CHR - Media Distortion: Facts, Bias and Unedited Video

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Media Distortion: Facts, Bias and Unedited Video

When we learned last week that our interview request for Secretary of State Marco Rubio had come through, the editorial decisions were easy. Our team would release the full, unedited interview the same day on X.  

The decision to be transparent seemed especially important given the lack of public trust in the media and the “news distortion” complaint against CBS News 60 Minutes for its heavy handed edit of then Vice President Kamala Harris. 

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As a threshold matter, Secretary Rubio is a major newsmaker.   His answers on timely foreign policy questions including Ukraine, Russia, China, and the Middle East deserved to be heard in full.  

Because opportunities to interview a Cabinet Secretary are so rare_, my training is that the reporter is obligated to ask a broad range of questions. The reporter has a special responsibility to raise issues with foreign and domestic news consumers in mind. 

We also recorded the interview “live-to-tape.” As the recording is made, the director switches the cameras in real time, creating an edited effect.  On this shoot, we had three cameras: one for each subject and a third camera for the wide shot. It’s like having a small control room on site.

For the journalist, releasing the full, unedited video means their preparation must go deeper.

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For example, I prepared over two days, beginning with the identification of topics, and then I developed an overall flow for the discussion.  This is all subject to change with breaking news.

My training is that each question should be 15 words or less. It sounds simple, but in practice, it is very challenging.  Achieving the “15 words or less rule” guarantees the questions are focused, disciplined and free of personal and political bias. Next time you watch the Sunday Talk Shows, apply the “15 words of less rule” and the results will be telling.

Example: This question about President Zelensky is 13 words.

Practically speaking, short, sharp focused questions keep the discussion moving and generally elicit the most direct and authentic responses.  Long winded questions put too much emphasis on the interviewer, and give the subject too much time to spin their answer.

Example: This question about Canada as the 51st State is 17 words.

Other challenges for the reporter include tone, pacing and when to interrupt the interview subject.  These decisions are made under pressure, in real time and amplified in the unedited format.  If poorly executed, they distract from the news headlines and the “live-to tape” format means all mis-steps are on full display. 

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