - "what to do if you are stalked by o liely" It could have the lawsuit transcript and a list of talking points of the many lies and hypocrisy's of this swine.
Silence, the sound conservatives make when they are not lying.
simple and effective
You'll have to come up with a different tactic... or just go completely off the rails.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
So - they harass University professors because they disagree with something they wrote, right?
What's next? Can Fox convince someone we ought to have mass book burnings?
There's an image I've seen before...
research one's personal protection rights and the legal definition of harassment. i believe this sort of harassment could be deterred with a garden hose. a bucket of water would do as well. when interviewed later about the incident, make sure to have a good laugh about the "dampened enthusiasm" of the ambush crew
A water hose... That's pretty good idea.
Better yet, if you know you're being stalked, get some buddies to set up your own ambush and hit them with the contents of a fire extinguisher.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
Someone ought to look into how Griff Jenkins was prepared for his job with fox. Find out if he was trained in punditry at one of those PR firms that is cranking out (mostly) right wing political pundits, analysts and/or consultants, most of whom cannot in any way be considered scholars or experts of any kind. Find out exactly what kind of credentials he has. And also find out what his real name it and how he came up with Griff Jenkins.
Let's not forget that the Nazis persecuted intellectuals, writers of books, publishers. They went after whatever they felt threatened by and could not tolerate any divergent political or intellectual views. Griff Jenkins, "the masterful ambusher," would have done really well in Nazi Germany. The other 2 hosts of this fox segment also would have been shining examples of aryan perfection in propaganda, all shiny and blond and cheery! They cheerily encourage and are thrilled by the ambush of a "liberal" author that apparently their bosses have singled out for attack. So, these willing lackeys are the joyful public face of the ambush.
Next time you go to Germany or chat with someone from Germany, ask him or her what he or she thinks about such "ambushes" on fox. You might find that they think it's very similar to what happened in Germany and they may not like it or think that it is a democratic thing to do.
I just wish I could get Faux News to stalk me some...
It would be a joy recite:
"Dance at the Saratoga SAVOY
and learn about Andrea Mackris
while being with people who know about Malmedy
and don't discust you with images of Bill O and Luffas!"
(Hey, gotta support your business interest somehow :-)
Alternatively, in NY, justifiable homocide requires you believe that someone is either going to kidnap or do greivious bodily harm to you or someone else.
Just recite:
The police can then confiscate the video for evidence (Faux doesn't get it to edit or air without releasing crime scene evidence) and you can use it to justify the can of whoop ass you handed out to the prick.
In a hypothetical world where Jenkins' accusations were factually correct, how would it be a LIBERAL bias?
What is liberal about understating the number of convictions or excluding the number of dead on September 11th? I thought Conservative/Liberal issues were along the lines of taxation, gay marriage, abortion, etc, not the death tolls of tragedies.
Sounds like the old joke about "facts having a liberal bias" is not considered a joke at Fox News and is now considered a legitimate threat.
1st reality, now books. What will be the next thing to fall to liberal bias? Intelligence? Empathy? Rational thought?
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